I rode in my first treeless saddle way back in 2003 at a hoof trimming clinic – it was a beautiful black leather Tuend Saddle – the original Italian Treeless pre-dating and quite similar to Barefoot and Torsion Treeless Saddles.
From that day on, I was determined to look further into this new type of saddle and its benefits for horses.
In the process of my research, I tried and tested many of the available treeless saddles and found a huge variety of designs ranging from those that were not much more than glorified bareback pads with stirrups (dangerous to use as they slip around the horse too easily and more importantly, put far too much pressure on the backbone) to beautifully made quality leather saddles that hardly looked different to regular English or western models.
What I found:
The main thing to look for in any treeless design is that the stirrup attachment that goes over the back is broad enough to spread the weight so it doesn’t concentrate pressure on one part of the backbone. The same goes for the girth attachment.
Secondly, always use a treeless saddle pad that has a channel down the centre – they commonly have high-density foam inserts either side of the backbone to give some relief for the backbone.
You can use foam shims that vary in thickness and can be adjusted according to the musculature of the horse’s back.
They also help the saddle stay in place for mounting, although most treeless saddles will cope with mounting from the ground, they can slide if you have a very round or wide horse so mounting from a block is preferable.
And thirdly, be aware of that treeless saddles are mostly designed for close contact with the horse and therefore you do tend to sit a bit wider than on a regular saddle.
This can be uncomfortable for people with hip or back problems after a while.
Also, the stirrup attachments are usually solid rings on the saddle so safety stirrups or toe cages must be used.
Girths points for treeless saddles are usually long to keep the close contact, so generally, you can use any short dressage style girth or western cinch that is comfortable for your horse.
Take care to ensure the girth is long enough to give freedom for the elbows to move back without hitting any hardware.
And finally, most treeless saddles can only cope with a rider weight of less than 80kg. Above this, the weight compacts the saddle pad and saddle materials, putting pressure on the backbone of the horse.
Also, the pressure compounds when a heavier rider stands in the stirrups for posting to the trot or when jumping.
In Summary:
Treeless saddles are getting easier to find which is good for the consumer and hard to fit horses.
They once were only available through agents or the saddle designers (and many still are) but now it’s a case of ‘buyer beware’. There are many cheap treeless saddles online (eg. eBay) that will only handle light riding, and the quality of the design is questionable.
Prices range from $300 unmounted to upwards of $3,000 for a custom made leather treeless saddle.
Treeless saddle designs range from the softer style padded saddles like the Barefoot, to more dressage style models such as the Ansur.
Then there are western styles such as the Bob Marshall treeless or the Huston Soft Saddle.
More Information:
If you would like to delve further into treeless saddles here are some web sites I found useful.
Schleese Saddle Fit – Treeless
Solution Saddles – Why Go Treeless
Have you found a western style treeless that avoids spinal or stirrup pressure and distributes weight more evenly?
Hi Bee, Many years ago I tried the Bob Marshall Treeless Western saddle pictured here: https://naturalhorseworld.com/saddles/ and found it does what you’re looking for. Here’s the official page for them: https://www.sportssaddle.com/ Another one to consider is the Edix treeless western saddle which I haven’t experienced but it does have some good reviews like this one: https://youtu.be/52OT188NN7k
I hope this helps in your saddle search. Cheers, Cynthia.
Do you not think a 200+ rider should use a treeless? If so, can you provide evidence to back your opinion? I am 225#. I ride in an old Bob Marshall sports saddle, with a skitto pad. I inspect my mares back for tenderness after every ride. Zero evidence of discomfort. When I bought my horse, she had a mild case of racker’s hump. Since I have been riding her (about 5 -6 weeks) the hump has visibly reduced. I have also been doing some tail pulling and leg stretching exercises besides. I am very much concerned for the safety and soundness of my horses. If there is evidence I shouldn’t be riding her treeless, I should investigate further.
Hi Patricia,
it sounds like your weight isn’t affecting your horse negatively and as far as I’m aware, there are no studies, only suggestions that heavier riders shouldn’t use a treeless saddle. However if you are using a good treeless pad, and aren’t riding for long periods (like distance rides) then I’d say there wouldn’t be a problem, particularly if you are inspecting her back regularly.
In some cases, a heavier rider can ‘ride lighter’ than a lighter rider who is uncoordinated or inexperienced. Also the amount of rising trot will impact on a horse’s spine more which is why endurance and distance riders doing a lot of trotting need to be under the 200lb (80kg) weight – as a suggestion.
I hope this helps and that your mre continues to improve.
Cheers, Cynthia.
I am looking for a pad for a pony for my 3 year old grandson to learn to ride on, plus stirrup clogs.
Hi Kaye,
For a 3-6yo I’d recommend the Best Bareback Pad in the small size – it has lots of grip and so you don’t need clogs. These can get in the way, and even be dangerous if the child slips or falls and gets hung up in them. Children develop much better balance without stirrups on a bareback pad and my post here also explains some of the reasons not to use them: /beware-bareback-pads-stirrups/
Hope this helps – here’s the link to the Best Bareback pad in case you would like to try one: https://www.naturalhorseworldstore.com/categories/Bareback-Pads/ Cheers, Cynthia.