What is the most comfortable trail saddle on the planet?

[Whitfield Farm Hanoverians]

Interested in trail riding some & don't want to use my dressage saddle. I think that horses need to be in different tack at times so as to change the pressure points on their backs. I want a saddle that's soft like a pillow for both horse & me. Western or english, doesn't matter. Just total, lush, feather soft comfort !

[Guilherme]

The one that fits the horse's back and your butt the best. :)

G.

[Whitfield Farm Hanoverians]

Well I have several of those but want a saddle that is padded like a sofa so I can sit in total comfort as I plug down the roads.

[prudence]

A Lady Godiva sheepskin saddle cover is not a sofa but close! I use that over my passier dressage saddle and am very happy.

More about them:

http://catalog.cooltack.com/browseGroup.cfm?item_group_id=57747

[Ambrey]

My mom just bought a Syd Hill synthetic aussie saddle. It's very soft and cushy like a sofa! It's too small for me, but she says for her it's heaven.

http://www.downunderweb.com/store/Saddles_Aussie_SydHill.html

It's also super light.

[Halcyon Days]

Tucker or Bob Marshall treeless

[pandorasboxx]

By far the softest and cushiest are treeless. My flavor of choice is the Freeform Classic though I've heard the Sensation's are quite cushy as well.

I had to ride in a treed dressage saddle recently after a year in my Freeform. It was like I was sitting on a board! :eek: My FF had completely spoiled me. I have an extra one and two ladies at my barn have given them a try. They declare it the most comfortable saddle ever. Of course they ride in these rock hard tiny hunt seat saddles.

[chicamuxen1]

I've owned 4 different brands of treeless saddles and tired a couple more. I have to say that my Sensation English Trail (treeless by Nickers Saddlery, Canada) is truly the most comfortable saddle I've ever been in. http://www.ridetreeless.com/ You just sink into the saddle. I've just ordered a new seat for mine with a more traditional look. Here is some better photos of the current models. http://www.foresthorse.com/index.php?act=viewDoc&docId=9

I'm getting the G4 seat to go on my saddle for a more traditional look. the cool thing about buying these saddle is you can order a completely custome saddle with combinations of different pommels, cantles, leather, short/longer flaps, etc. Made in British Columbia, CA. Demo saddles available to actually ride and try before buying.

Oh, here are more photos and more brands of treeless from a vendor that is local to the NE and Mid-Atlantic area. http://www.gotreeless.com/Gotreeless.com/home.html. Jeanne is good to deal with.

bonnie

Bonnie

[Auventera Two]

Treeless. Once you switch to treeless you just can NOT believe how hard and unforgiving a tree is on your butt.

[Guilherme]

The OP is describing a Western trail saddle or maybe an Iberian "sela."

No English saddle is going to give you that level of comfort and support.

Be VERY wary of the so-called "treeless" saddles. I've yet to see one that would effectively distribute weight. Ultimately it will sore the horse's back if you do any real riding.

G.

[jazzrider]

After riding trail in my dressage saddles for years and years (I also had a Circle Y Park and Trail to ride in, but preferred my dressage saddles), I launched a search for a trail saddle for my new TWH, wanting the same thing you want -- comfort for me and good fit for my horse. I tried all sorts of western saddles, aussies, etc. (sorry -- no treeless. I'm just too crooked for treeless), but I fell in love with Tucker saddles, and decided on the plantation model. Very comfy, gel seat, familiar feel, no horn -- optional western or english rigging. I love it more with every ride. :yes:

[chicamuxen1]

Broken record!!!!!!! More endurance miles done in BMSS saddles in the US than any other brand of saddle, by heavyweight riders too.

Bonnie

[Auventera Two]

Be VERY wary of the so-called "treeless" saddles. I've yet to see one that would effectively distribute weight. Ultimately it will sore the horse's back if you do any real riding.

G.

This is why endurance riders have been riding thousands of miles in them for a couple of decades now, right? :lol: A lot of endurance riders have switched to treeless because they, and their horses are more comfortable.

A Freeform treeless won the Tevis Cup in '07 - Jeremy Reynolds. April Battles rides exclusively in treeless. Surely people like Mr. Reynolds, and Ms. Battles, both with around 5,000 competition miles have a clue about long distance riding and sore backs. I see a lot of treeless saddles at endurance rides. One of my mentors has been riding distance since I was born and all she rides in are treeless saddles. She has a Sensation and a Barefoot.

