Has anyone ever tried a "Barefoot" treeless saddle?  I have been using my friends Bob Marshall saddle and love it......however the Marshall is very expensive and the delivery time is now 9-10 weeks.  The Barefoot looks great, is half the price and is in stock.  Is the Marshall saddle really worth it?  Are there any other good treeless saddles out there? 

Thanks for your help.

I ordered a Bob Marshall from www.loristack.com.  Very nice lady to work with.  She occasionally gets new "blemished" saddles in.  Mine had a "rough" seam and would not be sold as "perfect".  It's an Endurance with cheyenne roll.  Paid $975 for it.  Never tried a "Barefoot" nor have I seen one being used.  Give Lori a look or I can give you other sites for Bob Marshall.

Nancy

    I bought an original BM treeless saddle in 9/96 and have used it consistently since then on at least 20 different horses and there was only one horse it didn't quite fit. He was a very overweight TW. 

     I do recomend buying the Skito pads with the ultracell inserts as while pricey they provide the padding needed in the shoulder area and are long enough to cover the billets. 

    I'm not familiar with the Barefoot saddles and there are several other treeless brands out there.  From reading other boards many people have said the cheaper treeless saddles are cheaply made and not worth the money.

    I know the BM's are pricey, but mine is priceless to me.  I did get lucky and bought it on a 50% sale and only paid $318.00 for it.  It's the suede model, no horn and it has held up well.

    There will be people that will bad mouth them, but I have a bay and he doesn't have any white hairs, sweats completely under the saddle and has no soreness issues.  I have also ridden week long rides in the mountains with it and again no soreness issues and I do check as I used to have a QH that was extremely difficult to fit. Good luck in your search.

Dunoir,

   I'd say you did get quite lucky in your purchase.  The suede model is what I would like but they are going for about $1,000 used on ebay.  Guess the longer the lead time is, the more value the used ones have.  Seems like this may be the best for the horse and myself.  I'm greatful for the help.

I have a BM saddle (endurance model) and a Freeform saddle which is an English treeless saddle. I love both saddles and use them on 4 different horses. I have seen the cheaper saddles in person and I believe the BM is far superior. It's hard to shell out the money at first and the wait stinks, but it is worth it to have a saddle that will keep you happy for a very long time. It is extremely important to use a Skito pad, or a very good quality pad, under these saddles and to shim them properly, if necessary. Treeless saddles are an area where padding really does matter.

I use both of my saddles on a Morgan, Friesian-X, Clyde-X, and QH-X....lots of different backs there!

Once you get your butt in a treeless you will never go back. Keep looking on Ebay as I see some good saddles very often there.

Look and see if there is a Barefoot dealer with a demo program. That way you can try before you buy.

Tammy

hey all!!! I have 3 treeless saddles. One BMSS endurance w/ training pommel, one hilason endurance model & one Cashel softsaddle. I love all 3 for different reasons. The BMSS is just wonderful to ride, but can be a little long on short backed horses. The Hilason is shorter so good on shortbacked horses but the leather isn't as soft, and the cashel is great for my deadbroke gelding, but not as secure as the others on the "less than bombproof" horses in my field!! I won't ride in anything else! You might want to look at the Rebecca Treeless as another option. I have never used one, but I have seen one and I was really impressed.

Good Luck on your search!

Rockin Horse,

   I was wondering what the Hilason saddles were like.  They seem reasonable but the reviews are mixed on quality.  They also do not have a D ring for a crouper.  I'll check Rebecca - never heard of that one.  You bring up a good point about the security issue.  The barefoot and some others advise green and newer riders may not want to use these saddles.  I feel pretty good in the BM but am far from a seasoned rider.  Thank you for the info.

Lady Rider,

   I have heard that about the Marshalls and have had some difficulty with the one I am using.  Folks have told me that the Skito pad is the way to go for treeless saddles so I ordered one.  I'll let you know how it works.

On keeping your saddle from rolling.....

When you get your Skito, it will still roll at first but maybe not as bad. Getting it dirty and 'broken in' is what really helps. This does not mean you don't wash it though   .  Many people find that using a breast collar helps a lot. Use the kind with the strap over the wither which are typically used with English saddles but work with any saddle. Zilco makes a really nice one that is very adjustable but not cheap. Also, use a girth that has a little nap to it. Not so that it hurts the horse, obviously, and make sure it is tight. With the skito you girth up and then wait until the foam warms up, then you can girth up a little more. I converted mine to use an English short girth. The girth can be tightened but the elastic in it still gives some breathing room. This is just a personal preference since I never got along well with western rigging. I use a wintec waffle weave girth and have had good luck with it. I have a friend who uses the 'New Breed' western honey comb girth and it works well for her.

A lot will depend on your horse's conformation. If he is round you will just have to learn to ride more balanced!

Happy trails! Tammy