Hi to all, I’m writing you today with my thoughts surrounding treeless saddles. I have personally witnessed several “wrecks” involving treeless saddles. These particular “wrecks” were due to the saddle rolling while mounting, riders becoming unbalanced and discomfort to the horse by over cinching. The spinal column of a horse is a far more delicate part of his anatomy, than the large muscles surrounding it. The overall purpose of a tree in a saddle is to evenly distribute the weight of the rider and protect the spinal column of the horse, lifting weight off the spine, and distributing it more evenly across the larger muscles. This makes sense to me.
Let’s talk about girthing. For a horse to breathe properly and effectively during performance, it is far better to not have him cinched too tightly. I personally use elastic girths, for the comfort and performance of my horse. Now, let’s talk about saddle fit. Sure, some horses are hard to fit. But, I have noticed that saddle manufactures have risen to the occasion by using flex trees and interchangeable gullets. Also, the pad manufacturers, like Cavallo, have produced several magnificent pads to help alleviate saddle fitting problems.
Our overall goal at ACTHA is to help support horses in need and provide a fun venue for contestants, giving horse and rider an enjoyable goal. But remember this, we are also concerned for the welfare and safety of you and your horse at all times. There is new equipment being introduced to the market all the time and the type saddle you use is personal choice. I have shared with you today the reasons I choose to use a treed saddle. Regardless of your choice, whether Western, English, Flex Tree or Treeless, we encourage all riders to take advantage of professional consultation when fitting their saddle of choice to their horses. Proper fit relative to the shape of your horse, proper positioning of your tack, good quality and safety must all be considered. Be safe and have fun in whatever you choose to ride in. Carry on, Carrie
2 comments
carrie says:
June 2, 2011 at 3:05 pm (UTC -6)
Diane,
Thank you so much for your comments, it was not my intention to offend. Saddle choice is a very personal choice and treed or treeless, should be based on research, and well-fitted for every individual horse. This blog is based solely on my experiences and the reasons that I choose and recommend traditional treed saddles. Due to the mishaps I’ve seen I have an obligation to do my part in keeping our riders safe and our association events fun. There is such a large variety of saddles that riders can choose from and I agree that all riders need to become better educated about proper saddle fit and learn what works best for them and their horses. I really appreciate hearing from you even if when our opinions do not agree. Thank you for taking the time to respond and again thank you for your interest in ACTHA. Respectfully, Carrie
stefanie says:
June 4, 2011 at 4:33 pm (UTC -6)
I agree with many aspects you posted Carrie, but also want to weigh in the HUGE industry of cheap and poorly made treed saddles, especially western saddles. As cheap as 250 dollars brand new! These are constructed poorly and use the cheapest imported leather and synthetics that can be found. So many new treeless saddles on the market, also being made poorly with inferior materials.
Buying second hand saddles can also pose problems if you do not know how to check the structure and condition of the saddle.
Your best bet is to buy a good saddle – no matter the style and make sure that it actually fits your horse before heading out for long hours in the saddle.
Most of the marketing gimmicks are just that and can lead to pain and or accidents to horse and rider.
You get what you pay for.