Before you buy a treeless saddle, there are three things you should know.
Treeless saddles are all the rage, and many people love them. They do work for a lot of people and horses. With that being said, they’re not a one-size fits all saddle for every horse and rider, and there are three really important things you need to know before you go out and buy one
- You can’t buy a cheap one.
- It might not be as secure as a treed saddle, especially on a wide horse.
- you might have hip pain, also, especially if you’re on a wide horse.
Good Treeless Saddles are Expensive
When it comes to treeless saddles, you can’t look at the bargains. It’s easy to find a treed saddle on a budget, as long as it fits your horse. The same can’t be said for treeless saddles. Without a tree to protect your horse’s spine, it becomes absolutely critical to buy a high quality product. I think my total setup for my treeless (secondhand), was about $2,000-$2,500.
Do not get sucked into the knockoffs or cheap generic treeless saddles. It’s not worth injuring your horse’s back to save a few bucks. Make sure you’re looking at reputable (and unfortunately, expensive) treeless brands when you’re shopping.
It’s not just the saddle that’s expensive either. You also have to invest in an expensive saddle pad made just for treeless saddles. These pads are typically heavily padded with an open channel to keep you and your treeless saddle from sitting directly on the spine. Budget another couple hundred dollars for one of these specialty pads.
You May Have to Sacrifice Some Security With a Treeless Saddle
Plenty of people feel very secure in treeless saddles. Obviously, they work for a lot of people, and barrel races, in particular, can zoom around turns at brake-neck speed with incredible security. For me however, with my whiskey barrel shaped horse, a large pad, shims and the treeless saddle, it was quite slippery from side to side.
When my horse had a teleport spook, my saddle would shift. This might not be a huge deal to some people, but I had a few hairy moments, when I was hanging on by the grace of god and my breast collar, and decided horse’s are risky enough without adding equipment problems to list of dangers.
Additionally, Max’s horse Monk was known to bolt or spin and bolt after a spook, so he would be hanging on the saddle sideways while Monk was exiting the scene. It was just not a great situation. If you’re going to ride a horse that spooks, at least have a saddle that sticks where it’s supposed to, so your butt can stay where it needs to be! Even with a breast collar, a shift an inch or two to either side can still be an issue on a galloping frenzied horse.
Treeless Saddles, Hip Pain and Wide Horses
Again, I know plenty of people who love treeless saddles and swear by them and how comfortable they are. I am not that person. I never had a hip pain in my life until I started riding distance in mine. Again, I think it didn’t help to be on such a wide horse. I come from an English saddle background, so I’m used to a narrow twist and close contact. I really felt perched up and too wide of a stance with the treeless setup.
I started having horrendous muscle spasms in my hips after long rides. It actually took me months after getting rid of the saddle until the twinge finally went away. Obviously, this may not be an issue for most people, but it was for me, and I wanted to share it with you guys.
Until next time, Happy Trails!
