I went to have a saddle fit to my horse and the guy sold me a pad instead and said I'd have a hard time fittin any saddle to my horse Short back/Wide shoulders/No withers. I'm interested in finding out more about treeless saddles, the pro and cons. Who makes a good saddle who make crud.
Posted 2005-08-17 10:16 PM (#29330 - in reply to #29325) Subject: RE: Treeless Saddle
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
I have a short backed mutten withered Arabian, that I finally had to buy a Circle Y flex lite. It fits him great, and I like it just as much. I went through 4 saddles before this one.
Posted 2005-08-17 10:43 PM (#29331 - in reply to #29325) Subject: RE: Treeless Saddle
Member
Posts: 40 Location: Milton, Florida
I have an Arab gelding that I've ridden in a Bob Marshall treeless saddle for most of the 9 years I've had him. He is hard to fit, has a short back, but high withers. Treeless saddles are a great alternative to a regular treed saddle, but there are things you need to consider. First and foremost, are you a good rider? If you are a beginner and still getting your balance and your seat, the treeless may not be for you. A green rider may sore his horse's back with a treeless if he rides with a heavy seat, in other words, if the rider bounces around alot and is not steady in the saddle. But if you are an accomplished rider, this will not be an issue. As for your horse having no withers and a wide shoulder, I would suggest finding a treeless saddle to try before you buy. With no withers, the treeless may slip around from side to side too much. Of all the horses I've owned, the only one the treeless saddle didn't fit perfectly was the mutton withered Appaloosa I had. The saddle itself fit her just fine, but it did tend to slip side to side easily because there is no wither to help keep in in place. As for quality, there are many brands on the market. I prefer the Bob Marshall Treeless sportsaddle, but I don't like the Barefoot treeless, which is a cheap knockoff of the Ansur. There are also English style's which I've not tried, but I hear good things from friends who have used them. But, with treeless, you get what you pay for, so beware of the cheap imitations. Circle Y makes one that's like a Bob Marshall, but the quality is NOT as good as the B.M. Several of the treeless saddle makers have a trial period, or you can order a demo to try before you buy. Check out www.sportsaddle.com. She is a B.M dealer and sometimes has used ones for sale. You can also find the occasional used one on Ebay or endurance.net classifieds. Used ones are hard to find because most people keep them forever! As for sizing, they run small. But, whichever brand you order, they will help you with the correct sizing, because every brand is different. And if you ride for any length of time, like long trails, or if you ride hard, like in barrels, you will definitely need the recommended saddle pad. The Skito or Equalizer are the most popular that are recommended by the saddle makers. These help to distribute your weight over the horse's back, since there's no tree. The pads are pricey, from $140-$250, but well worth it. So, see if you can find one to try. They are definitely different than a regular saddle, but they are SO CUSHY that your butt will get spoiled real quick!!
Posted 2005-08-18 4:31 PM (#29356 - in reply to #29325) Subject: RE: Treeless Saddle
Elite Veteran
Posts: 602 Location: md
I bought a marshall treeless w/out horn for my arab. You really need a breast plate and crupper. It did fit my walker. Its comfy. but does not support your legs good.
Posted 2005-09-13 3:12 PM (#30307 - in reply to #29325) Subject: RE: Treeless Saddle
Elite Veteran
Posts: 648 Location: Coconut Creek, FL
Ditto on Kellye's reply. I've used a BM treeless since '96 on various different horses and the only one it didn't fit was a very overweight TW. However, I currently use it on my 3 1/3 year TW and used it for several years on a 15.3 mutton withered QH. It was the ONLY saddle I found to fit him and I trailered him to several saddle shops, tried out various brands, etc. I also use the Skito pads with the ultracel inserts, well worth the money.
Posted 2005-09-13 7:35 PM (#30340 - in reply to #29325) Subject: RE: Treeless Saddle
Veteran
Posts: 141 Location: Helena, Ohio
I'm with you all on the BMSS!! I have one that I lucked out & got lovingly used for a great price. I use it on my long backed WIDE shouldered paint gelding, prominent spined NARROW standardbred & 3/4 arab gelding is that SHORT BACKED!! It fits all of them wonderfully. I use a saddleright pad with the underpad protector. I love the combination & so do ALL of my horses.
Posted 2005-09-13 10:55 PM (#30344 - in reply to #29325) Subject: RE: Treeless Saddle
Member
Posts: 5
Location: Tucson, Arizona Territory
cowboybob,
Any good custom saddle maker can fit your horse. There are a lot of high quality custom saddles on the used saddle market for reasonable prices right now. You need to find a good saddler in your area, with a good rep, to advise you. I just happened across a 2 year old Ray Holes saddle with hardly any use for about half the original price. My friend snapped it up for his paint. It had North Western Bars and fit his otherwise hard to fit paint to a T. If you want a more traditional saddle at a good price they are around but you need patience and a bit of luck. Beware of anyone that wants to sell you a saddle " that you can pad up to fit". They are not looking out for you or your horses best interest.
If you are going to ride some rough country and work and rope cattle be careful about getting a treeless or adjustable tree saddle. Make sure you test the saddle in the conditions you will be riding before you pay your hard earned cash.
Treeless Saddle
I bought a marshall treeless w/out horn for my arab. You really need a breast plate and crupper. It did fit my walker. Its comfy. but does not support your legs good.