Part of the vet exam at every hold is a check of the back for soreness. Wouldn't you think if all these treeless saddles were laming up backs that endurance riders would get a clue and quit using them? My mare has gotten all As on her back health at every vet check. Sure, we're only doing 25s at this time, but I guarantee even 25 miles in a bad saddle is enough to sore a horse.

It seems that people who bad mouth treeless either don't know anything about them, or they try to use them without the proper weight distribiting pads. The pads and the saddles are a SYSTEM. You don't use one without the other unless the saddle has built in panels to distribute weight, and some of them do.

According to my riding log, I've ridden approximately 500 miles in my treeless saddle - that's just on one horse. I don't log miles on the other horse but it's probably around a 100. My horse hasn't shown a minute's worth of back soreness. http://www.hphoofcare.com/PADRONA3.jpg :lol: To the contrary, she is much more forward and willing than she was last year.

There's nothing wrong with treed saddles at all, but there's nothing wrong with treeless either. Both types have to fit the horse and the purpose to be successfully.

[lalahartma1]

I have experience in the world of cycling and it is a couple opinion that 'cushy' seats (also called saddles) are in the end less comfortable that a harder seat where you are riding on your sit bones, rather than the soft tissue. Does this have any bearing on equine saddle comfort?

[katarine]

I tried a treeless (BF Cheyenne and the Grandeur pad). I HATED it. Too puffy, too fluffy, too much cush between me and them...I feel much closer and more stable in my Tucker or my hard seat Rocking R. I rode two laps and said nay. JMO. I DID try, and I did send it back ;)

[Auventera Two]

Everyone has their own preferences. I was okay in a treed, hard seat while riding shorter distances but after doing 40 miles last year in a treed saddle, I was in so much pain I knew there had to be a better solution. Probably a narrower twist treed saddle would have worked too but I switched to treeless and once I got the slipping issue worked out (with the right pad ;)) I've been very happy. I love the treeless because you can feel every muscle move in their back along their spine. I can feel what the horse is going to do so much quicker now. It feels like all the fuzz has been taken out of the telephone line. Mounting from the ground is impossible, but that was almost impossible for me anyway, even in a treed saddle.

I've heard that people who don't like the Barefoot style saddles usually like the Bob Marshall styles instead. There is no puff or fluff - just a hard layer of leather to sit on. I didn't like that feel. So you might like the BM saddles better. There are lots of different styles in treeless - just like in treed. I would definitely try other styles if you still can't find a treed saddle to fit your walker.

[saratoga]

IMO, a treeless with a good pad like an Equipedic is the softest and most comfortable for just regular trail rides. It is like sitting in a comfy, cushy chair. But for longer rides, like endurance rides, I feel I am more sore with a treeless than I would be with my treed DeSoto, I think mostly because my legs are held wider apart and there is less "structure".

[SarahR]

The most comfy saddle I ever had was a Bob Marshall treeless. After a few months of rough mountain trils my horse begain the get white spots right where my seat bones were, so I had to go back to treed. right now I have a deep seated old style western saddle with a Supracore pad and a wool pad. I like this set up, but for many it would be way too much 'stuff'.

Sarah

[Shadow14]

Treeless. Once you switch to treeless you just can NOT believe how hard and unforgiving a tree is on your butt.

Being an engineer and teaching engineering I understand loads and psi. Nothing speaks performance like a good solid foundation and treeless doesn't have either.
I also don't like reefing a cincle and I ride with it quite loose so the horse is comfortable and can breath.
Girls try doing your bra's up a couple of knotches tighter and see how you like it.
.

[Shadow14]

According to my riding log, I've ridden approximately 500 miles in my treeless saddle - that's just on one horse. .


Try 30,000 and then get back to me. And that is only one horse.

[Auventera Two]

Try 30,000 and then get back to me. And that is only one horse.

The point was that 500 miles in a saddle would be enough to sore the horse's back, if it didn't fit right or distribute pressure. Try going 500 miles in a bad fitting saddle and tell me how your horse does. ;) I've seen horses sored terribly after 45 minutes in the arena in a bad fitting saddle!

