|
|
Post by Debbie on Apr 27, 2009 13:56:50 GMT -1
I just had a thought that might make for an interesting discussion. When backing youngsters, do you like treed or treeless saddles for backing? Why?? Blossom was backed last year in a traditional treed western saddle and seemed to take to it like a duck to water. I was sat here looking at all the saddle options: treed, treeless, semi treeless, etc and it dawned on me, that as she begins her career, maybe having the treed saddle was a good idea. Maybe she would get too many signals from the rider and get confused if she could feel everything at once like the treeless offers. LOL, a bit of 'too much information'. There is no right/wrong answer to this. All of us realize it's going to be down to the individual pony and trainer  I'm just curious about the experiences others have had regarding backing their youngsters.  |
|
|
|
Post by greydales on Apr 27, 2009 17:50:31 GMT -1
I think you know what I am going to say LOL! ;D I have used my Fhoenix for all my herd young and old, and also on Dancer who came to me unable to be mounted via the stirrup - he would rear up and flip over!  After being with me one week, I put the Fhoenix on him and mounted by the stirrup - and no reaction whatsoever  . All that told me was the people who had him before didn't even consider for FOUR years that saddle fit might be the problem ...  . I must have tried most of the 'treeless' saddles and for me, the only one that has suited both me and the ponies/horses has been the Fhoenix. With treed saddles, you have to get the fit exactly right and youngsters change at a fast rate which means you are having to constantly check the fit - what might have been right a few months back might now be too narrow/wide. If you don't know what you are looking for you can easily miss this and end up with a badly fitting saddle. Then you have the extra financial outlay of buying another one  . Not all horses and ponies will react in a behavioural way to a badly fitted saddle but it will ultimately show in muscle wastage and/or a compromised way of going. Many people of course are perfectly happy with a treed but that's just my take on it. With my Fhoenix I have no worries about the horses getting fat/thin (not much chance of that haha), changing shape, muscling up etc - the saddle always fits them. I don't worry about points digging in the withers, bridging, rocking - it just doesn't happen. This is my own experience with saddles, there will be some who don't like the Fhoenix for whatever reason - the two main comments seem to be the width of them for people with hip problems and possibly slippage but I haven't really experienced this. Some can't get used to the set back stirrup bars. I used it on all eight of mine - Dan, Saturn, Olivia, Cherry, Dancer, Remy, Toby and it will also be used for Gem when she's ready - with no problem at all and there aren't many saddles you could say could fit so many different shapes and sizes! Heather's saddles are substantially layered under the seat so it's not as if your seatbones are going to be digging in, as if you were bareback. However if you have a badly fitting treed saddle, anywhere that is pinching/rocking/digging in will be magnified greatly with a rider on board. Western saddles do have a large bearing area but it's important to get the right fit with them too, especially if your horse/pony is short backed. I'm not a rep for Heather's saddle by the way, I just think they are superb and would never ride in anything else (apart from my Barry Swain now and again ;D). Finally, if I was going to use a treed for a youngster (or any horse come to that), I would make sure that it was one which had points that could be adjusted by the saddler  |
|
|
|
Post by olivia on Apr 27, 2009 18:12:30 GMT -1
I think there are pro's and cons for treed and treeless and I think they are all valid.
BUT what I REALLY REALLY don't like is using any old beaten up saddle "because we're just starting the horse...." I don't mean having an old saddle used for getting used to having one on their back, but for when you start to get on. Surely if you want a young horse to have a positive first few experiences of being ridden, but if they've got a badly fitting saddle there is a risk that it won't be, however good the rider is.
On the basis that a treeless is likely to NOT fit than a treed saddle, I would personally always opt for a treeless.
Olivia
|
|
|
|
Post by greydales on Apr 27, 2009 19:44:48 GMT -1
On the basis that a treeless is likely to NOT fit than a treed saddle, I would personally always opt for a treeless. Olivia Do you mean that the other way round Olivia? |
|
|
|
Post by olivia on Apr 27, 2009 20:36:28 GMT -1
Probably - brain refusing to function tonight  What I meant is that you're more likely to get a treeless which fits, and copes with the changing shape of youngsters than a treed saddle. So I would go with a treeless... |
|
|
|
Post by Debbie on Apr 28, 2009 12:37:38 GMT -1
I'd didn't mean for the ongoing backing.... I rather meant for the intial backing. Ongoing saddle fitting is something we all face, especially as any pony changes shape.
I fully agree, to me, saddle fit is crucial to them having a positive experience. Blossom's trainer didn't get to swing up til I'd done a saddle fit check before him stepping up and then again with him in the saddle. Once I was happy, they were away.
Gill, what saddle did your trainer use to back Cherry? Did you take along one of your treeless for her to use?
|
|
|
|
Post by greydales on Apr 28, 2009 13:09:30 GMT -1
Gill, what saddle did your trainer use to back Cherry? Did you take along one of your treeless for her to use? No, she was brought on using one of theirs - a flat panelled WH type saddle I think. They have several Dales ponies which are low withered and round barrelled so I knew the saddles would fit a native shape and be okay for the relatively short period of time Cherry was there |
|
|
|
Post by DalesLady on Apr 28, 2009 16:14:22 GMT -1
we use a treed saddle, a fylde hayden which is brilliant as its close fitting and very light and we have never had any problems with it. Its fairly new too , but we do check it fits before Nic gets on just in case. |
|
|
|
Post by Anna on Apr 28, 2009 16:53:29 GMT -1
We always use treed saddles too as we're fortunate to have a stock of decent GP and show saddles that are of dales shape. If one doesn't fit there is always one in there that will and its just never been a problem to find a decent fitting treed saddle for any of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by PonyGirl on Apr 29, 2009 13:46:03 GMT -1
Cowboy has had a treeless on him 5ish times. It has not been girthed up. Just on his back at a walk. Will girth up when back from basic training (me in national guard). I didn't worry about breaking the saddle if it fell off or if he tried to eat it. (he loves to eat everything I show him!)
|
|
I'm just curious about the experiences others have had regarding backing their youngsters. 
After being with me one week, I put the Fhoenix on him and mounted by the stirrup - and no reaction whatsoever 
.
.
