Goin' Treeless in 3 ... 2 ... Now!

[Flair]

And voila! Our Barefoot Cheyenne DryTex (which we have the next 7 days to try and see if we love it) arrived today. I unpacked the box, and got quite the surprise. The DryTex is really a nice lookin' saddle, so soft and easy to clean. I liked it a lot just looking at it. And it has the VPS gullet thing. I could feel the foam. Nice, really. Not a bad little saddle. Barefoot's got a pretty nice reptuation as a decent saddle, and so far at first sight, I'm not disappointed.

First impressions are:

1) The Size 2 doesn't seem all that much bigger than my Abetta saddle. And having sat it in, I think the size 2 was the way to go. Size 1 would have felt too small.

2) I need a shorter girth, whew! Those are looooong billets.

So here we go ... the pony with the Barefoot...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/tack/treeless6.jpg
Mitch doesn't like having his picture taken while he's trying things on. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/tack/treeless5.jpg
Too far forward? Too far back? Just right? Looks like it fits his back all right.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/tack/treeless3.jpg
The saddle doesn't seem to want to sit down on the pad in the back. Could be a need for the shoulder shims, or does it just mean that this is a brand new saddle fresh out of the box and needs to mold to the horse?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/tack/treeless2.jpg
See what I mean about the back?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/tack/treeless1.jpg
Enough gullet clearance? Too low? The saddle had the soft inlay pommel insert installed when it arrived. Maybe I ought to try the medium fiberglass insert that ships standard.

And I'll be ordering a Skito pad after our trial is over, should we keep this saddle.

Mitch ... LOVED it. He moved out so well with his freedom of his shoulders, practically strutted his stuff. One of my riding buddies was watching as we walked around, and she said she never saw him walk out so freely and that he always used to take crabby little steps. He definitely moves out better when the saddle fits him properly. Treeless might be the best thing for him.

**Thursday, January 29th Update**
So this afternoon, I went for another ride in the Barefoot Cheyenne DryTex. Still love it. And furthermore, I brought a camera and propped it up on a post by the dressage arena. And having seen me in the saddle, I think that the size 2 was the best size to get. I think I would have been shoved back on that cantle if I was riding in the size 1. And I liked having room up front and in back. Of course, we'll see what I say when we're going up a ginormous hill on a trail ride :rant: but I like the room. Although this pony is wiiiiiide, and I can't really close my leg on him (but let's be honest here, I couldn't really do that in a treed saddle either)

YouTube - Mitch and his treeless saddle


So we did some trotting, and he even cantered a few strides (a first for me!) and then I got off to tighten his girth (sheesh, second to last hole on the billets, I gotta get a shorter one) and then we were smack in the middle of the dressage arena with no way up. So I just put my foot in the stirrup, and swung up. Yep, mounted from the ground!

[Palogal]

How does it sit in back when you're sitting in it? I don't know if saddles "break in" that much but I don't know much about treeless saddles.

[cloedoll]

I think it looks great! I'm not too familiar where you should position the saddle since it's treeless (I position my saddles based on where the tree points are), but if I had to guess, maybe a smidge further back, but I really like the looks of it. Again, I'm no treeless pro, so maybe wait until someone else comments on this because there's a chance I'm way off, lol. I see what you are saying about the back and my guess is that yes, it's new and there is no weight in the saddle. I bet when it's broken in and has weight in it, it should mold nicely. Did you still have gullet clearance when you were riding?


Mitch ... LOVED it. He moved out so well with his freedom of his shoulders, practically strutted his stuff. One of my riding buddies was watching as we walked around, and she said she never saw him walk out so freely and that he always used to take crabby little steps. He definitely moves out better when the saddle fits him properly. Treeless might be the best thing for him.


I say take him out for a good ride to see how he responds, how you like it, if you still have gullet clearance, etc., but based on how freely he is moving in it already and that your friend saw a difference, I'd say this is thee saddle for you guys!

Those are my thoughts right now anyways. :p I really love your tack & horse, very healthy boy. ^_^

[JackieB]

Cool looking saddle.

