A friend of mine has a small Mustang mare (about 14h) who is built sorta like a Friesian.
She is having trouble finding the right kind of western saddle that won’t roll around on her. Mare has mutton-y withers.
Can anyone help? She’s contemplating a treeless saddle but I am not sure about those.
TIA!
Has she looked at Haflinger saddles? They are made for short-backed mutton withered horses.
Some treeless saddles - like Freeform – can be really rollypolly. I tried a few different brands on one of my muttony withered horses (a Quarter horse) and they were terrible. Can’t say I’d recommend them. At least not the ones I tried.
So I went back to using-- believe it or not-- the barrel racing saddle I previously used on him. (dead quiet horse for quests to ride, and they liked the safety-feel of a western saddle) For some reason that saddle fit him really well and never slid around. Minimal tree and skirts, unlike more standard types of western saddles.
I love my treeless Bob Marshall…and bought a treed Western for my roly half Arab. She’s only six, green, and the Bob Marshall made me very nervous. It slipped when she spooked. It didn’t slip on the Arab gelding I used it on, and he was not exactly a steady Eddy. I wouldn’t recommend a treeless for your friend, unless she can give it a good trial, with the proper pad. BTW, my saddle is a Big Horn Evolution. The Haflinger saddles might be a good option.
I’m always leery of doing a treeless saddle on a round-type horse with no withers.
What has your friend tried thus far?
[QUOTE=beau159;8541609]
I’m always leery of doing a treeless saddle on a round-type horse with no withers.
What has your friend tried thus far?[/QUOTE]
Equally leery, and coming from a person who has tried treeless saddles on a wither-less and very wide/round horse. I tried Sensation, Barefoot, and Heather Moffett. All of them had rolling issues on my horse. The Barefoot felt like a pillow strapped to my horse. The Sensation felt like a very overpriced bareback pad. The Heather Moffett was the best of the three, but after it rolling twice while I was mounted my instructor “made me” get rid of it.
[QUOTE=Draftmare;8541638]
I tried Sensation, Barefoot, and Heather Moffett. All of them had rolling issues on my horse. [/QUOTE]
Okay I’m a little confused. Is this YOUR horse, or your friend’s horse that you are trying to fit a saddle for?
Have any saddles with TREES in them been tried?
[QUOTE=beau159;8542232]
Okay I’m a little confused. Is this YOUR horse, or your friend’s horse that you are trying to fit a saddle for?
Have any saddles with TREES in them been tried?[/QUOTE]
I am not the original poster. 
I was just explaining my experiences.
[QUOTE=beau159;8541609]
I’m always leery of doing a treeless saddle on a round-type horse with no withers.
What has your friend tried thus far?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=beau159;8542232]Okay I’m a little confused. Is this YOUR horse, or your friend’s horse that you are trying to fit a saddle for?
Have any saddles with TREES in them been tried?[/QUOTE]
So far she is using a gaited horse saddle. Honestly I’m not sure what the problem is; she just asked me what I thought about treeless and my first thought was “not on a bet”… I think she’s looking for something lightweight, as she’s a pretty tiny thing. She is looking at Haflinger saddles - she’s gotten that far!! LOL!
[QUOTE=Draftmare;8542340]
I am not the original poster. I was just explaining my experiences.[/QUOTE]
Oh doh’y. 
Sorry!
I have a paint with the same build. Tried a Trekker treeless back when they first came out, and it rolled like crazy. I then tried a western saddle made for a gaited horse by National Bridle. It worked great, but it weighed 45 lbs.
So I switched to riding huntseat. Took me years to come back to western, but I finally did.
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