What makes a Saddle Treeless?

Sports Saddles

The Bob Marshall Sports Saddle is made with a new two-piece independent barless system. There are no bars connecting pommel and cantle. The pommel, at the front and the cantle, at the rear are made of a solid material, such as wood. The independent pommel/cantle two-piece system lets the horse flex and move freely. The rider keeps complete contact with the horse. The top is finished in leather. The center is made of two layers of closed-cell neoprene into-which is bonded the stirrup rigging. On the bottom a poly-wool fleece cover is stitched below the neoprene. The rider sits softly and in closer contact to the horse, which places the center of gravity lower.

Treed Saddles

In comparison, the traditional one-piece tree remains rigid, does not not flex with the horse, the bars dig into the horse's shoulder on the hard turns and can also put excessive pressure on the horse's kidneys. The rider sits on a hard saddle tree one to two inches off the horse's back, raising the rider's center of gravity.

People often seek out the Sports Saddle because they enjoy the benefits of riding bareback, such as the ability to feel the horse under them and the ability to better communicate with the horse. But the rider will be sitting on a much softer seat.

Many riders have said that with the Sports Saddle they can feel the horse prepare to spoke or move out quickly before he actually does it. Riders are usually surprised that they can feel the horse breathe under them. The treeless saddle molds to the contours of the horses back and ribs in much the same way as a bareback pad, but the construction and padding on the Sports Saddle is significantly more functional and substantial.

The Sports Saddle is made of two durable layers of closed cell neoprene and the rest of the saddle is built upon and into this foundation. This foundation is extremely soft to ride in, and especially so if ridden with the Skito Equalizer pad, which consists of two pads made of a breathable open cell foam with a thick poly/wool fleece underside. This combination is unmatched in its level of comfort.

So, it's not necessary for the rider to sit on a hard, solid tree foundation. The Sports Saddle functions like a traditionally treed saddle while serving the rider with comfort and solves many a horses back problems due to the bridging affect from treed saddles.

The Sports Saddle also provides the functions of the traditional saddle. Each Sports Saddle model has a solid pommel and a cantle, which are not connected by a bar, as in treed saddles. The rider is sitting on padding instead of a solid tree. The stirrup rigging is bonded into the foundation providing the balance for the rider without the saddle slipping unlike the bareback pad.

A secure western girthing system like the traditional saddle is used on the Sports Saddle. Most of the Sports Saddle models include front and rear D rings and a crupper for utility on the trails. The Sports Saddles are very secure and can handle saddlebags, cantle bags, water bottles etc…

People use the Sports Saddle in many riding disciplines such as barrel racing, endurance and competitive riding, pleasure and trail riding. The Sports Saddle is also used to start young horses, which was Bob Marshall’s original intent with the Sports Saddle.

The Bob Marshall Sports Saddle is becoming increasingly popular with riders. One customer from Florida called to order a Barrel racing saddle at her trainer’s recommendation. She said that approximately 50% of all the riders where using the Bob Marshall Sports Saddle for barrel racing and that the horses seem to be able to move and bend better around the barrels and are making better time in the ring.

Trail riders are finding that their horses are more comfortable and so are the riders. For people who keep an open mind the (non-traditional) Sports Saddle could be the kind of saddle they've been looking for all along.