500 miles isn't thousands and thousands like many endurance people but it *IS* enough to sore the horse's back. And it hasn't, so I'm pretty happy.

No clue what bras have to do with this conversation? :uhoh:

[chicamuxen1]

There are sooooo many typpe of treeless saddles with a big variety of construction and design. I find that I can ride my BMSS with the cinch very loose on many horses, on others I have to snug it up a bit more. With another brand I would have to cinch tighter. also, so many of these saddle now have excellent foam panels built into the under sides of them, while older models didn't. I don't care for many of them because they have this wide flat seat that isn't comfortable to ME. The BMSS doesn't have a flat seat, the Sensation doesn't either.. Many people make the mistake of using thin saddle pads under them. Just don't make the assumption that all treeless saddles are the same. I've certainly seen a whole lot of horses with sore backs from treed saddles and I know all of you have too. My goodness, I've seen bloody, raw backs and fistulous withers from treed saddles but I'm not going to condemn them all and say they don't work. I'm tempted to of course, but I won't.

Bonnie

[2Horse]

I have a Big Horn flex tree saddle. It fits my horses great. It also has memory foam padding in the seat that is heaven!! I can ride 8+ hours and not have a single sore seat bone. It also has a narrower twist than the Tucker's I tried. Which is alot more comfortable to me.

[Auventera Two]

There are sooooo many typpe of treeless saddles with a big variety of construction and design. I find that I can ride my BMSS with the cinch very loose on many horses, on others I have to snug it up a bit more. With another brand I would have to cinch tighter. also, so many of these saddle now have excellent foam panels built into the under sides of them, while older models didn't. I don't care for many of them because they have this wide flat seat that isn't comfortable to ME. The BMSS doesn't have a flat seat, the Sensation doesn't either.. Many people make the mistake of using thin saddle pads under them. Just don't make the assumption that all treeless saddles are the same. I've certainly seen a whole lot of horses with sore backs from treed saddles and I know all of you have too. My goodness, I've seen bloody, raw backs and fistulous withers from treed saddles but I'm not going to condemn them all and say they don't work. I'm tempted to of course, but I won't.

Bonnie

Exactly. I trim a horse with white scars the size of baseballs on his back from a poor fitting roping saddle. A good fitting saddle is important - whether it is treed or treeless - makes no difference - but it has to work for THAT horse.

[Shadow14]

No clue what bras have to do with this conversation? :uhoh:

It's just a comfort thing. Horses hate tight girths as much as I would assume wearing a tight bra would bug you.
I snug my girth down and then don't touch it again and I know it loosens up alot while riding but the tree holds the saddle centered and I don't need a tight girth.

Your right if you put 500 miles on a saddle and the horses back is fine it should continue to be fine.
Besides you weight nothing:lol: Try a heavy weight like me.

[tabula rashah]

I have two ortho-flexes. One dressage and one patriot. I've put miles and miles of riding on them- and am completely comfortable in either. I don't think I'll ever own another brand of saddle :)

[Guilherme]

Regarding "treeless," don't my my word (nor anyone else's) for it. Get one and ride it for a couple of weeks. Then make a decision.

Another style that many find comfortable is the Buena Vista type. I've ridden them and find them very comfortable as trail saddles.

G.

[GallopingGrape]

Barefoot Treeless... close contact, but like a big fluffly cloud. Will not sore your horse if you are a balanced rider and use a proper pad. I ride in one, and sell tons of them.

[CowboysRMyWeakness]

I have been warned away from treeless as well - also warned away from flex trees since I am heavy. Are there any treeless saddles that let you "rent em" or something so you can try it for a few weeks to decide if they actually work well on your horse?

[2Horse]

My saddle is a flex tree. And I am a heavy weight. My horse has yet to get sore. I check her back after every ride and a day or two after. Never been sore.:cool:
I believe it is all an individual thing. Each horse and rider is different. :yes:

[Guilherme]

ALL saddle trees flex, including those that are the basis of heavy-weight streer roping saddles. The steel arches of a British UP saddle will flex to a degree. Unless you make a saddle out concrete it's gonna flex to a degree. This is a Good Thing as it helps effectively distribute the weight of the rider.

