Get down on all fours. Now close your eyes and imagine someone is sitting on your back in a tree’d saddle. All the weight is distributed along those areas of the tree that actually sit against your back. Depending on the shape of your back, there may be gaps in that weight dispersal.

Now imagine your rider asks you to pivot to the right. Your right shoulder starts the turn while your hips stay put (your rider may or may not help by turning their body with you). As you bend to the right, the front of the tree down your right side starts to jab you in the shoulder; the back of the tree begins to jab you in the spine or kidneys, depending on the shape of your back. The only thing your rider has to mitigate the severity of those jabs is the quality of saddle pad they use. It determines whether the pain of those jabs is sharp or dull, not whether the pain exists.

How long would you put up with that?

Compassion and engineering has now eliminated trees from the saddle equation. Varying sizes and shapes of firm to soft memory foam pads can be combined to custom fit and fill the shape and curve of a horse’s withers and back. A rider’s weight can now be distributed evenly across a horse’s back with nothing to impede any movements. The bottom line is that your horse doesn’t have to be in pain, you can still sit in a saddle, and you can feel the slightest tries and responses your horse gives you.

Cheryl Burt at Equivisions Farm has been customizing orders for beautiful treeless Sports Saddles® for me and my clients for several years. Treeless saddles are just one of those things in life that once you experience it, it’s real tough to go back. You may try, but it won’t last. Not only is the ride more comfortable for you, but the unnecessary pain to your horse could be eliminated. That’s just tough to say no to.

I hope you’ll consider trying out a treeless saddle at EquiFest this year. Look for our friend, Cheryl.