[Cat]

Looks like its a smidge forward, but then Toby's treeless seems to want to sit better a bit forward. Thankfully with no tree there isn't any shoulder interference. The back will settle down after some rides.

[luvs2ride1979]

Cute! The saddle just needs time to break in. It doesn't matter that it pops up since there's no tree ;). It will eventually conform to his back and you won't have that problem.

It's in a good position. You could move it back a hair, but it really likes fine. Let him tell you if he wants it further back ;).

Let us know how you like it! Also, post how it feels to you and which size Abetta you ride in. I've been considering a Barefoot but I'm afraid the Size 2 will be too small...

[Annie&Dixie]

Looks great!! I've been waiting for this post, I was so excited when I saw the title. How do you like riding in it? That's important too. I really love the looks of it and if Mitch likes it then that's a definite plus. Did you have any slipping problems getting on or while riding?

Oh and I agree with everybody else on the popping up in the back, mine does it a little bit when I'm not in it but there aren't any dry spots or anything afterward so I'm assuming there aren't any pressure points on the shoulders or withers.

[Flair]

Palogal - I'm pretty sure it settles down when I'm sitting on the saddle. Of course, I'm sitting right in the seat, not back on the cantle, so I'm not really sure. I know we had trouble with the other saddle tipping up in back, but that wasn't a treeless.

cloedoll - Thanks for the comments. I like the looks of the saddle too. I'm guessing that it will mold. It's brand new, so you know how things go. Needs a little sweat and elbow grease.

I do have a bit of gullet clearance when I'm riding with the soft pommel insert. I can get a couple of fingers under there, and it looks like it sits really nicely on his shoulder. I'm still going to give the regular pommel insert a try, and see how that goes. Takes some playing around with, I imagine.

Thursday, we'll work him, get him wet and do a bit of walk and trot (and maybe if he will do it, canter. He's rarely cantered with me in the saddle ever since I got him last year, and I've wondered if a lot of that is saddle fit issues.)

JackieB - Thanks! I like the looks of it. Barefoot saddles have always interested me because of the raised pommel. Like an endurance-lookin saddle or something. I don't like saddle horns. I almost got impaled once, and swore never again.

Cat - Whee! So glad you commented since you've got a Haffie with a treeless. Some of my barn buddies did think it was a bit too forward, so on Thursday, I'll try moving it back a hair and see what happens.

luvs2ride1979 - So glad you commented too! :) Thanks for letting me know about how the saddle needs to break in and conform. It'll probably also mold to me too. ;) The seat's not too bad so far. Pictures don't do the saddle justice, that's for sure. It's way better than I expected.

So far, at first ride, I'm liking it an awful lot. It's so comfortable to sit in. Feels a bit big, but then I was riding in a 15-inch Abetta endurance which was probably too small for me (I kinda look like I'm riding the cantle in the Abetta) so I think the size 2 feels really good.

Annie&Dixie - Yay! Treeless! :D I love the looks of the saddle, and so far, it's been nice riding in it. Mitch seems pretty content so far, but we'll see when I ask him to work. I didn't really have any mounting issues since I used the mounting block (I think with a shorter girth, I could probably manage to get on from the ground) and no slippage issues while riding either.

[PoniesRock101]

looks nice! :) I'm no help with fit!

[oursarge]

Looks like a nice saddle, I see they have one with a horn, I need a horn. My boy has Haflinger in him I'm sure since he looks alot like a Haflinger, he's built like a tank, no withers and round. It's hard to get a saddle to fit him right, they want to roll off and every year it seems like he gets stockier, he's 5 now, his legs are thick, his body is thick, he looks so different now than when I got him 2 1/2 yrs ago. Maybe some time I can try one of these. I hardly rode him last yr because of an eye issue, hopefully this year will be different and we can get some riding in. If his saddle doesn't work we'll maybe have to try for something like this. I like the looks of it.

[elevenelevenxo]

Ooooh, I want one! Seriously, treeless saddles are so awesome. They are RIDICULOUSLY comfy to ride in!