Saddle designers have been trying to build in "flexibility," "automatic adjustments," and other alternatives into a rigid tree since at least the mid-19th Century. No system has yet worked out fully.

Many saddle outlets will give a "trial" period. If you're thinking about one of these "flexible" saddles then USE that trial period (I mean put some miles on it and CAREFULLY evaluate both the fit AND the effect on your horse's back). If it works, God Bless Ya. IME it likely won't and you'll send it back. But it's your horse, your butt, and your money. ;)

G.

[SarahR]

I have been warned away from treeless as well - also warned away from flex trees since I am heavy. Are there any treeless saddles that let you "rent em" or something so you can try it for a few weeks to decide if they actually work well on your horse?

I bought my Bob Marshall a few years ago from a dealer brand new. Rode it a few months, wasn't working for my horse, and sold it on Ebay for $100 more than I paid. That's a pretty good trial :) BM's have (or had, it's been a few years) a high re-sale value as the demand was high and people would pay just as much for a used saddle since they wouldn't have to wait a few months for a new one from a dealer.

[jnel]

You have to really look and read the fine print on treeless saddles if you are a heavy weight rider. When I was looking for a treeless most of the main brands mentioned above did not recommend their product for anyone over 200lbs. One came out and said that their product might break down under such use. Or they advised frequent stops and unsaddling to relieve the pressure. No, I'm not going to get into a dog fight on which saddle maker said what. All I'm saying is you have to read carefully what the makers say about their products and their recommended use.

[baylady7]

For those of us who are green here- what is BMSS? Is BM Bob Marshall? If so what is the SS? Thanks

[MikeP]

For those of us who are green here- what is BMSS? Is BM Bob Marshall? If so what is the SS? Thanks


"Bob Marshall Sports Saddle" is the full name of the Bob Marshall treeless saddles.

[Perfect Pony]

I actually really like my good old Circle Y Arabian saddle. The only thing I hope to do is change the stirrups. So far I have spent up to almost 3 hours in it and no soreness :)

[chancy deal]

I love the Ortho-Flex saddle too. I have four of them.
My saddles were all made back-in-the-day when Len Brown owned the company. I dont know how the Ortho-Flex saddles of today compare.
You can find nice used Ortho-Flex saddles on ebay.
I have never had one sore a horse. ....and that's with switching the same saddle from horse to horse to horse.
My favorite model is the Stitchdown. It's like riding in a Lazy Boy.
Flex panel saddles is where it's at! :)

[wendy]

I had a torsion ultralight once. This was after trying a Barefoot and thinking the thing was THE most uncomfortable saddle ever designed. Anyway, I loved the torsion. Every horse I rode in it for several hours per ride would turn up back-sore the next day- not during the ride, the next day(s).

[Shermy]

I LOVE my Treeless saddle. I do a LOT of trail riding. I ride in a Barefoot Sierra w/a Skito w/dryback. I do NOT tighten the girth very tight. It is snug, but I can get several fingers between the horse and girth.

I do wear a breastcollar IF I am going to ride steeper hills. My horse is a more round body type. The saddle will slide back if the hill is steep enough, and no breastcollar.

It seems like many of the people that are responding have no idea on what they are talking about. Have any of the nay-sayers actually every tried a well made treeless saddle?? There are some cheap knock offs, but Barefoot, Torsion, Freeform, and Bob Marshall would be brands to demo.

I could ride ALL day in my saddle and be completely comfortable. Tack that fits you well makes a huge difference. Being close minded is silly.

TWO Cases in point - Last weekend, I went camping w/several people at a state park. A few of us had brought our horses. Several people had traveled much farther, and did not bring horses.

That morning, the ones will horses went on a great three hour ride. The terrain was gorgeous, and we kept a quick pace. It was a GREAT ride. I was completely fine when we got back to camp and I got off. NO pain at all.

After we got back, some of the non horse people decided to all go to Starved Rock rental horse ride. The horses were in very good shape. I have never said no to go riding, so I figured that I would let my horse relax, and go w/the people that didnt have or bring their horses. Most of the people who I had ridden w/earlier stayed at camp, so my horse was well looked after at camp.

It was a walk only ride. The saddles werent too comfortable, but not horrible. My stirrups felt ok, but for the last 30 minutes of this ride, my knee just started to KILL. I was sooo uncomfortable!

