Tree'd vs treeless

[Jessey]

Just thought I would share this pic, both pads had about the same ammount & type of riding on them, one under my dressage saddle, the other under my treeless

Discussion, thoughts, opinions welcome

 

[domane]

Gosh, that's really interesting...... food for thought.....thanks for sharing.

 

[Kite_Rider]

Will am guessing the top one is the treed saddle? All I know is that both of the horses I've had go better in treeless and that neither ever had any back issues. Appreciate not all horses or riders like treeless only know what works for us.

 

[Wally]

I sold my treeless as most of the horses didn't really go any better in it and Hakon said if we didn't get the silly gubbins off his back he'd have an opinion about it. put his treed saddle back on and he was happy again.

A treed saddle is no good on a horse who doesn't like it and a treeless is no good on a horse who doesn't like it. No right and wrong about it. What fits one horse won't fit or suit another

 

[Jessey]

Yes tree'd is the top one.

I like my treeless but prefer the tree'd to ride in, Jess seems to move about equally in both BUT I worry about doing lots of rising or half seat work in the treeless and when putting lots of packs on thought tree'd would spread the pressure better but we are getting dry patches under the tree'd again without packs. I just took them both home to wash and noted how different they are dirt wise.

 

[JoYo]

I have 3 treeless Heather Moffatt saddles and my horses and I love them. Bought my first about 10 years ago for my first horse who was rising 4 when I bought him. Because he was so young I knew he would change shape a lot and I worried about whether his saddle would fit correctly all the time without me having a saddler on speed dial. Any way after lots of research I went treeless and have never regretted it once. 10 years later he's never had a problem and his first saddle is still going strong. Having said that one of my others 'a dutch sports pony' has a treed saddle. He has a high wither and a short back so a treeless wouldn't suit him. You just have to treat each horse individually and go with what works best!

 

[newforest]

I don't feel you can do a verses to be honest. If the saddle fits the horse, the rider and the horse goes well in it, it matters not what it is.

The treed will give you sweat patches, more of a concern is if these are not symmetrical or an area that's dry when the opposite side is not.
If you are using a non panel treeless then your weight is distributed over the whole saddle, its possible had you used say the HM or Solution Smart, you may have got similar patches as they are panel base.

My cob hated the Solution because that model took me away from her, she is in tune to bodyweight and feel. The panel restricted us. So although I use a treeless, its only because that works for us, if it didn't I would change saddles.

 

[Jessey]

My treed is the heather moffatt easisit by the saddle company, my treeless is a dream team one.

My concern with the treed, even though Poohsmate has looked at it 4 times now (not that I am questioning his judgment, just that with doing the Wales ride I need things to be perfect and desperately don't want to irritate her back again), that I get dry patches under my seat bones (equal on both sides), which is right where she got the hematoma last year, perhaps I am just worrying for nothing.

Equally with the treeless, I like to do a lot of rising trot and half seat canter and worry about stirrup pressure, though I have seen no indication of this and get an even sweat pattern (its not paneled but I get even light sweat over the whole area of the saddle).

I'd love to ask which is best but I know that's a silly question, the conversation is interesting though and I'm hoping I will have a light bulb moment

 

[No_Angel]

That's why I like my Sensations, no hard parts, got plenty of twist and multiple stirrup positions so I can have my stirrups putting no pressure on her back at all if I need to do a lot of hours in the saddle or lots of trot.

 

[mystiquemalaika]

I've been using treeless for a few years now,it started with a very hard to fit mare and treeless worked for us and also helped me out when I injured my knee. I use my treeless saddles on other horses simply as I know their saddles have not been checked for a decade and they don't fit :-( I don't think one is right or not just what works for the horse. Malaika and I used to go for hours in the sensation, I always use the endurance setting so no worries at all about stirrup bar pressure. I have also done a good few hours in freeforms with great pressure distribution. It's horses for courses, I doubt I'd have ventured into the world of treeless at all if it hadn't been for my hard to fit mare and been at my wits end with saddle fit or if we had a good saddler I trusted round here.

 

[newforest]

The thing is with any saddle, you will sitting on it create an element of pressure, unless you levitate.
What gets forgotten when people talk about the saddle, rider and the horse is its their muscles that support you. You need to make sure that horse has the muscles toned up over its back, and, the abdominal muscle toned up to lift it all etc etc. That goes for us, we need to be toned muscle wise to distribute our weight, a tired rider is heavier.

There is no right or wrong or best.

 

[mystiquemalaika]

Yes I agree nf I also think saddles be that treed or treeless effect how a rider rides. I know I get sore in treed after more than a couple of hours my knee and back get sore and I can feel myself stop riding as well,in my treeless I don't get sore which does effect my riding. I dont think there is a right or wrong but I do think you find a best for a horse and rider combination if that makes sense.
I would not however trust a first, second ,third ride in any new saddle if you are aware of precious fitting issues as what I've seen happen many tines is the pressure has just been shifted elsewhere and the original sore spot is getting relief while a new spot hasn't yet raised its head. I used to get my treed saddles checked at least every 3 months rather than the usual 6-12 simply as I felt that was too long to go between fittings.

 

[Bodshi]

Out of interest Jessey, do you use another pad with your treeless in addition to that one? When I had my Freeform (which I loved) I used a shimmed Mattes pad or a padded Equetech (I think, sold it now) to lift the saddle off the spine. Not sure whether you do that with all treeless though.

 

[Jessey]

Yeah I have a treeless pad though cant remember the name, I use it over the top of a dressage pad as Jess objects to the grippy material under it

 

[Bodshi]

Yeah I have a treeless pad though cant remember the name, I use it over the top of a dressage pad as Jess objects to the grippy material under it

Ah, same then. I've had a saddle consultation tonight with a Lavinia Mitchell fitter. Their saddles are treed but fitted wide and they use a pad system. I'm very tempted.

 

[sjp1]

If you are getting dry patches ime, you are getting uneven weight dispersal and are right to be worried. Treed or treeless, ime sweat patterns need to be even