Saddle Journey

Saddle fit. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it. I had 2 custom made SR Saddles for my horses.... both horses got muscle atrophy behind their shoulders and Feather got some white hairs. I really thought those were the best saddles on the market for endurance riding. I have tried all other kinds of treed saddles, Free N Easy, Wintec, Arabian Saddle Company, Balance Saddles, etc... no luck. In theory, if these treed saddles fit while the horse is standing still, what happens when the horse starts to move? Their shoulders bulge out, and their backs lift and move, etc... so how can a correctly fitted treed saddle really fit all the different gates of a horse, not to mention up and down hills? This doesn't sit right in my mind.... So I looked at treeless saddles. Weight distribution - that seems to be the problem with treeless... but, never fear, the Freeform has a 1 inch injection molded foam base that distributes the weight great! Couple that with the HAF pad that had 3/4" PK70 foam, and you have a winner! I also played with the Bob Marshall and the Barefoot saddles, but they just are a piece of leather with fleece on the underside that creates pressure points with the stirrup bars and the rider's seat. If you really want the best saddle for your horse, go with a Freeform. They come in English style and a Western endurance cut with fenders. The Winner of the Tevis Cup this weekend was riding in a Freeform! Your horse can now use it's back correctly in all gates, while your weight gets distributed evenly.