Monday, January 18, 2010

Demoing the EZ-Fit Treeless Saddle

My friend Gary and I hauled over to the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands yesterday for a nice long ride, thinking that the trails would be hard-packed from the snowmobiles. 

Gary rode his horse Rocky over from his house a half-mile away, because I wasn’t sure my rig would make it up his driveway.  Rocky, Gary’s 6yo foundation QH gelding, hasn’t been on a slant-load trailer since Gary bought him, and we don’t know his history before that.  But he hopped right on, saddled and all, even with the left half of the trailer closed up for the tack compartment.  Zephyr, as always, loaded right up too.  After I drove over the frozen-in wheel chocks we were on our way!  Gary told me later that it was the first time he had ever been a passenger in a truck that was hauling a trailer and driven by a woman.  In fact, while I was in the house getting a bottle of water, he almost got behind the wheel by accident!  I got a big laugh out of that.

The Wildlands is only about 10 minutes from my house, and when we arrived there were no other vehicles.  I jockeyed the trailer around until the back end was on snow instead of ice, so that the horses could unload safely.  Next time maybe I’ll bring a bucket of sand just in case.

Rocky didn’t feel that comfortable about stepping down out of the trailer, but with just a bit of coaxing, he did it.  Boy oh boy was he shaking, though!  That had to be the first time he’s backed out of a step-up trailer.

It took me a few moments to get Zephyr saddled with the demo EZ-Fit treeless saddle.  First the cinch was too far back, then the saddle was too far forward!  It’s a far different type of saddle from the old Barefoot Cheyenne that I’m used to.  This is a picture from after my very short test ride on Saturday.  It’s possible that it was too far forward in this picture.

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These funny-looking buckles hold the seat down.  It’s a treeless saddle, and the whole seat lifts up (forward) and another piece lifts up (backwards) revealing the straps for the stirrups and the front girth loop.  I think I have the stirrups an inch or so too far back right now.  It puts me in very good posture for walking, but makes trotting awkward and after a while makes my hips sore.

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I finally got the tack all set and we turned to the next hurdle… would there be a path around the gate that was sufficiently wide for the horses?  It turned out that there was just enough room if we put the stirrups over the saddles and led them through.  Rocky was hesitant at first but it didn’t take too long before he followed Zephyr through. 

The next hurdle was getting on my darn horse!  I don’t know why, but he seemed at least a hand taller than usual.  I could have led him over to the gate but I needed to know whether I could mount from the ground in a pinch.  Gary got a video of a later attempt, which he has threatened to post online, but this first time I needed him to hold down the other stirrup just in case so his hands were busy.

Off we rode, at a raging walk.  The snow was just firm enough that it would hold their weight for a millisecond and then give way.  The horses were fighting to be in the XC-ski tracks instead of the snowshoe tracks, but I didn’t want to let them because horse prints ruin XC-ski tracks.  After about a mile we met up with the snowmobile trail, which was marginally better.

Shortly after, we met up with a lone snowmobiler.  He was very nice; he stopped and shut off his engine.  It turned out that Gary knew him.  They chatted for a few minutes, so I took advantage of a better opportunity to get a shot of Gary and Rocky.  Rocky’s not actually “over at the knee”, he’s just standing awkwardly here.

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The corresponding picture of me isn’t very good because Gary was shooting into the light.  (He also needs lessons on taking pictures of horses/riders – always get the whole horse, who cares about the rider!!).  This shot makes the saddle look huge, but keep in mind that the actual back of the saddle’s seat is about 2” in front of the flap that overhangs and is fastened by buckles.  The seat size is pretty good for me, I have just enough room in front of my thighs that I don’t hit the pommel when I post.

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We trotted short distances a few times, which was amusing.  NORMALLY I’m a balanced rider, and although my heels do seem to always come up, I post properly and efficiently, and from my hip joint rather than from my knee.  Not this time, oh no.  I sounded just like my friend Kathy… every time we trotted, I’d just start giggling.  The more I bounced around, the more I giggled.  Every time, I eventually resorted to holding onto the pommel with one hand.  Side note… Zephyr has recently remembered a long-ago forgotten lesson to slow down or stop when his rider leans weight onto his withers with their hand. 

I stopped at one point and dismounted to straighten the saddle pad.  I don’t know what was different, but when I went to climb back on, my horse had grown to about 7’ tall!!  It was then that Gary took the aforementioned blackmail video.  He said he thinks people who don’t know the story will probably assume that I’m drunk.  I think I told him to shut his pie hole and ride.

We got in a short canter or two along this stretch.  Surprisingly, the canter was pretty good!  On my short Saturday ride I had a hard time riding the canter, but this time it was much easier.  Maybe it was because the saddle was farther back.

As we made our left-hand turn to go up the hill and see the view, the snow got deeper and deeper.  Rocky started to really have a hard time catching his breath.  We took several breaks as we went up, but eventually we got off to rest them.  I was pleasantly surprised at Zephyr’s fitness level, he was working hard but it never took him long to catch his breath.  (Yay!)  It took Rocky a few more minutes before he was ok, so we decided to see whether it helped to just walk in front of them.  Our weight wasn’t really enough to break through the snowmobile path, but having our weight gone was enough to help the horses. 

