choosing a treeless saddle

[kteufel]

I'm trying to decide which treeless saddle I should buy for my mare. She has tall withers for a paso, and while she isn't as narrow as a thoroughbred, she's definately not super wide. She also has a slight sway to her back. Here's some pictures as an example:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/kteufel/nena/rightside1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/kteufel/nena/DSC01840.jpg

I'm concerned about wither clearance. I'm also concerned about stability--I'm a pretty balanced rider but I'd like a secure saddle for trail riding, and that will be reasonably supportive when my horse does one of her spook-n-spins :)

No plans for showing. I'm debating either the Barefoot Cheyenne, Barefoot London, or a Bob Marshall.

In the past I used to own a Tuend treeless, a Torsion, and an Ansur. The Tuend was comfy but not the most stable and the Torsion was similar--I also think both saddles were too small, as you practically sat on the cantle. To be honest, I never got into my Ansur while I owned it and rarely rode in it. Can't afford another one now. I realise the Barefoot saddles are essentially identical to the Tuend/Torsion, but they look to be somewhat closer contact and come in different sizes, which is appealing.

Pros? Cons? Testimonials?

[KAB]

LOve the barefoot saddles.I have the cheyenne.No problems at all.Someone on here (Gail) sells them.

[Edurne]

I got a German knock-off from an Englishman living in Spain for about half the $, and it is working beautifully. doesn't twist or slide and seems to be large enough for my ample and well padded rear.

[ErinC]

love my Bob Marshall. Endurance.
never had a twist or turn, and I have one that can be a brat.
I am training a baby with it too.
I have been on
hills, mts in VT, you name it.
its soft, compfy, light, and has fit all the horses I have put it on.

I do ride with a brest collar.

con- is the price, they are not cheap, and you should use a good supportive pad.

[CarolU]

I'm working on an article for PFHW on the different kinds of treeless saddles, so besides owning three of them, I have been researching them as well.

There are basically three types:

Flex panel saddles
Treeless with rigid cantle and pomel (e.g., Bob Marshall, Barefoot)
Totally treeless (e.g., Ansur)

(Would someone who had the Kuda tack treeless please tell me how it is built)

I own one each of the three saddle brands I listed. I've ridden in Flex panel saddles and believe that they still would pinch a wide withered horse since they are still fixed by the bolts to be X-wide at those points.

For your use, I would recommend either the BM or the Barefoot. They are both secure, side-to-side, because of the cantle and pomel IF they are on tight. That is true though with treed saddles also. They use BMs for Reining and Barrel racing, so you know they can be very secure. I use my BM Trail (western) on my reining horse and he spins, does rollbacks, etc. and I feel very safe.

I have the Dressage version of the Barefoot so it is show legal. It is very secure, super cushy and I really do LOVE it. It's light, easy to rig and much more user-friendly then the BM. Well made and 2/3 the price.

I have horses with and without prominant withers and do not have problems with any of my three saddles. The Ansur really is a pancake, so there are no pressure points anywhere. BUT it is not secure enough for many riders.

[Linda Y]

I have one of the first BM saddles. Made out of material like a divers suit instead of leather. I love it!
My mare is almost witherless and wide. I rode her with it in the mountains in Arkansas. It did slip forward, which I solved with a non-slip pad, but there is no side to side slipping. It is extremely comfortable for me and the horse. I love it! :D

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

I'm working on an article for PFHW on the different kinds of treeless saddles, so besides owning three of them, I have been researching them as well.

There are basically three types:

Flex panel saddles
Treeless with rigid cantle and pomel (e.g., Bob Marshall, Barefoot)
Totally treeless (e.g., Ansur)

(Would someone who had the Kuda tack treeless please tell me how it is built)

I own one each of the three saddle brands I listed. I've ridden in Flex panel saddles and believe that they still would pinch a wide withered horse since they are still fixed by the bolts to be X-wide at those points.

For your use, I would recommend either the BM or the Barefoot. They are both secure, side-to-side, because of the cantle and pomel IF they are on tight. That is true though with treed saddles also. They use BMs for Reining and Barrel racing, so you know they can be very secure. I use my BM Trail (western) on my reining horse and he spins, does rollbacks, etc. and I feel very safe.

I have the Dressage version of the Barefoot so it is show legal. It is very secure, super cushy and I really do LOVE it. It's light, easy to rig and much more user-friendly then the BM. Well made and 2/3 the price.

I have horses with and without prominant withers and do not have problems with any of my three saddles. The Ansur really is a pancake, so there are no pressure points anywhere. BUT it is not secure enough for many riders.


Carol,

As you well know by now, I am a great fan of the treeless saddles..... I started using a Bob's, I want to say 6 years ago. I was very pleased with results but found that after an intense used had to be replaced.

I did search many manufactors and brands but always found that the fit of the saddles really werent fitted for our own horses.

So, I found Kuda Store, Kuda has a variety of TREELESS saddles to choose from, Mauricio the owner is a very pleasant person to work with and the best is, the personalize service that he offers, all of his saddles are made in Colombia with a very nice high quality leather, and we and the horses are loving very minute of it.

