Re: treeless saddles

["Karen Sullivan" <greymare@jps.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kris Givens" <givensb@prodigy.net>


> My experience with the Circle Y Bob Marshall treeless saddle has been less
> than desirable.  It has really caused a whole bucket load of problems with
my
> horse.........>
> Another problem I had with the treeless saddle was that it just wouldn't
sit
> where it needed to be.  The stirrups were situated so that no
> matter how hard I tried I could not ride balanced.

Well.....one of the problems here may have been that the Circle Y Sport
Saddles do not make an endurance model
(the one THEY call the endurance model is really the training and
schooling).  Currently owning 6 Sport Saddles
(two being Circle Y), I feel some what qualified to discuss their various
attributes.

All the Circle Y versions have the stirrups too far forward, which is NOT
balanced, I agree here.  The two saddles I personally use (a training and
schooling, and endurance model), have the stirrups moved back 2", where they
are more under me.
However, I do have a Western Circle Y Sport saddle that I borrow from my son
when I pony the babies, and I have had no problem on short rides, having my
feet more forward.

It's hard for me to understand why the saddle would not sit where it is
supposed to.  In my experience, this saddle needs neither breastcoller or
crupper to stay in place-it seeks the "right" spot on the back and stays
there, even with a loose cinch.
My 7 horses over the years have ranged from swaybacked, narrow to really
wide, and I have never had a problem with the saddle shifting, BUT, and here
is a major point-all of my horses have relatively level toplines!!  I can
see that if a horse
had downhill conformation, with the butt higher than the withers, than the
saddle might jam forward over the shoulders, but ANY horse with this type of
conformation will have a problem with saddle fit, and really isn't a good
candidate for a riding animal anyway!

Other extreme, is the thoroughbred conformation, with big, high, narrow
withers.  I have one of these (anglo arab), and I do feel that an extra
shock pad up front to raise the saddle slightly is required.  Then it all
works.

What I use and swear by, is the skito pad, made for the sport saddle and
shaped over the back.

While I certainly agree this saddle is not for every rider or horse, I must
say I have seen far less damage caused by Sport saddles, than saddles with
trees.  Certainly, a lot is visible at local stables and endurance
rides-where you see a lot of white patches in the saddle area from ill
fitting saddles.  I have not seen this at all on the horses ridden by my
friends with Sport saddles.

Karen