Hey all! I’m considering a second saddle for my more sensitive mare and I stumbled across this brand of saddle on Facebook on my search of a hornless leather saddle with western skirts and fenders. My diva of a mare has a serious hate for anything remotely English feeling and in the interest of not eating dirt… I take her opinion seriously. Has anyone used one of these saddles? Apparently they have a flex tree instead of a traditional wooden tree… can anyone speak to flex trees? Are they better for sensitive horses or should I steer clear?
If you search the archives on “flexible tree saddles” you’ll find multiple treads. In short, some people swear by them and some swear at them. In the interests of full disclosure, I’m in group two. But do some reading and make up your own mind.
Good luck in your decision.
G.
I had a flex tree Fabtron Lady Trail for a couple of years. Did not love it. I could never get the thing cinched up where it didn’t slip. Also after a year or so I began to notice my horse developing hollows behind his withers. I don’t know if the latter was a result of the saddle or not.
Would you mind sharing what you disliked about them? I’ve been reading archives and other resources on line and it seems for every positive account, there’s an equal negative one. A flex tree is a completely new idea to me, mostly because I’m a traditionalist and I’ve never gone hunting for an alternative to a wooden tree. 
IIRC the first flexible tree patent dates back into the 19th Century. It was not a success.
It was tried in large numbers by the U.S. in 1912 with Experimental Cavalry Equipment and by the British in the same year with the 1912 Universal Pattern (UP) saddle. Both services quickly gave it up as they found it routinely sored the backs of the horses then being used.
The next appearance seems to be with the Orthoflex system. I rode an Orthoflex saddle once; it was a very odd experience as the rider was literally not solidly attached to the horse and the horse was always a moment ahead in everything. It was not at all comfortable to me. I’ve also ridden in a couple of others, including an Ansur (which was a very well made saddle) main problem, discussed below, quickly became apparent.
Shortly after that we have a blossoming of the concept, mostly likely as an offshoot of the the “natural horse” mania.
My concern: I’ve yet to see one that effectively distributes weight. If you are a 98 pound, lithe, teenage girl riding a big WB this is perhaps not an issue. But put a 200 pounder who rides like an old sack of wheat on a 900 lb. Arabian and you’ve got a different problem. If you don’t distribute weight effectively the entire mass of the rider will be concentrated in two, 6" circles under the buttocks. This is a recipe for a sore horse back. Many devotees of the system say this is a problem than can be solved by extra padding or using shims (making the saddle in part “semi rigid”) or other such arrangements but that’s using a complex system to solve a simple problem when a simple solution is at hand.
If you want a graphic demo find a muddy area, wet it good, and then put on some rubber boots and step in the mud. Note what happens. Now take a piece of plywood, maybe 12" x 12", set it on the mud, step on that. You will quickly see the difference effective distribution of weight makes.
To paraphrase my old friend Bugs Bunny, the Law of Physics applies to all of us, even if you’ve never studied Law or Physics.
G.
Thank you! In my research, I have come across the note about weight limitations and I understand the logic behind it. For the sake of the conversation, I may not be a lithe teenager, but I’m not much heavier than 100lbs and I’m barely 5’3 on a good day (and if I find a real well hidden hill). My smallest horse is a 15.1 tank of a Quarter Horse and my primary ride is a 16hh Standardbred who is commonly mistaken for a Warmblood.
I think this will involve much more research on my part, while I wait for an email back from the saddle maker herself. I like the look of the saddle itself, so my other option is to get a similar saddle made but with an actual tree. This will add some weight, but not enough to even begin comparing to the weight of my Wade saddle.
After your research you may come to a different conclusion than mine based upon your circumstances. That doesn’t change the science, just the point of view!!! But your money, your horse. Do what you think works for you.
G.
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I have a Sanders Flextree Saddle and I love it! I have three horses who are all built very differently and it fits all of them comfortably - we’ve done trail riding, reining and cow horse events and a variety of clinics in the same saddle. If you’re interested in one I suggest reaching out to them via Facebook; they are very responsive and helpful and if you’re in the area you can try one.
One of mares is a Paso Fino and I have tried many different flex tree or treeless saddle that people swore by and could never find one that didn’t make her sore somewhere (withers, back, something) or distribute the weight properly but the Sanders saddle has allowed us to do much longer and comfortable rides.
I also have a cow-bred QH and had previously ridden her in my trainer’s cutting saddle but I could afford to drop another $2-3k on a saddle just for her once I brought her home so I needed to be sure the Sanders would work. For the cutting and boxing events, I like it because it’s well balanced…for both of us.
Long story short - I recommend them! And definitely recommend contacting them if you have questions.