I thought it was funny. I did this fairly intense ride for THREE times as long as I was on this walk only ride, yet, I was almost in PAIN during the latter.

Next point - I ride w/an older lady, J that has an Abetta western saddle. She would never want to stay out trail riding for more than a hour. Once we went riding w/another lady, P. It was wonderful weather.

Like clockwork, after about a hour, this J wanted to head back to be dropped off at the barn. The P and I were going to go back out once we dropped J off.

On the way back to the barn, I started to ask J why she didnt ride more than a hour. Well. her knee and butt starts to hurt. I asked if she would try my spare saddle just to see if it made much of a difference. J was open to it.

I have a Barefoot Cheyenne that is my spare saddle. I took her saddle off, and put on the Cheyenne.

J is really short, so I had to take off the fenders, and put on leathers to get the stirrups short enough.

P and I were going to go back out, so we waited while J was just going to ride around the arena in the new set up before she left.

She found the Cheyenne soo comfortable, she went back out w/us. We rode another TWO hours.

J was just amazed. She thought she was just getting old enough that some pain during riding is normal. She was beaming the entire time.

Since then, she bought her own Barefoot Cheyenne saddle. I just went riding w/her on Tuesday. We rode for over 2 hours. She has NO pain while riding. She said that her knee had started to hurt when riding for as long as she can remember. She had NO idea that she could ride w/out pain. She blamed her age.

My point is that it is possible for most everyone to find some sort of combination of saddle and stirrups to be comfortable while riding.

Personally, I think that Barefoot saddles are the most comfortable saddles that I ridden. I have ridden in the London, Cheyenne, Arizona, and Sierra. I didnt care for the London since I found it super slippery. The Sierra is my favorite of any saddle I have ever tried. I did use the Cheyenne for two years as my main saddle. I missed having a horn is why I got the Sierra.

Several people borrow my Cheyenne saddle. It has a decent fan club. lol.

I am never close minded when it comes to horse tack. I find it just soo interesting how tack can really make such a huge difference while riding.

For now, my set up works perfectly for my horse and me.

I had moved to a bigger barn last fall. They have Chiros that come by every few months. I have had my horse for 6 yrs, and know the people who owned him before me, never had him checked by a Chiropractor.

I was more interested than anything. My horse just turned 13 yrs old.

A few months ago, I had the chiropractor check him out.

Again, he has been ridden w/Barefoot treeless saddles for several years. I haul him to State parks many times per month, plus my barn has lots of land to trail ride. He gets a lot of miles put on him.

The Chiropractor was surprised that his back was in as good as it was. He has one small spot by a rib that was out, but she got it back w/little effort. The Chriopractor was very, very happy w/the condition of my horses back.

For me, it is ALL about comfort while I ride. I can not have fun if I am hurting. I learned that well this weekend during the last half of our rental ride. My stirrups were just a touch too short, and it KILLED. I had to walk around for a few minutes after the ride before my knee stopped aching.

[SarahR]

It seems like many of the people that are responding have no idea on what they are talking about. Have any of the nay-sayers actually every tried a well made treeless saddle?? There are some cheap knock offs, but Barefoot, Torsion, Freeform, and Bob Marshall would be brands to demo.



I had a Bob Marshall for 2 months a few years ago. It was very comfy for me, but my horse begain to get white hairs where my seatbones went. And yes, I had the Skito pad recommended for my weight. So it won't work for everyone. Saddle choice is a personal thing. Whatever works for you and your horse is the right thing. It won't be the same for each horse/person combo.

[GallopingGrape]

Barefoot Treeless - FLUFFY LIKE A CLOUD, without losing the close contact.

[scrtwh]

heather moffit fheonix dressage. Love it. althugh, I have to say, I am not one for long trail rides. two to three hours is about my max. the thing about treeless is, you have to be balanced.;)

[Whitfield Farm Hanoverians]

Thanks everybody for the responses. I'm going to research them all.

[Takelababy]

I have a Simco roper I've ridden in for 30 years and for trail riding. I don't know if it's comformed to me or me to it, but after a 5 hour ride, I'm ready to go again.

[jerry]

Try 30,000 and then get back to me. And that is only one horse.

Really? At 5 mph, which I don't average, that is 6000 hours, or three working years. When do you sleep?