Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

All I can say is from personal experience... I have a TB cross paint mare 
with large shoulders and a big stride. I've ridden and competed in hunter 
classes with a nice AP saddle, but found that trail riding in it made her 
back sore since the panels were so small. So I got a nice Reinsman trail 
saddle with an equiflex tree and that seemed to be working out well until 
the day I borrowed someone's Torsion.

I had no idea my horse could move out going downhill like that.

I never before realized how sore a regular saddle made her shoulders. I 
thought she slowed down to keep her balance, but I found out it was to avoid 
the pain of the saddle jamming the back of her shoulders.

In the Torsion she was perfectly content extending her stride downhill, she 
didn't react at all to pressure on her back after a long ride, and there 
were no dry spots.

I eventually bought a Freeform saddle because although my horse loved the 
Torsion, I like a narrower twist and the Freeform is comfortable for both of 
us. It's all I ride in now! Well worth the investment.

If you always keep a lot of your weight in the stirrups it has the potential 
of making the withers sore where the leathers cross over, but that's also 
tiring for the rider. Riding bareback as much as you do I think you'd really 
like either the Torsion or the Freeform since you're probably used to 
keeping more weight in your seat anyhow. Both give you the close feeling of 
bareback, the Torsion seat area is wider and lets you sit closer to the 
horse, the Freeform is a little more built up and has a more traditional 
hunt seat shape. I think it just depends on your anatomy which you prefer. 
Try them all out before you buy!

-Lauren

> > Hi all -
> > Wellll...thought I had my perfect endurance saddle picked out, but  now 
> > I'm not so sure! Good grief, I never realized there were so  many options 
> > and possibilities!! I was planning to get a treeless  saddle because I 
> > like close contact and it seemed like it would be  more comfortable for 
> > my horse, but then I read some articles that  said treeless saddles don't 
> > do an adequate job of distributing a  rider's weight. I've also looked at 
> > flexible tree saddles,  adjustable tree saddles, and custom fit saddles 
> > on traditional  trees. Then there's the choice between English and 
> > Western rigging.  I'm overwhelmed and confused! I learned to ride English 
> > and did a  little dressage and jumping. Right now I do probably half my 
> > riding  bareback and the other half in a traditional Western trail 
> > saddle.  My saddle fits me perfectly, but it feels bulky and doesn't fit 
> > my  mustang as well as I would like it to. She doesn't complain 
> > et!)   - but we haven't done 50 miles in it, either!! I'm sure you're all 
> > sick of this subject, but if anyone has some spare time I would 
> > appreciate some advice on what to consider when buying a saddle??  What 
> > are the advantages/disadvantages of the different styles?  Those of you 
> > with treeless saddles - do you like them?? Thanks so  much - sorry to be 
> > a pest, but you all are teaching me soooo much  and I really do 
> > appreciate it!!
> > Jen


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