Freeform Classic Treeless Saddle
The concept of going Treeless has intrigued me for some time. I like the idea of having a saddle that will fit multiple horses and I liked the idea of finding a saddle that gave me the close feel of bareback riding with some additional support. I first tried a Barefoot Cheyenne, but it just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t like the Nubuck leather (which showed wear almost immediately) and I found that the stirrup position put me in a chair seat so I was always slightly behind the motion of my horse. In many regards it was a glorified bareback pad — the seat has very little structure and if you have a wide horse it can cause some discomfort in your hips.
I have really enjoyed my Freeform. It is more traditional in appearance (mine is black calfskin) and its seat has a narrower twist, which makes it quite comfortable. But the two outstanding features are 1) that it has an interchangeable seat, which allows you to use the saddle for several riders and 2) you can adjust the placement of the stirrups. I bought the saddle at a time when my daughter (aged 9) wanted to ride a friend’s pony. This pony was extremely wide, and even my wide tree saddle didn’t fit her. Plus my daughter is so small that I didn’t want her swimming in an adult-sized seat. I found the saddle used on the yahoo treeless site ($700) and then bought a smaller sized seat for my daughter. I can’t believe that more saddle manufacturers have not gone the modular route because it makes so much sense from a consumer perspective.
I’ve had the saddle now for about a year and I’ve still very pleased with it. It’s comfortable on both of my horses (which are very different shape) and the leather has held up well. In this regard, I much prefer the calfskin leather used on the Freeform over the Nubuck. The saddle is easy to clean and still shows little wear. The model I have has wool underneath.
I’ve been using this saddle with a Skito pad and have had no problems with my horses’ backs. I find the saddle to be quite stable on my horses’ backs, although I never mount from the ground.
My only complaint is that the saddle does not have as much of a close contact feel as some of the other treeless saddles, but I think the feeling of a twist is worth the tradeoff. Some people say they use this saddle for jumping, but at least for me, the flaps are too straight. It’s much more similar to a dressage saddle.
Recent Comments