[My.Laredo]

I've just started competing in endurance and competitive trail rides and I love it so much that I plan to keep on doing it for as long as I can so, I'm thinking about investing in a treeless saddle. I found this one on eBay, it's rather inexpensive for a treeless saddle, so I wanted to know what you thought of it.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/HILASON-TREELESS-...QQcmdZViewItem

as well, if it looks like a good deal, how do you think it would look on my horses?

Frankie- Yes he is quite chubby, he's been sitting around all winter
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c5...r/HPIM1368.jpg

Laredo-
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c5...r/HPIM0707.jpg

Answer- not my horse, but I'm using him for 40's and 50's this year (same deal as Frank)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c5...wer/gfgfgf.jpg

[luvs2ride79]

I am worried about this brand. They are relatively new and I have not met anyone that has bought one of their saddles. Have you posted about these in any endurance/CTR groups? Maybe some people might have experience with them. Here's their web site: http://www.hilason.com/default.asp

If you want to give it a go, I would first ask them where these saddles are manufactured, where the materials come from, what kind of warante they give on the craftsmanship, and what their return policy is for defective products. They have good feedback, but it's all from people who just opened the box or rode once or twice. I'd want to see how they hold up to tough trail riding for a season or more.

Personally, I would look for a used Bob Marshal or other known, USA made brand. Here are a few that I have heard very good reviews about.

http://www.trekkingsaddles-webshop.c...-treeless.html

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com...s_fhoenix.html

http://www.gotreeless.com/info.htm

http://catalog.windridertack.com/bro...group_id=86030

[arabgirl15]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh treeless saddles? Big no-no in my book.

[luvs2ride79]

Why's that? Have you ridden in one? They are very comfy and if the horse is built right, they are very comfortable for the horse. Most styles are quite stable, even for jumping! Here's one company that has great Dressage and Jumping saddles, http://www.ansursaddle.com/

~Barbara

[Blistering Winds]

Be sure when you are looking at treeless......that it really IS a treeless and not a "flex tree".

A treeless literally has NOTHING where a "tree" should be. Basically, like you are riding a bareback pad. There is NO stability to the saddle itself in my opinion.


A flex tree has a tree, but it is flexable. More stability than a treeless, but still.


Treeless and flex trees are not liked among high performance people. Barrels, pole bending, roping, etc. because that tree is used more than people think to help balance and keep the rider in place.

For trails, every day riding, I've heard wonderful praise from both a flex and a complete treeless.


For what you want to do, honestly......talk to those in that field. Because they will know the stability your saddle will really need to do those events safely for both you and your horse.

[arabgirl15]

Originally Posted by luvs2ride79

Why's that? Have you ridden in one? They are very comfy and if the horse is built right, they are very comfortable for the horse. Most styles are quite stable, even for jumping! Here's one company that has great Dressage and Jumping saddles, http://www.ansursaddle.com/

~Barbara

They just feel so weird. Soo odd to me. Yes, twice. Didn't like it.

[My.Laredo]

ok, I'll take everything you guys said into consideration when making my decision, but I'll probably hold off for a bit.

But on the another note, everytime I look around ebay for an endurance saddle this one always comes up and I've always wondered about it

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Top-Quality-Engli...QQcmdZViewItem

Something just seems.. i don't know.. off, about it. What do you think?

[arabgirl15]

Originally Posted by My.Laredo

ok, I'll take everything you guys said into consideration when making my decision, but I'll probably hold off for a bit.

But on the another note, everytime I look around ebay for an endurance saddle this one always comes up and I've always wondered about it

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Top-Quality-Engli...QQcmdZViewItem

Something just seems.. i don't know.. off, about it. What do you think?

Looks very cheaply made and definately NOT high quality to me.

[My.Laredo]

yeah...that's kinda what I thought..

[Oh'When]

When i was at the Can-Am all equine emporium i went a saddle clinic on how to fit saddles and what was best.... the lady said that, treeless saddles are not good for horses as they tend to put presure on one of the really sensitive musculs (sp) (i can't remeber the name) which makes them sore, and it may pinch the whithers(sp).... so personal and this is just MHO i would not use a treeless saddle.