Fhoenix flexible concept saddle
Fifteen years ago, Heather Moffett designed the Seatbone Saver saddle pad, in recognition of the problems many riders face in comfortably attaining the correct classical seat in conventional saddles. The memory foam used was also an ideal material for the formation of saddle seats, so Heather began to design her own saddles using this, a seamless seat and set-back stirrup bars. All this combined to give the rider greater comfort and security while enabling them to sit effortlessly in the correct ear/shoulder/hip/heel alignment.

The Fhoenix, is a revolutionary design unlike any other saddle on the market. The manufacturing process is unique in saddle-making, unlike other "treeless" saddles where there are solid components front and back, the Fhoenix only has a small rigid cantle giving the rider’s seat support, and cannot be felt by either horse or rider. It is best described as a ‘SoftTree’ saddle, as it is not like other treeless saddles in that they are very thin and do not provide a ‘twist’ for the rider, so that the thighs can drop, and legs and hips do not feel straddled. The ‘SoftTree’ is built up from layers of materials, tested and chosen for their shock absorbing and pressure resisting properties, but also shaping the seat to feel much more like a treed saddle for the rider. This ‘SoftTree’ enables the saddle to flex with every oscillation of the horse's back, giving great freedom of movement, with no restriction of the shoulders or hindrance of the lifting of the horse's back.

The whole seat and flexible front arch are made from 45mm thickness of the Seatbone Saver memory foam, into which the rider sinks, giving great depth of seat and exceptional comfort.

The moulded replaceable panels are designed to give a traditionally gulleted underside to the saddle. With the addition of padding for horses with muscle wastage, it is possible to fit almost any horse. The Fhoenix offers unrivalled comfort to both horse and rider, combining the flexibility and best characteristics of a treeless saddle, but with the rider support of a treed saddle.

The saddles should be always used with a so called ‘high wither’ cut saddle cloth or numnah, which will again fit well up into the front arch of the saddle, not pulling across and down and causing pressure on the wither as often happens with the usual cut of saddle cloths and numnahs – all should be cut high at the front – thereby eradicating this common problem. We strongly advocate use of the Professional’s Choice dressage girth and leather dressage leathers with the saddle, which are available for purchase in the EE Online Shop.

With all saddles, whether treeless, part-treed or treed, there will always be an element of fitting. There will never be a saddle that is a “magic wand”, which can just be placed on every horse’s back without any thought to his conformation. Thankfully with many treeless and part-treed saddles adjustments can be made in the form of shimming and/or padding, rather than having to return your saddle for alteration. Agents should give you advice on this before purchase, preferably through a personal consultation visit, which is part of Enlightened Equitation’s Fhoenix trial service, although non-UK customers may be advised via conformation photos and other important information.

As stated, consideration of the fit of the saddle is highly important in young horses or other horses that change shape on a regular basis due to fluctuating condition and/or fitness levels. It is imperative that owners should pay attention to this and ask their saddle supplier for help and advice as soon as they notice any changes, before their horse develops any soreness or white hair. Enlightened Equitation would highly recommend that any increase in workload when purchasing any saddle should be undertaken gradually, keeping a check on all the above.

It should also be remembered that there is no single saddle out there that will suit every single horse and rider combination, this is why it is so important that there is a wide range of types of saddle to chose from and that they are trialled sufficiently before a final decision is made.