My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
In my quest to ride in as many different saddles as possible, my latest acquisition was a Heather Moffett Vogue. This is one of those “neither fish nor fowl” designs. It doesn’t have a typical tree and it isn’t technically a treeless saddle. It is a leather tree, which they call a “SoftTree” and a […]
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My Sensation treeless saddle is one of the most comfortable saddles I’ve ever owned, but one of the challenges to riding in a treeless saddle is that without the rigid structure of a tree, the saddle can slip more easily. There are a few tricks to keep your saddle secure. First, of course, is to […]
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After buying a saddle that was definitely smaller than advertised, I learned how to measure the seat size on a Sensation treeless saddle. Unlike an English saddle where you measure from the button on the side of the pommel to the center of the cantle, or a Western saddle where you measure from the pommel […]
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So, you’ve bought a treeless saddle because in theory, it fits every horse — but don’t forget that in many ways, ensuring proper fit is all about the saddle pad. Treeless saddles solve a lot of saddle fitting problems. I can’t tell you how many people I see riding in saddles that are either perched […]
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Soon after I sold a couple of saddles, the itch to try something new started. I’ve always wanted to try a Sensation Treeless saddle, but they are made in Canada so there haven’t been a lot of opportunities to try one. So, when a woman in Western Massachusetts advertised two for sale . . . […]
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One of the challenges of riding in a treeless saddle is protecting your horse’s spine. With a treed saddle, the gullet keeps the rider’s weight off of the sensitive nerves and protect the horse’s spine. When the first treeless saddles were introduced, most of them did not have integrated gullets; spinal protection was offered by […]
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Okay. I’ll admit it. I have trouble mounting from the ground with a treed saddle. The combination of aging (my impending birthday makes me feel older), residual stiffness from last year’s fall, and Zelda’s large size conspire against me. I have a three step mounting block (bought after my injury), which is perfect and otherwise […]
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I’ve posted photos of my Ghost Quevis before — it’s a tiny treeless saddle that’s very close contact and minimal. I recently purchased fenders for it (more about that later), but in the meantime, I came across a screaming deal on a Cavillin Heritage, one of the newest models from Camillo Cavallin, who is one […]
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