Now that I'm back to looking at saddles again I've been keeping my ears open to what people are saying and it seems like I keep hearing time and again that the treeless Bob Marshalls are the way to go. Those who have one claim that once you've gone treeless you wont go back! And I am even more suprised that they are popular in the barrel racing world (a sport where the security of your seat would be more than a little important!)
Also, I was told that there is a difference between the origonal Bob Marshalls and the Circle Y Bob Marshall. Anyways, I just thought I would put the word out there and see if anyone had anything good (or bad) to say about the saddle. The concept of a treeless saddle makes sense to me but I just wish I had the chance to try one out for a good length of time without having to make a big purchase.
I rode a Bob's Treeless running barrels for a little bit and hated it. Darned thing closed up on me like a clam shell going around the barrels. The lady that let me try was selling it because she didn't like it either.
ReplyDeleteMarlene McCrae also has a treeless barrel saddle out that a lot of girls bought and quite a few of them are also selling them and going back to saddles with trees.
I suppose they work just fine for barrel racers who like to sit on their butts through the whole run (and there are plenty of those), but for those of us that like to get up off of our horse's backs, the treeless saddle has a tendency to pinch a person down.
That opinion and a dollar gives you exactly $1. LOL
The only thing I've heard about treeless saddles from actual riders is from endurance people when I went to one of their clinics. They didn't like treeless saddles at all. If I remember correctly their said they caused their horses to be sore.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any experience with treeless saddles, however, if you're considering a new saddle, some of the nicest I've rode in have been Vic Bennett saddles. I've rode in his cutting, all purpose and rope saddles. They're comfortable and fit horses nicely.
ReplyDeleteSomething to think about. You can find him on the internet under Vic Bennett .ca Possibly of interest to you is the fact that he reins. His farm name is Saddle Creek Ranch.
Heard lots of bad things about treeless saddles. Apparently they seem likes the bees knees at first and then end up causing soreness, stiffness and a host of problems.
ReplyDeleteMOST people that I know that have them end up going back to a traditional treed saddle.
I am not a barrel racer but I am a trail rider and treeless saddle fan. I really like the Bob Marshall saddles (you really have to make sure you get a comfortable size or you feel trapped in them)- I have found them to be super comfortable and when you ride multiple horses as I do, it is nice to have a saddle that can make the rounds. My other favorite treeless is the Rebecca Underwood Softrider, which is like a much more secure bareback pad and is ultra light and comfortable.
ReplyDeleteSorry.. just realized I used the word comfortable three times in one paragraph! Guess comfort is most important to me!
ReplyDelete