Jumping Treeless

[Abberlaze]

I'm so intrigued by this idea of treeless saddles, but i jump 2x a week and don't want to fall in love with a dressage treeless only to have to jump in my old treed saddle again. I think ansur is the only one out with a jumping treeless (3 actually) so far, but i see on this forum that Heather is working on one too.  I live the in the USA....if that makes a difference with brands. But anyhow, how do you think a treeless jumping saddle will affect the horse's backs? The type of movement required for jumping x-country and stadium is much different than dressage....do you think that a treeless will provide enough support? Also, has anyone tried any particular jumping treeless saddles and have reviews? Oh. and is the EE jumping treeless coming out SOON????

Thanks!

[Heather]

Hi Abberlaze and welcome!

I dont jump these days, due to a dodgy back, but my ex partner always jumped his ID Danny in our treeless GP. I have just posted a couple of pics on the thread about our treeless jumping saddle on this forum, of an eventer friend jumping Danny in the GP and also one of him on one of his event horses.

We were asked to make the jumping version as much by eventers who found that their horses werent happy going back in their treed jumping saddles after being ridden in the Fhoenix dressage! We have found that because the saddles 'bascule' with the horse, their is nothing to flip up at the back. Think about it, a tree is like a saucer sitting on the back of the horse, when the horse bascules his back is convex, not concave, so only a very small fulcrum point of the treed saddle will be contacting the horse's back. With the treeless, the whole saddle stays in contact, but just bends up with the horse.

It is the same with my classical dressage horses. I can feel their backs coming up so much more in piaffe for instance, than in a treed saddle, and can feel the back moving so much more in lateral work.

Irish Olympic show jumper Cian O'Connor was so impressed with the saddle at our Horse of the Year Show that he has offered to test it for us too.

OK, I might not like Ansur's business practises, having been on the receiving end of them,   -but the Ansur Konklusion has been used for several years for jumping and it is a very good saddle too. We found it rather hard, and slapped a Seatbone Saver on it, which made life a lot more comfortable, but the saddle has been proven to be successful in eventing and jumping.

I am not at all against treed saddles when correctly used and fitted- it is after all the personal choice of the rider, but most horses go exceptionally well in treeless, as there is so little restriction of their body.

Heather

[jvt]

I jump in a fhoenix jumping saddle (its a prototype though and is not as nice as the new ones, but I love it anyway  :P ).

I was finding it hard to jump bigger fences in my gp fhoenix as my horse reeeeaaaaally rounds over his fences. I tried a few treed jumping saddles including a holistic treed, and his jumping was horrid and stilted in them, and as Heather describes, I got chucked around by the saddle when he used his back in the air.  I tried the fhoenix and we haven't looked back.  

[Heather]

And Ros hunts in hers too Jayne- are those pics in your signature of you jumping in the Fhoenix? If so, would like to nick them for the Fhoenix pages :lol: !!- please?

Heather

[jvt]

Yep, one on left is of jumping fhoenix... one on right is of gp fhoenix....

I can probably find better quality ones though, they are both pulled from dvd so are fuzzy unless that small?

 

[stranger]

I haven't done any serious SJ -ing -nothing much over 3'-3'6"- in my Fheonix (es) but I did in the Ansur KK.  I also hunted in the KK--on the Somerset levels and also the Quantocks and more recently, over Cranbourne Chase.  It was just fine.

I have hunted in the proto-event Fhoenix-but not over any particularly strong country.  I took Roulette x/c in the Fhoenix GP and didn't have enough 'leg room' to feel that secure.


Rusty-my previous hunter,  liked the Ansur (with a suber-pad under it)-I never got to try him in the Fhoenix sadly,   but Red doesn't like suber-pads/panels and prefers the Fhoenix-but we have't done any serious jumping together at all really.  Theres not that much to jump over on the New Forest except the odd gate.  

[Abberlaze]

thanks for all the replies! i'm so excited to try polly in a treeless, it sounds SO perfect!!!!!!!
question though.... are there any retailers near PA, USA where I can see the saddles? The only one listed is 8 hours away, although i will bring my mare up there this summer I'd rather have a saddle sooner!!! There are a few ansur dealers near me, but i'd love to try the fheonix too and compare. Also, anyone know if there are any wow dealers nearby?  I just don't know if i can justify ordering a saddle through the mail that i've never seen.........i don't want to be out $100 if i don't like the saddle and could have realized that in the store!
-Liz

[Torsornin]

Abberlaze you are kinda near me. I am or rather was a PA-er. There are no Fhoenix agents near us, though there is one US vendor that sells them Kaaren Jordan. I think another one of the gals that visit this board (shoveltrash) has just demoed a fhoenix but I dont know from whom she got it. I also dont know if Kaaren has the jumping saddle as it just is becoming avail.

Where abouts in PA are you from, I was from central PA now live in northern maryland. THere are a few PA-ers on this board Welcome BTW

[Heather]

We have several agents in the US- including Shannon who is Natural Dressage on the forum- pm her for info!

Heather

[Torsornin]

where is she located at? (well I guess I could just PM her and find out  :blush:  

[Heather]

We also have Lori Baker, who is our main agent for sending out demos, and a couple of others who have just come on board.

If you scroll down on the homepage it says:

"US customers please email Nicki Elliott on ussales@enlightenedequitation.com
to order a demonstration Fhoenix saddle, or click on the Enquiries and Ordering link below for the US Agents listing". Nix is our US sales coordinator so drop her an email if you have any enquiries, at that address, or check the link on the homepage for the agents contact details.

Heather

[Abberlaze]

We also have Lori Baker, who is our main agent for sending out demos, and a couple of others who have just come on board.

If you scroll down on the homepage it says:

"US customers please email Nicki Elliott on ussales@enlightenedequitation.com
to order a demonstration Fhoenix saddle, or click on the Enquiries and Ordering link below for the US Agents listing". Nix is our US sales coordinator so drop her an email if you have any enquiries, at that address, or check the link on the homepage for the agents contact details.

Heather

i did so....thanks!  just anxiously waiting for a reply. and to convince the uber-traditional owner of the horse i lease that treeless are better......lol.

[Vikki]

Jumping in GP Fhoenix...

[BionicBilly]

Wow!  I am so excited I somehow got into this Enlightened Equitation lark.  I cannot WAIT to try one on my boy and as for the jumping... it really could be the perfect all round saddle for me.  I am sooooo excited!  Just tell me I am daft to invest so much emotionally in trying to make things right for my horse's back!!