Bareback riding is something that many people would like to experience, but the fear of falling off a moving horse is just too much to overcome. One of the closest experiences possible to bareback riding is using a treeless saddle instead of a standard treed saddle. This allows you to get the closest feeling to bareback with a little something to keep you on the horse. A saddle of this type puts you in close contact with a horse as physically possible, while riding with some type of tack on the horse.

Treeless saddles as a whole are basically the same as a standard saddle, minus the tree of course. A saddle tree is simply put, the “framework” of a saddle. This is the plate around which the saddle is constructed for even weight distribution and giving it the ability to hold its shape. The treed saddle will also aid in relieving certain pressure points along a horses spine and back.

Here are our top treeless saddle picks:

Barefoot treeless saddles are an anatomically designed saddle to fit to the horse like a second skin. These saddles are made to have a high spinal clearance, yet allow freedom of movement for you and the horse. A treeless saddle like this will shape and mold itself over time to the exact contours of your horse insuring a perfect fit for years to come.

Saddles, treeless or otherwise, are needed to be chosen for comfort. Yours and the horses ultimately, as he is the one wearing it and the more comfortable he is, the more you are and that makes for a much more pleasant ride. Finding one to fit your particular horse is not as daunting a task as it may sound and with the addition of a treeless saddle pad, the comfort is increased that much more. Many manufacturers recommend that you use a pad with your treeless saddle and normally have a line of these to choose from.

There are treeless saddles for sale both on the internet and at your local tack shop. The internet, however, will give you a much wider range of choices and prices, giving you access to every major manufacturer and supplier there is. There will also be consumer reviews by horse people who may have already used the particular saddle you are looking at and you can get a better feel for which one may be right for you. This saves you buying one and finding out later it was not quite right when someone may have already had the same experience.

For those more serious about their riding, particularly if they ride dressage, they may want to consider changing from a standard dressage saddle to a treeless dressage saddle. These saddles fit much closer to the horse, thereby giving much more contact and communication, which in turn leads to a much cleaner looking dressage session as the horse is receiving signals much quicker. This allows much more freedom of movement for the horse and lets them move about without feeling restricted or adding any unnecessary pressure.

The Bob Marshall treeless saddle line is a work of art on top of being very function. These are constructed with a mix of fabric and very intricate hand tooled leather to make them unique in their own right. There are also basic models available with the same high quality as the hand tooled ones. Bob Marshall treeless saddles are one of the leading sport saddles in the industry and an investment that will be well made.

The Torsion treeless saddle is considered to be one of the finest made. Manufactured in Italy, and available all over the world, these treeless saddles are touted by amateur and professionals alike as being one of the best all around treeless saddles on the market. These are available in leather, buffalo leather and synthetic materials and in a wide range of colors to suit anyone’s taste.

The Trekker treeless saddle is made in Europe by master saddle makers and each is hand crafted to rigid specifications. These saddles are very unique in that the underside is constructed with memory foam that returns to its original form once removed from the horse. They also are individually numbered, making it easy to identify and retrieve in the case of a theft of misplacement among other saddles.

The one thing that all the manufacturers agree upon is the use of treeless saddle pads under their products. Each one has more than one recommendation and usually has some to choose from. There are many companies that specifically make only the saddle pads for use with multiple manufacturers. These are constructed from simple padding material and even gel type pads that will give both the horse and rider the most comfort possible when using a treeless saddle.