Since they lack a tree, precise fit isn't as big of an issue because, as a couple others have said, they will eventually conform to the back of the horse. :) That's the beauty of it!

How much did that cost? I'm thinking of selling my Wintec (it lacks the adjustable gullet because it's only the 250) and buying a nice treeless. :)

[vicklynn]

Cool looking saddle. I have NO clue how it is suppose to sit, but I like it. I hope you get it all figured out.

[Flair]

PoniesRock101 - Thanks. Glad you like :D

oursarge - Lots of Haflinger owners use treeless saddles. And Fjord owners, and cob owners. And owners who have trouble fitting the right saddles to their horse for whatever reason. And the horses move freer. Probably because the saddles fit them properly because there's no tree, and they've been hard to fit in the past. Like luvs2ride1979 observed with Mitch, he's got a funny back shape, and it's possible that no treed saddle will fit him right (short of spending the $2,000+ I don't have to spend on saddles.) The Barefoot saddles certainly are nice. I'm not going to push treeless, because it's certainly not for everyone, but they've got a demo program, and you can go out and give it a try. I would agree with people who say that saddle fit is important and that a well-fitting treed saddle is good, but not all horses have well-fitting treed saddles (and owners who can afford it) so I'd rather go with a good-quality treeless than a poor fit in a treed.

elevenelevenxo - I'm glad I waited for the DryTex. It's their 'synthetic' model that's easy to clean. Made exactly like the other Barefoots, but the price is lower. I paid $550 for mine. Of course, I'll have to buy a Skito pad, but then it's only up to the cost of a regular Cheyenne. ;)

vicklynn - Thanks. :)

[oursarge]

Thank you for the information, I appreciate it. I wish I had a good picture of his shape, in the past yr he's gotten so different, even the girl I got him from said "WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM" she thinks he's overweight but he doesn't get much in the way of grain, they do get alot of hay but I don't think that would make him as stocky as he is. He looks so similar to a Haflinger, his mane even gets real light in the summer. The saddles I've tried have never fit him right, no matter how tight you make them they still want to roll. I really like your saddle alot. I looked at the site but need to go back and look some more. I would get the one with the horn and western stirrups etc even though I like the style of yours better I need a horn! I'm not the best of riders. I really think that's the way we need to go when we get some extra money. He has a barrel saddle now because his back is short, the regular horse saddle I have was way too long for him.

I think that if he had a saddle that fit him better he might ride better. He does OK but when you described how your horse moved before that's how he moves in his saddle. He just doesn't seem comfortable.

Thanks again, hopefully some day I'll be able to get one. I have one that is like a tank and then have one that is very narrow he needs a narrow tree and I'm not even sure if that will fit him this year.

[luvs2ride1979]

You can buy an extra pommel that comes with the horn and put it in any of the Barefoot saddles. The pommels are removable and exchangable, so it should work! Just email the web site to see how much the extra pommel would be (I believe about $95) and which models it would work with. You'll need to try different pommels when you demo, so you can get the right one. The hard pommels do need to fit well! You can just hold it on your horse's withers, just behind the shoulder blade, to see if it fits before installing it in the saddle. If yours is a chunky guy, you'll probably want to go with the wide ;).

And, you can keep the Medium size pommel it comes with, and you can use the same saddle on your narrow horse too! You might need some addition shims with your Skito pad (http://www.aretesaddlery.com/tack/tack/saddle-pads/skito-pads/treeless-skito-pad/prod_95.html), but those can be ordered for only $20-30 a pair at any time. I have a whole bunch of shims that come in very handy from time to time.

Back to your big boy, he could be Insulin Resistant. Here's a picture of my mare one WINTER when she was only getting a few handfuls of grain and free choice (really) good hay.
http://www.barbarasdomain.com/main/images/photoalbum/2/w_bridgette12_27_05.jpg
Yeah, oops, lol.