Kuda Stores carrys from TREELESS TEREQUES to TREELESS SHOW ENGLISH STYLE...... I highly recommend anyone to his treeless saddle lines.........

If you need testimonies, please let me know..........

Edit: from our breed to my own horses, can only speak for myself.

[TrueStepPaso]

I recommend the BM, or the Barefoot London dressage saddle (I've got my eye on it since Joy bought hers :twisted: ).

The BM company has a customer for life with me. I am a huge fan, and NEVER had any problems for the last three years....you have all the comfort & stability you want without sacrificing the look and feel of a REAL saddle.

[kteufel]

Thanks for all the suggestions! It sounds like all my choices would be appropriate :) I just have to *decide*...

I'm leaning towards the Barefoots because of price... and I prefer english girth rigging. I'll probably go with the Cheyenne, because I've already got a dressage-style saddle--a wintec pro dressage w/ CAIR panels. It's a nice enough saddle but I prefer treeless because then I'm not paranoid about the fit changing.

Can't wait to try it!

[pnalley]

How do you like the Wintec Dressage?

I have a really old Wintec AP that I love, I bought a new one that didn't fit me so I just put it on consignment ant the local saddle shop.

Soon as it sells I'm ordering the Barefoot London

[kteufel]

My wintec pro dressage w/ CAIR panels appears to fit my horse nicely. I haven't been riding her hard at all in the last year, so I don't know if it would ultimately make her back sore, but she seems to like it well enough. I think I might need to go up a gullet size, though, as she's a little fatter than when I first got it.

For the rider it's comfortable. I've heard people complain about the "bouncy" feel of the CAIR panels but I can't say that I've noticed anything weird. That said, I haven't really ridden in a treed saddle for so long, I don't have much to compare it with! I actually find it easier to sit her gait than I did with the Ansur I used to have, but still not as easy as when I'm riding her bareback. I don't know why that is...

I think it's a nicely priced, nice quality saddle. Just about as versatile as a treed saddle can get, with the changable gullet system and the CAIR panels helping to make the fit as flexible as possible.

The last time I rode her in it, she seemed a little irritated, but I was also using a new dressage pad, which may have been what was bugging her. Or it may have just been the girth pinching in a certain way, who knows. She was turning her head towards her barrel and flicking her tail, and seemed the most annoyed when we did a sharp turn, so I just took the saddle off and rode bareback, and she was fine again. Go figure. She's never done that before, and the only thing i changed was the saddle pad, so my bet is on that.

[Blair]

I used to use a Wintec Pro-Dressage with CAIR but realized it was causing my mare problems. I finally figured out that it was length of the saddle and it seemed to pressing into her kidneys/back - it is a long saddle if you get the size to fit a size12 female rear-end! My mare was swishing her tail alot, would not gait or move out - only would walk. As soon as I got my BM she was a different horse and she loves the Barefoot London I have now also (or appears to in the two/three times I rode her in it so far). I sold my Wintec for a nice amount on Ebay a couple of years ago. I still have a Wintec AP that my daughter uses on her gelding (not a paso) but she has pretty much started stealing my BM all of the time and loves it (hence the reason I got the London).

[CarolU]

Kali and Blair - KUDOS to both you! Excellent examples of someone LISTENING to their horse!

I do think they TRY very hard to tell us. Adds to my belief that many "behavior problems" are really saddle fit/pain problems. Really have to love treeless saddles. They take the guess out of it.

[echo]

I have an ansur, 2 bob M's (original bob m's), and a rebecca treeless. My favorite is the Rebecca treeless. I also have a Courbette Flexible tree (sorta wierd, but a nice saddle). The Rebecca It is custom made and took forever to get here (about 8 months I think), but all the horses love it and it was reasonably priced). I like to show in the Ansur, but not all horses...some are just too sensitive and silly about stuff to ride the Ansur. I like the Bob m's alot, especially for trail riding, but don't like the restrictiveness of the leg position. I'm basically an English saddle type person anyway. The Rebecca saddle is extremely comfy and the high-wither pad keeps the saddle free and clear off the horse's spine. I think there's another thread I started about the Rebecca, if anyone is interested:
http://americanpasofinos.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10175&highlight=rebecca

[Pinto Paso]

Here is my new treeless saddle - it is closer to a pad but has many of the things that I wanted in a quick something to throw on the horse..

It is not expensive, very comfortable and well made
http://southwestsaddlery.com/OnSale/EBAYstore/EbayCurrent/Saddle-Western/Variation/2007_0531/SIDE-PROFILE-300.JPG
http://southwestsaddlery.com/OnSale/EBAYstore/EbayCurrent/Saddle-Western/Variation/2006_11_10/BLACK-MID-GIRTH/UNDERSIDE-400.JPG
http://southwestsaddlery.com/OnSale/EbayStore/EbayCurrent/Saddle-Western/Variation/WE051215/TL-Rigging-V1.1-C.JPG
http://southwestsaddlery.com/OnSale/EbayStore/EbayCurrent/Saddle-Western/Variation/WE051215/TL-PERSP-V1.2-A.JPG