The Trekker Dressage Master saddle

[Hanosaurus]

Anyone have one of these saddles or tried one out? Thanks.

[pintopiaffe]

I tried one of the early models.

It was good quality. Not treeLESS, but a flexible sort of tree. My issues with it were that the flap was SUPER long (even in regular) and hit just about the top of my stirrup IRON... and the stirrup bars were set far too forward.

It was fairly deep and secure, quite well balanced. Decent quality for the price. LOOKED 'normal' or, rather 'traditional.' Fit the beast, just didn't fit *me*sadly. I'd try again, as now they offer flap options and more seat sizes.

I am a HUGE treeless fanatic, yet I will always remain *slightly* skeptical until I see a rider SHOWING PSG and above in a treeless. I am now in an Ancient Passier, wider than God, custom flocked, and Himself is happy. Me, not so much--it's no help whatsoever-- :uhoh: but my teacher last lesson was as happy as he's ever been with my position and effectiveness of aids.

It *seems* to me like a lot of lower level riders are more than happy to go in a treeless--and their horses are ecstatic--but it comes to a certain *point* where it's not... quite... Quite. (as the British would say.)

Sorry, that's a huge tangent. But, it *IS* my thoughts on the Trekker.

[Hanosaurus]

Thank you for the feed back pinto. I will be trying out this trekker dressage saddle as my mare always tells me if she likes it or not. My mare's shape changes quite often and it seems the saddles with rigid trees just don't do it for her.

The one saddle I really wish I could afford is the new Ansur Excel. https://www.ansursaddle.com/whats_new.html It is an excellent idea, however the price is a little too much. :eek:

[s|c2]

treeless saddles will never be accepted in the dressage ring. You might as well just strap a dead cow to your horse.

[Hanosaurus]

Look at the new Ansur and of course the Trekker dressage master. They don't look treeless. :D

[bird4416]

treeless saddles will never be accepted in the dressage ring. You might as well just strap a dead cow to your horse.

Um, a saddle is pretty much a dead cow, unless, of course, you ride in a Wintec. :lol:

[s|c2]

I dont think so.

[Hanosaurus]

Bird, exactly. The skin from a dead cow, or in some cases, buffalo. :lol:

[FriesianX]

Treeless is accepted SLC - there are NO rules against it. I've ridden in an Ansur, even showed in one because I had a Morgan who hated treed saddles. No judge ever held it against me. But none of my subsequent horses would tolerate the Ansur! I tried the Trekker a few years back - found it to be pretty flat in the seat and the stirrup bars were totally in the wrong place - very hard to get your leg under you since they placed the leg too far forward. I thought it was nicer than the Ansur, but not my "cupa tea". The knee rolls are adjustable, and I didn't find the flaps to be unusually long (mine may have been a bit newer model). I got rid of the saddle pretty quickly because I hated the balance it forced me in - so I can't really comment on whether my horses liked it or not. But one woman who did come try it said her horse (an endurance Arab) was much happier in it, but the seat was so flat she was afraid she'd slide right off the back if they were on any hills.

[FriesianX]

Bird, exactly. The skin from a dead cow, or in some cases, buffalo. :lol:


Or a dead bridle, since some are from bridle leather :winkgrin: Sorry, couldn't resist it...

[pintopiaffe]

FriesianX--if it's the one I got from you, that was a StarTrekk, not a Trekker. ;)

The Trekker Master is quite deep, no changeable gullet, two 'sizes' of 'tree' and quite long flaps. The StarTrekk is quite shallow, lovely short flaps for some of us, and much more open. It has gullet plates which you can change out. I had to order the size 5 from Germany as you can't seem to get your hands on it in the US--That *was* wide enough for all but my geldign. Trekker has MUCH more "twist" to is, StarTrekk is going to be as wide as the horse.

Neither of them has favorable stirrup bar position for ME on the stupid-wides.

I would have kept the StarTrekk forever, but had a family illness last fall and basically had to sell everything that didn't have four legs. I really regret it now--though I know it was the right thing to do. It was the closest compromise I'd found. They've changed the model now somewhat, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to find another of the originals.

The new Ansur looks quite similar to the inexpensive versions of treeless available in the UK. Equine Whispers has some. They're not *cheap* but they're not almost $4k either, even with import. I'm sure the LEATHER is vastly different, but the design isn't so much. I find it interesting none of the Ansur photos show stirrup bar position.

The Fhoenix is the treeless that for me had the most support, and felt WONDERFUL, until my horse put on 200+ lbs in topline as we were really working towards 3rd level, and it just became too wide for my hips. I have very open hips too, but he's wider than any draft, fjord, etc. I've ever sat on. And he's little. Just a mutant. ;) The Fhoenix isn't cheap, but did more for BOTH our progress in two years than anything else in the last decade has for me. It also kept me riding pain-free for a long, long time, until Himself decided to 'outgrow' yet another saddle, at age 13. :uhoh:

[FriesianX]

Hey there PP, maybe mine was the StarrTrek - hmmm, it's been a few years. I thought it was a Trekker, but my memory is getting, well, ummmm, older :lol:

My Ansur was the Classic - I haven't tried the newer models such as the Carlyle - but the Classic could be purchased with the stirrup bars in two places, so you could use forward or further back setting. Either way, it was definately not an easy saddle for me to ride in. And - the stirrup bars can dig into the horse's backs - that was actually what we found when we tried the Ansur with a Port Lewis pad. A couple of other riders tried my Ansur on different horses, and many of the horses were not happy w/ the saddle and the pad showed pressure marks in the area of the stirrup bars.

By the way, on the topic of treeless or semi-treeless, another option that some horses do well with is the Reactor Panel (I have a friend who swears on them). It is technically a "treed" saddle, but the saddle rests on flexible panels, much like the StarrTrekk saddle.

By the way, my friends call me a saddle-slut. I LOVE trying saddles ;) Have bought and sold quite a few over the years.

Oh - PP, sorry to hear you had to sell that saddle - you might keep your eye on eBay see if one shows up. They are pretty uncommon here in the US, but if you watch eBay UK, maybe???

[Hanosaurus]

I tried out the Startrekk icelandic last fall on my mare. My mare HATED it so much she was reluctant to trot and threw her head around. And that was with the widest gullet insert. I didn't like how "fat" the panels were stuffed (too round), it was like sitting on two big fat bananas and I felt perched way up off the horse. So I changed my mind really fast as I was interested in their dressage model. What a shame as it was a well made saddle (except for I didn't like the panels and neither did my mare).

So I am stuck looking for decent treeless saddles that don't cost a ton of money.

[Daring Dragoon]

I have an ansur exell for sale.
Send a PM for more info.

[emrt4you2]

Do you still have your ansur for sale?

Stef:)