Another treeless thread - sorry!

chestnut-mare

chestnut-mare

New Member
Mar 29, 2005
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Edinburgh
I'm sorry to start another treeless thread but I only joined the forum today! I have purchased a Barefoot Cheyenne and I love it - feel more secure,safer and of course comfortable but...... am having problems deciding which accessories to use. I've had to buy some safety stirrups as I wasnt happy with the fact that the bar for the stirrup leathers is solid. I cant buy the single strap dressage leathers because the bar is solid. Which leathers have other members used? I cant buy the ones from the website as they are too long. Then I've got the girth and saddle pad dilemma. I've read a physiology expert that you shouldnt use a very thick pad under treeless saddles. I want one that will not make my horse sweaty. I've no experience with dressage girths and need one that will not rub my somewhat sensitive mare. Would love to hear from other treeless riders what they are using?
 
Actually, sweat is not that bad for your horse...he *should* sweat if he's working hard. A horse that doesn't sweat under conditions where he should be sweating always alarms me.

Natural materials (100% wool, cotton, sheepskin) will do the best job of absorbing/dissipating both the sweat and the heat from the back muscles.

Is there any reason that you can't just use regular stirrup leathers? Or are you trying to avoid bulk? Since you've got safety stirrups, it shouldn't make a difference that the stirrup leathers will be firmly attached, right?

What sorts of girths have you used with success before? Some horses have a real preference; my sensitive-skinned mare absolutely hates neoprene, but some sensitive-skinned horses love it. I'd suggest natural materials, again--plain cotton tube or string girths, leather, or sheepskin padded leather. But some horses really do like the neoprene, so...it's up to her, really ;)

I'm interested in your comment about the physiology expert and the thick pads. I'm not familiar with the writing. Do you have a link, or author name to look it up? Most treeless riders I've seen use something that simulates a gullet channel, using a thicker insert on either side of the spine. One that's pretty common over here is the Skito, and it looks like the EquiPedic is gaining in popularity with the treeless riders.
 
very interesting thread!!! i am going to get a barefoot soon as well, and am faced with similar problems :) i am planning to buy the cloth-numnah that goes with the saddle (ie the barefoot one). do bog standard stirrup leathers work? how miuch shorter is a dressage girth than a normal one? i havent got a clue which length to buy!!

julia
x
 
Safety stirrups are a very good idea. Horse & Harmony sell treeless saddle stirrup leathers (buckle at the bottom to reduce bulk under the leg). I'd buy the pad designed for the saddle.
 
You could, and I have up til now. But I've worn out my current ones, and as the treeless ones cost about the same, I'm going to buy some :)
 
I bought the treeless stirrup leather from horse and harmony to go with my trekker. They are just like normal leather apart from the left over strap can go through the buckle and it has a bit of leather round the leather to stop it pinching your leg.
I had to put extra holes in mine as they came out long!
 
Treeless barefoot

The only reason I havent bought the stirrup leathers from horse and harmony is they are too long for my short legs - I'm 5'2. Normal stirrup leathers work fine but I was trying to reduce the bulk. I denfinately recommend safety stirrups with the barefoot and I found some locally for only £17 so they didnt break the bank. I will have to do some surfing to find the link for the physiology expert. I found the site before by my extensive surfing for the perfect saddle pad! The last girth I had on my mare was a so called humane girth - the cotton version. For the person asking about dressage girths - they are much smaller than normal girths and the top buckles tend to be covered to protect the horse. If you go onto the horse and harmony web site and go into the link to buy the girth they have measuring instructions for the dressage girth. I've since ordered a stephens gold quality half wool saddle pad so I'll see how we get on with that. It 'only' cost £40 as opposed to the treeless recomended one at £80.
 
Pads

I recall from the website on saddle pads that the reason for not using thick saddle pads was that they can sometimes cause overtightening or make the saddle slip. They recommend a gel foam pad - not gel, not foam but gel foam! I've not found a single pad with that combination! If anyone else has I'd be very interested to know what site to look at. The reason for not using a gel pad was they can harden over time and in doing so interfere with the shoulder movement.
 
My reasoning about gel is that you're already using a flexible, mobile surface. A gel pad will only make it more unstable. I suggest against gel for treeless for that reason.

I don't really like using very thick pads for any reason; it's my opinion that most of them aren't designed for horses, they're designed to make manufacturers rich ;) A lot of them are poorly designed as well.

But the pads which give some spine clearance due to padding on either side of the spine are good to use with treelesses--and they actually provide more stability, not slippage. So whatever the article was talking about (I'd still be interested to see it), I would suspect they're not talking about something like a Skito (made with foam inserts to either side of the spine).
 
What pad you use all depends on your horse. I have a skinny Tb who has a thick fleece numnah and a prolite riser pad under her treeless and then I have a HW cob who we use a thin saddle cloth and a shires shock absorbing saddle pad (which is like the prolite but has more of a gel feel to it- like gel foam!)
I havent bought the pads they recommend fot the treeless saddle because I would have to buy 50 numnahs because I just dont was them! :eek: :p I can then use any saddle cloth I want with my prolite pad over the top and dont have to worry about washing them so often! lol.
 
Lol, No_Angel, mine is filthy but I need to wash and dry it so won't be able to ride :eek:

I use an Equitex numnah under my Trekker, it is made for the Torsion saddle and gives good spine clearance.

I also have kids stirrup leathers!!! :eek:
 
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