treeless saddles

Allen Xrealname Linda Eisele (linda@ghostridr.reno.nv.us)
Thu, 7 Nov 1996 09:33:08 -0800 (PST)

Boy, I don't know if I dare bring this up, but noted that some people don't
like the idea of a saddle with no panels to distribute weight. Just a
thought...I have tried so many conventional saddles whose panels, no matter
how well fitted, dug, in some way, into shoulders or loins and inhibited
movement. Sometimes I think panels, though distribute weight, have their
own problems. For years Indians rode bareback with little to protect their
horse's backs...were their horses always sore in the back? Does anyone
know?

-Are you talking -no panels- or -no tree-? All saddles with TREES
require some sort of panel or skirt. YOu may be running into the
edges of the tree digging in, not just the panels. And, the
panels can't distribute weight if the tree does not fit!

-I will jump into this one too! I am of the school of thought, that
you can't put a rigid tree or saddle, on a flexible structure (the
back) and expect it to fit!! The back changes shape as the horse
raises and lowers its head, goes in and out of condition, and also
ages. I have seen too many saddles that were "custom fit", cause
fit problems. I personally think the saddle has to flex and move
with the horse AND distrbute riders weight evenly. From all my
experiences, the Sport Saddle does do this, and do it better than
anything else I have tried on the market. I was a skeptic about
this saddle at first, but after riding it for 3 years of three
different horses with NO problems, I am a true believer.

-Over the course of many years, I have sat in a lot of saddles!
After riding in the Sport saddle, everything else feels as hard
as a rock. YOu can FEEL that hard tree between you and the horse-
no matter how much padding! Any saddle with a standard tree is
also going to put you up very high off the back of the horse,
Wintecs especially. I tried the Wintec Sport Endurance once, and
while it was fairly comfortable for me, it was so high up off the
back of the horse (especially if you add a shock pad), that it
tended to roll from side to side, and my balance was off since I
was up so high. The Sport Saddle sits you very close to the back,
so you are in balance with the horse.

-Didn't mean for this to turn into a plug for Sport Saddle, but
it
goes right along with the flexibile/rigid issue.

-Karen

BTW Diane, I too thank you for the hard work you are putting in on saddle
info. Your database that compiles riders (not yours) thoughts and
experiences with different saddles will be a great source for those who are
in the market.
Here's lookin back atya.......()()
Linda Eisele & Sareei and ('')\
hubby, Allen and the General (* *)\\_______~~~~~~
linda@ghostridr.reno.nv.us ( )
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