Barefoot saddles

[Jasfino]

Has anyone ridden in a Barefoot saddle?

[halfmoonfino]

No, but they look nice! I'd be very interested to see what others think of them.

[Pasogirlz]

Let's see a pic.

[Jasfino]

http://barefoot-saddle.co.nz/images/cheyennebest.jpeg

[KAB]

Three of us here have them.I have the one pictured and a friend has the Nevada (one with a horn and square skirts) and Debbie D has one like mine.Kim and I love ours.Last I heard Debbie D. liked hers too.They also have a new model called the Arizona and it is like the one pictured but with a horn.It only comes in brown.The others come in black or brown.Very comfortable,doesn't slide.

[nmcreel]

Hi, I bought a Barefoot saddle for Christmas for my mare and it made an incredible difference in how she travels. I had lost any kind of back-up and she wouldn't stand for mounting. In one ride I could tell it was going to work. She stood for mounting, backed, and started to round up and collect for a very nice corto. I can feel her back rounding up through the saddle and for the first time she has started to carry her neck in a more rounded way. I'm also getting better and better stops. On Monday for the first time she really got her back end underneath her on a whoa and almost did a sliding stop. The stirrups are placed a little too far back for my taste, but I'm starting to get used to them. I'm using the saddle with a mohair girth and skito pad and have had no problem with slipping or twisting. Last week I tried a flex panel saddle and really disliked how far above the horse I was sitting. I haven't had a chance to try the Barefoot on trails yet, and probably won't have a chance till April or May, but I'm guessing that I'll be happy with it on trails as well.

Here's a short video of Cassidy on one of her first rides in the Barefoot:

http://bozemanagility.com/JanFG2.WMV

Nancy Creel

[CarolU]

Nancy you describe perfectly the 'fixes' I've found when switching 'problem' horses to treeless saddles. Amazing the difference when the horse isn't pinched or in pain.

These saddles look very similar to BMs and VERY comfy!

How much do they cost? (Yeah, like I 'need' another saddle!). LOL

[Lynn L.]

I have spoken with a couple people that both said that they had both the BM and the barefoot and they prefer the BM. Both agreed that the Barefoot was nice and fit well, but that the BM was better made. I don't know what the price difference is, but if the BM is alot more, I would consider the Barefoot. Watch out that your horse doesn't get spoiled, though. Mine don't like to be ridden in treed saddles anymore!

[DebbieD]

I have a BM and a Barefoot and like both! KAB let me ride in her Barefoot before I decided to buy. They are both very comfortable for rider and horse. The Barefoot is lighter than the BM. I think it only weighs 14lbs. You can actually fold the Barefoot in half. If you like to ride bareback you will definatly like the Barefoot. I think I paid about $900 for my Barefoot. That included shipping,fenders and stirrups. The nice thing about the Barefoot it does not slip! I would definatly recommend it. A girl can never have enough saddles!!!!!!

[KAB]

Barefoot saddle runs $650 add western fenders & stirrups for $100 so you have $750.I can't sat that I actually like the BM better.They are both great.The barefoot isn't as thick as the BM.You just have to try it.There is no wait period to get one either.

[KAB]

P.S. And Lynn , to heck with the horse being spoiled, I can't stand a treed saddle anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jasfino]

Thanks for all the feedback.

[PasoJoy]

My friend has a franchise with these saddles. They are almost identical to the Torsion treeless saddle, but cheaper price. I have never ridden in the Barefoot but she loves them. I DID ride in a Torsion and didn't like it because it was so WIDE I was uncomfortable, and I'm sure the Barefoot feels the same way.. My friend says there is a pad you can buy that lifts the saddle up a bit so you get a 'twist' and narrower seat, it cost over two hundred dollars..and that is the pad she uses with her own personal saddle. You do have to make sure you have a good pad with any of them. So I think hers, with the good pad, was around 900.00.

[Jasfino]

The only thing that I really wonder about is on the Barefoot website, they state its best to mount using a mounting block, in order for the saddle, I would assume, not to slide during the process. That bugs me because out on the trail, I won't have a mounting block handy if I need to dismount and get back on. If they slide around that easily, perhaps they are not as secure as they should be? I dont know. Just wondering. And Joy, those pads are very expensive that they recommend.. from $150-$250.

[Terry Wallace]

I just got a new catalog from the National Bridle Shop. They have a saddle called a "BARETEK".."saddle alternative". You can get a western or an English style. They don't have stirrups..they are $269.99

I guess I would say it is less than a saddle and more than a pad...

www.nationalbridle.com

[CarolU]

Jen, I have no problem getting on/off with my BM saddles. The cantle and pomel are rigid and you have very good side-to-side stability, I would say equivalent to a treed saddle. If you are concerned, buy a grippa or skitto pad for under it and eleminate any and all slip. I would imagine the only horses they could slip on would be flat backed, mutton withered horses.

My Ansur does slip easily. It is essentailly an english saddle-looking leather bareback pad. They DO slip when you mount unless very snug. I personally love the saddle, but don't recommend them to a lot of people for this reason. I do recommend BMs though and use mine on Diablo just because it is so secure. They barrel race and do competitive reining in them. I feel they are as secure as a regular saddle.

[nmcreel]

I found a used Bob Marshall Saddle at our Winter Fair yesterday. It has a larger seat than my barefoot and for the price I just had to try it for comparison. I won't be able to use it till the weather warms up here though. Right now it's minus 20 so no reports today.

Nancy

[Jasfino]

You lucky girl. :D Let me know how it compares to your Barefoot. I think I have it narrowed down to those two. Its freezing here today too with snow...brrrr