I have ridden in several treeless saddles and currently
ride in a Startrekk treeless (love it). I have been on the great saddle
hunt for a dressage saddle for daughter Danielle and Lyric. They have
been training in an older Barefoot (treeless) saddle and are doing well enough
to ride training level tests and need a" legal" saddle. The problem we ran
across is the lack of a butt platform (twist) on a really round horse cause the
rider's knees/toes to point out , not forward. I am sure this
also has something to do with the rider's pelvic shape and hip joint
angles. I had the same issue with the Bob Marshall saddle on my
horse, Jazzi.
I have not had my butt in a Freeform, but I have a
neighbor who has several. The unnamed neighbor loves
the Freeform, but has a problem staying in the saddle when the horse spins,
spooks, etc. I believe this is due to the shallow (seat) pocket and
non-suede seat of the Freeform she rides in. This is NOT a criticism, it
is an observation. The good news is the Freeform has more twist afforded
by the seat design but makes the pocket shallow. Dani and Lyric may end up
with a Freeform dressage saddle as Dani has no objections to a shallow seat as
she is a better rider and has little fear of injury from falling off. That
is if the knee/toes are in the correct position.
The other issue I have noticed with treeless is
excessive pressure on the horses back. Some heavier riders are not able to
ride treeless without causing white hairs, etc. This may also be due to
the rider's equitation, the way the horse moves, the horse's conformation,
saddle pad, etc. With so many choices available in saddles, pads, etc. if
one is determined to ride treeless with patience and experimentation I
am sure the combination that works for both the horse and rider can be
found. Good luck and happy trails on the great saddle
search!
Nancy Reed
Lazy J Ranch
Wet Elfin Forest, CA (were the water is coming out of
the side of the hills, again)
