TREELESS SADDLES Ive seen a few articles or questions about treeless saddles, this article in Equus magazine says that treeless saddles still have to fit the horse. University of Michigan study shows that treeless saddles, which are popular choices for horses with hard to fit backs, can present issues of their own if the panels are not properly positioned. The researchers set out to compare the pressures placed on the equine back by a conventional saddle with a breechwood spring tree and a dressage saddle without a rigid tree, but incorporating large panels and a gullet. First, pressure sensitive matts were placed under the same conventional saddle on six horses, who were ridden at a trot all along a straight line while forced data was collected. The mats or then placed under the treeless saddle on the same six horses and the data collection exercise was repeated. A comparison of the two sets of data showed that the total contact area did not differ between the two saddles, but that under the treeless saddle there were more areas of pressure greater than 11 kPa kilopascals, a level that previous studies have shown cause back pain and muscle damage due to crushing of the capillaries in the tissues. The researchers note that the high pressure areas were a consequence of a narrow gullet and highly sloped panels, they conclude that even with a treeless saddle, the position of the panels must be suitable for the individual horse.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 01:37:42 +0000