Saddle Help

[littlebranshill]

I have a Balance GPJ which I use for jumping and cross country which my horse and I absolute love.  A few months ago I treated my horse to an SBS Dressage.  It seems that she does not go so well in the SBS.  Why would that be??  I thought that treeless saddles fit most horses and that there really isn't much for the horse to object to.  She is fairly wide, flat backed TBXCob.  Today I rode in the SBS and Balance for 10mins each and then swopped again and she definitely felt more free (especially in the shoulders) in the Balance and seemed to back off the SBS just a little in that I had to use more leg.  Can someone tell me why?????  I used a lambswool Bartl numnah which is thick and comfy so can't see what the problem is.  Lots of people on the forum say that one make or another doesn't suit their horses but don't say why.    

[paulam]

Probably because they are all different shapes and sizes, as are we, and we all ride differently. Treeless doesn't suit all riders either, just as it doesn't suit all horses.

If you've got a saddle that you are both happy with - give thanks!!! I would.

I had a balance saddle that my horse at the time went beautifully in. I couldn't ride in it though because I'm, how shall I say, a bit short in the leg :lol: , and the 8x he was in was just too, too wide for me :( . Found myself eating dirt a lot :blink:  Shame, lovely saddle!

Sometimes it's hard to pin point why they suit one and not another, just some times it's clear they don't.

Sometimes it's obvious why. I've recently seen a horse ridden in a particular make of treeless that clearly didn't like it at all. In this case, with the rider on board, the stiffened leather around the back of the cantle below the seat was pressing down on the horses back and even a significant amount of padding didn't help. A combination of the saddle being stiff and not the right shape for this horse.

[drummers mum]

Can I just add another thought!  

If your horse has never been ridden treeless before then they may be finding the feeling strange.  I imagine that they feel very different to a solid tree.  Can you try it for a few days and see if things improve?  

[carrieh]

Sometimes it's obvious why. I've recently seen a horse ridden in a particular make of treeless that clearly didn't like it at all. In this case, with the rider on board, the stiffened leather around the back of the cantle below the seat was pressing down on the horses back and even a significant amount of padding didn't help. A combination of the saddle being stiff and not the right shape for this horse.

That's exactly what happened to us with a couple of makes of treeless saddle.  Benson being the shape he is,  and short backed, the rear of the cantle just pressed into his back.  Regardless of the padding used.  He really didn't like it, and put in a number of little bucks just to let me know what he thought of it.  It was a great saddle, but just not for him.

Which is why we ended up with the Fhoenix at twice the cost  :lol:   He wanted panels and a more 'traditional' style at the back, so that's what he got.

But treeless saddles do take a bit of getting used to, for both horse and rider.

The other thing to consider is if there is any problem with your horse's back - underlying muscle spasm, that sort of thing.  It may be that one style of saddle shows this up more?   Benson had a summer of back problems and the Fhoenix wouldn't have solved those . . . they had to be sorted out before the saddle hunt could continue.

 

[TashaKat]

I've taken my SBS for others to try out on a few occasions and it usually takes a couple of rides before the 'wow' factor kicks in just because it's SO different.  The set back stirrup bars can be strange at first especially if you're used to striving for correct alignment and pull your legs back naturally!   I made the mistake of trotting downhill the first time I rode in mine .... I learned NOT to pull my legs back very quickly!

A couple of people have said 'yuck' the first time that they rode in it but after the 2nd or 3rd ride have loved it.

Saying that, though, like everything in life not every saddle will suit every horse or rider.  I'm just glad that the SBS suits us

[Roxy]

I thought that treeless saddles fit most horses and that there really isn't much for the horse to object to.

I have come across that idea quite a lot and am not convinced.  My coblet was happy in her SBS with backsaver pad or sheepskin underneath, she even decided she was only doing jumpies in her SBS and I could bog off if I thought she was jumping in anything treed.  Decided I wanted a Fhoenix and despite having a prolite one which I thought would be similar to an SBS and the same padding coblet objected and very quickly got more sore than I would have thought possible in a saddle that squishy. Tried different padding and still had coblet refusing to leave her stable and making it very clear she was not amused if I did manage to get her out and get on board.  Have now replaced Fhoenix with another SBS.  Tried the same fussy coblet in a barefoot treeless as well and she was okay in it but certainly no better than in her treed saddle.  Another horse I used my Fhoenix on was like riding a different horse in it compared to a treed saddle, she loved it, but then her treed saddle was not exactly lovely.  I tried the treeless saddles on my TB shaped one as well and the way they sat on her left me convinced she'd better off in her well-fitted treed saddle.