Here she is the next winter, a much better weight.
http://www.barbarasdomain.com/main/images/photoalbum/2/temp3_246.jpg

What I did is added a multi-vitamin to her diet that was high in Magnesium and added more Magnesium.
http://smartpakequine.com/productclass.aspx?productClassid=4579
http://www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productclassid=1819

If you don't want to use two supplemets, then consider D-Carb Balance. It's high in Magnesium and has other goodies to support healthy weight.
http://smartpakequine.com/productclass.aspx?productClassid=2475

Magnesium has shown to help the horse metabolize sugars and starches from hay and grains better, so they don't get stored as fat as much.

[oursarge]

Thank you for all the info. I'll have to look into that. I do order from Smartpack, he gets Devil's Claw for his eyes and Beta Carotine/Lisine vitamins for his eyes too. He was huge in the fall then I found out my husband was feeding him twice what he should have gotten. He's now down to not much at all. He did loose some weight but not alot. He's just husky though, he's terrible about posing for pictures, wants his nose in the camera, sometime I have to take some. When the vet comes out I'll have to see what he says, I have the smartpack info bookmarked.

Have to start saving up for a saddle, I really like that set up. Thank you again!

[luvs2ride1979]

Many QH or stock type horses chunk up quick. My mare is halter bred on top (Impressive grandaughter, HYPP N/N), so she gains weight at the drop of a hat, lol. She's a bit chunky right now, but our winter's been so cold I just can't bring myself to cut back on her feed... I'm a sucker, lol.

My vet visited about a month after that first photo was taken for spring shots. He asked me when I bred her and when she was due to foal, LMAO! Sad thing is, my Anglo GELDING was almost as fat himself. And he was my "hard keeper". The BO just bought WAY too good of hay that year, and put round bales in their paddock. Both my horses parked in front of them and hardly ever moved, lol.

The D-Carb stuff is worth a try, and isn't very expensive. If you don't notice any difference after a month, just cancel it for the next month.

I think you'll like the treeless. Most people that have tried the new Barefoots (since they put the panels underneath) have liked them. When you get the demo, try to go with a company that will give you demo saddle pads too. Your pad can make or break the experience with a treeless.

[oursarge]

Thank you. If I can get a saddle it won't be for awhile, I really want one though!

This has been a really rough winter on the horses as far as cold goes so I didn't want to cut back too much on the food for them but when spring comes they'll get cut back on the hay. Our pasture is pretty lousy so they need hay all year and the hay is good stuff. They might get too much of that I don't know, I mix 1st and 2nd cutting, only a little 2nd, mostly 1st. I want them to stay warm though, we've had more below zero days this year than in quite a few yrs. It was -20 the other night and every day for weeks it's been below 0. He has lost a little weight, I don't want him to gain any back, I will definately ask the vet when he's out or even try to get a picture and take it in when we go for dog food and he can look and see if he should come out and check him.

I have to start saving my pennies for a saddle!!!! I really hope I can get one.

[carla]

Very cool-looking saddle! I don't know anything about treeless either, but I'm glad you like it. :)

[PaintedHearts]

Nice looking saddle. I like it. I don't know if I missed it but can I ask where you got it?

[Flair]

Nice looking saddle. I like it. I don't know if I missed it but can I ask where you got it?

http://barefootsaddles.net

[Flair]

And another great ride. I'm liking this saddle.

[Flair]

And after another great ride today on the barn trails -- just me and the pony -- I think we can safely say this saddle is definitely a keeper. I dropped my stirrups a few holes to see if I could get my leg around him more, and put my sheepskin seat saver on the saddle to add a bit of a 'twist' so I didn't feel like I was sitting so wide.

Time to order my Skito pad.

[Annie&Dixie]

Yay! I'm so happy for you two!

[Flair]

Hehe, thanks. I'm thrilled we have a saddle that makes us both comfortable. And one that didn't break the bank, because I definitely could NOT afford a custom made saddle.

[quest]

I have a barefoot cheyenne, I really like it and its super comfy, but I need to sell it to get a traditional saddle that fits my horse. So, if anyones interested, let me know

[luvs2ride1979]

What size, style, and color Quest? Is it a newer one with the panels or an older version? Any goodies with it?

If no one is interested here, you might put it on endurance.net and on the Yahoo treeless saddle group.