So I finally got my treeless saddle perfect. Almost.

[Twisting]

After several weeks of trying and tweaking I do believe I have perfected my treeless fit. I ride in a sensation jump and, for the horse at least I’ve got the thing where is want it. I ended up pulling the wool pads out of the saddle and replacing them with a sheet of poron, a layer of thinline foam (taken from an old damaged thin line pad) and a layer of lexan that I had hubby cut and shape to fit inside the saddle. It extends most of the way down the saddle providing weight distribution for the stirrups. That was the hardest part, pads just weren’t preventing the dry spots under the stirrups, which is understandable, foam can’t really distribute weight, just cushion what weight is there. I now have picture perfect saddle marks, no tenderness or reactiveness and a nice clean channel of dryness down the spine.

It’s the spine that is my problem though. The butterfly pad that I bought with the sensation gets the job done well, but its a pain the the backside. I’m constantly fiddling with the positioning of the flaps and the Velcro to get the fit just right, and it seems like as soon as I do get it right its time to pull the pads off the saddle and wash them. Surely there is an easier way to get spinal clearance. I wouldn’t mind saving the butterfly pad for shows only. It is a nice pretty white. I would prefer a half pad/baby pad combo, but the sensation does need that spinal clearance.

So, are all treeless pads something you have to fiddle with for 10 minutes every time you ride or are there some you can just throw on give it a quick adjust, and go.

Please forgive any spelling oddness, I proof read but autocorrect may have snuck something past me.

[paulaedwina]

No not all treeless pads have to be fiddled with. My panels velcro to the bottom of the saddle, and the pad has that grippy rubber stuff.

Paula

[Twisting]

My panel velcros to the bottom of my saddle as well, but its still a fussy thing. Never quite right, the Velcro makes adjusting it difficult, and by the time I have it right its time to wash it and I have to pull it off the saddle and start the process over.

[paulaedwina]

I should have said I have an EZ fit saddle.

Paula

[katyb]

I never mess with my pads at all. I use a Haf pad, Bandos saddle. We have an equipedic with a Barefoot, and a Grandeur with a Black Forest. No problems with any of them. I’m not sure I understand you set up though.

[CindyCRNA]

Timely question as I just purchased a used Freeform treeless and am lamenting over pads. I am hesitant to spend $300 on a pad from the company but a company in Canada is selling the Haf 8200 VPR for $200 including shipping. It is normally $300. I am wondering if it is a good choice.

[patti]

I think the HAF pads or Skito pads (or something similar) are going to be your most fuss-free way of managing your treeless saddle. We’ve got a Bob Marshall treeless that will fit all three of our competing endurance horses in a pinch (and they love it despite what horrific things I think it does to my equitation!) but each of them has their own Skito to perfect its fit.

The Skito automatically provides spine clearance, can be purchased with shims to make up for a downhill topline, or a dropped back in general, you get the idea.

Good luck!

[chicamuxen1]

Another option is to buy a Skito Interpad which is sort of like a half pad. It is the inserts of your choice incased in a stretch fabric. It is not a full pad. This can be set on top of a plain saddle pad, any run-of-the-mill pad that’s easy to toss in the washer. It will give your the foam panels to provide spinal clearance and the ability to add other inserts. You could put felt inserts into the pad, etc. Much cheaperr than an entire Skito pad and some added benefits for flexible use.

Bonnie

[Lifting_Chickk]

I too ride in a Sensation Jump and there was much “pad fiddling” until I bought the Ecogold Papillon-E pad to go with it. Fiddling over. It fits the saddle so well, it’s no different than padding a treed saddle.

Never any dry spots. I use the hard-use stirrup configuration though, so if you’re doing free-swing, it’d be a different story for weight distribution.

[Twisting]

I have the papillon pad, it’s the fiddly pad. I dislike the top line of the pad, the Velcro tabs that connect the two pieces, never work quite right. I’ve used an older shimable half pad that I trimmed and tweaked to provide a spine, going to give it a try tomorrow. I do use the hard use stirrups, but I still needed to use lexan panels in the saddle itself to get all the weight distribution required. It’s perfect now, I’ve never seen saddle marks that were so even.

If the makeshift half pad works I will likely look into a skito half pad. The papillon will be saved for shows, it does look lovely.

[DistanceHorse]

I use a supracor endurance pad next to the saddle and a skito pad next to the horse (double padded). Ample spine clearance and no rubs under the stirrup “bar” area. Bandos saddle and heavy middleweight rider.

[MSP]

I have a Haf pad I use with my Freeform, no fiddling! I keep it under the saddle and throw both on at once, make final adjustments and girth up.