The chiropractor I use told me she gets a lot of horses to treat with sore backs because their owner thought a treeless couldn't possibly do any harm and was kinder than a treed saddle.  I've got no problem with treeless and I find SBS and Fhoenix far more comfortable on longer rides than my treed saddle but they don't fit or suit all horses or riders.
 

[Claire]

and for example lots of people have horses of all sorts very happy in the barefoot (including TBs).  my horse is a TB and i've had the cheyenne since last december; it really isn't right for her whatever i try, down to her.

we are treating ourselves....... to a fhoenix, unless something goes totally pearshaped.  that seemed fine on her when the agent came out, she went really well in it and ever since i'd wished i'd gone for it in the first place....

[lambert]

hi i find with saddles if you have no obvious bad behaviour, from your horse and everything looks to fit, you really have to have you and your horses back checked every 3 months, to make sure everything is ok and its only after 6 to 8 months if there is a change that you have to look at things again if you are getting changes from a particular saddle, that you and your horse did not have before, with the treeless saddles i think that they may not be for certain riders as well , you have to go with what is good for your back too.

[littlebranshill]

I had her back routinely checked about 6-8 weeks ago and the osteo found two symetrical tender patches on the same place either side of her back.  These corresponded to where the stirrup bars come in the SBS so we either thought it was that or where the Bartl half sheepskin ended on the numnah.   She was treated, and given a holiday.  Since she has come back into work the sore points have not reappeared but she seems to be slightly sore further back on the left-hand side.  I have had the saddle for about 4 months and find it very comfy - it was only the visit from the osteo that caused me to look into it more closely.  :(  

[lambert]

that was the same for me i went 7 months, have got a new saddle now only came yesterday i have gone back into a treed as my back was bad in the treeless, not sitting very asemetrical in the treeless so the tree will give me some support, anyway have invested in a wow saddle will be intresting to have my back looked at again after i have ridden in it alot  and we will see how  it  goes, it is extremly comfy, the best treed saddle i have sat on, and i tried a few.

[Bubbles]

I had the same experience - stuck with treeless saddles (3 different kinds) for a long time and finally went back to treed, as none of the treeless saddles gave good enough weight distribution.   At the end of the day treeless is a compromise - flexibility instead of even weight spread, and this will inevitably suit some horses and not others.

All our horses are now in Wow or ReactorPanel saddles, as they have better flexibility than most treed saddles, and most importantly the horses seem very happy and have better backs.  I'm still on the quest for the "perfect" saddle but as horse's aren't really designed to be ridden this may be a bit of a holy grail!

B  

[TashaKat]

At the end of the day treeless is a compromise - flexibility instead of even weight spread, and this will inevitably suit some horses and not others.

I don't agree that treeless saddles are necessarily a compromise of flexibility over weight distribution.  I think that we sometimes blame treeless saddles for problems with our position/posture which is probably masked better in a treed saddle.

I realise that not all horses (or riders) are comfortable in a treeless saddle but I have to say that I've not had an ounce of trouble with my SBS and I'm no supermodel!  The only time that she's come up sore in her back was after being ridden in a treed saddle (same for me!).  Saff has her back checked monthly and hasn't had any sore spots relating to the saddle at all

As I said before, though, not every saddle is ever going to suit every horse or every rider.  At least we have options  As long as a horse is comfortable, happy and the saddle (whichever make) fits correctly then I'm happy

[Fiona]

At the end of the day treeless is a compromise - flexibility instead of even weight spread,

ALL saddles are a compromise  

Fiona

[lisaNW]

I haven't read this thread, just the first post as in a rush, but it's worth mentioning that although treeless saddles suit a lot of horses, it's still important to make sure that they are correctly balanced/padded according to the horse's conformation/musculature - hence agents going out to do consultations.

Lisa

[Emily]

I think that we sometimes blame treeless saddles for problems with our position/posture which is probably masked better in a treed saddle.
 

It is actually this that is now making me tend towards a treed saddle. I have trialed two fhoenix's (a dressage and a GP) and whilst i found them comfy to sit in, i found that they aggravated my hip problem, and made me sit more unevenly. My hip problems are long standing and are unlikely to ever be fully resolved, and I now feel that a treed saddle will offer me more support and "mask" the problem better. I think its fairer on my pony to have a treed saddle, rather than have me battling in the fhoenix with my un-even-ness.

My pony went no differently in her fhoenix compared to her well fitting treed saddle. The fact that i didn't get a huge difference makes me feel less guilty about getting her a treed dressage saddle over the fhoenix.