We still hadn’t made it to the top, though, when Rocky decided he’d had enough.  We took his cue and turned around.  He did much better downhill, so Gary was able to re-mount.  I took this picture because I was amused at how low the stirrup was in comparison to Gary.  He’s about 6’5” and I’ve never asked his inseam but I’m guessing he must wear about a 36-38”… the stirrup in this picture is about 6” below his knee!  He could literally just step into it!  Mine wasn’t quite that low, but I did manage to mount with less of a spectacle this time.

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Here’s the view we saw once we turned around to head back down the hill.  Not too shabby, especially since it wasn’t even from the top.

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Once we got back to the main trail, Rocky was doing so much better that we decided it would be ok to try one more off-shoot trail, this one a gentle downhill with tracks from only one snowmobile.  Both horses did great on that footing, but we didn’t dare trot or canter because we knew Rocky was tired.

As we reached the point where the snowmobile trail turns left and we go straight, four snowmobiles came from in front of us.  In my opinion they went by too fast, but then I’m picky.  Both horses behaved well.  Right afterwards, another 4-5 sleds came zipping up from behind us.  Man I hate that high-pitched whine, it sets me on edge!!  Again though, both horses did well.

We were back at the gate in no time.  Rocky had an easier time getting around the gate, I think he may have even led.  This time Zephyr went on the trailer first, and Rocky got the more difficult 2nd berth.  I say more difficult because the escape door is in front of the first stall, so Gary… 6’5” Gary… had to lead him on and then duck under the divider into Zephyr’s stall, then turn around (crouched over) and climb out the door underneath the breast bar.  I had a good laugh over that, but when we got to Gary’s house I was nice.  I volunteered to do the reverse operation.  Rocky wasn’t as confident with me at his head, he really wanted to jump back into the trailer, but in just a couple seconds he was out.  He’s a good boy!

In summary… I really like this saddle!  I LOVE the Y-girthing system and the deep, secure seat.  I don’t want the suede seat, it’s a little too grippy and the leather they use on the outside edges of the seat (and the seat itself when it’s not suede) is grippy enough on its own.  I do think I want the 4” tall pommel instead of the 5” I tried, this one got in the way a little on the hills.  I think the 5” cantle will be fine.  I like the english stirrup leathers, but want twice as many holes so they’re more adjustable.  I need to find out whether the angle of the foam panels can be made more narrow.  This one is just too flat and I don’t think it’s laying its full width against him.  I also want the dressage billets on the Y-girthing; this western system is too imprecise.

I will try to take some detailed pictures of the saddle’s construction sometime this week, as I know there are others out there who, like me, were dying for more visuals.

12 comments:

  1. Wow, thanks for a great post, and pictures of this saddle. It was another treeless that I was looking at, but there really aren't a lot of pictures of it other than what's on the website.

    I had a Barefoot Cheyenne too. I noticed how nice your leg looks in this demo saddle compared to past pictures of you riding in the Barefoot, and I think it's probably because of the twist (or lack of one) on a wider horse. I know of some people who ride RMHs with a treeless saddle because they're fairly wide. You have a much better leg (knee, hip, ankle) position with this saddle, which is something I found was the same true for me when I saw pictures of me in the Sensation I'm currently demoing. My leg just looks so much better.

    I'd be interested in seeing more details on this saddle, even though I *think* I've pretty much decided on the Sensation western.

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  2. You're welcome! I forgot to say that this saddle doesn't have a flat seat, there's a lot of twist. I'm waiting until I get a chance for a nice long ride with trotting and cantering before I decide whether that's gonna be a crotch buster!! I did find the seat comfortable for walking, though, and Gary sat in it for a moment while we rested Rocky, and he thought it was uber-comfy too (though too small for him).

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  3. Good luck with the new saddle selection! It's SO hard to find the perfect one, isn't it?

    I rode in a BM Sport saddle for a couple of years, but it hurt my back on long trail rides...guess the combination of forward stirrups and no structure allowed me to slouch too much. I think my quest for the "right" saddle for me and my pony is done. We're in a used Sharon Saare western endurance and happy.

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  4. OK, I've looked on two different monitors now, Lei, and I just can't see any way that you can even SEE my leg! LOL The black-on-black and shooting into the light makes it totally impossible for me! :-)

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  5. I have a 24" monitor. I can see lots of things very well. ;)

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  6. Thanks for sharing those gorgeous pictures along with your well detailed account of riding in your new saddle. That looks like a ride you will be daydreaming about while you are at work!

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  7. Can the stirrup position be changed - I prefer mine further forward - have shorter legs than you!

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  8. Absolutely! The stirrups and front girth are on velcro straps that can be moved to wherever you want them, and the cantle can be adjusted forward/back by 2".

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  9. I'm a short legged rider and I just started my Demo with the EZ fit... I love it,It is so totally adjustable. NEM

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  10. Very beautiful picture, location is amazing.And your horse is very beautiful.

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  11. Treeless saddles offer riders an approach to horsemanship from a natural perspective. These saddles provide maximum comfort and enjoyment for riders and their horses.
    I love Bob Marshall treeless saddle. They fit a wide variety of horses.

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  12. I had the opportunity to try an EZ fit and loved it so much that I just ordered my own. It is the most comfortable saddle I've ever sat in, and my horse is the most relaxed he's ever been. Unlike many treeless it's not squishy -it is quite rigid. It is the best of both words for me -treeless comfort for the horse, treed feel in stability for me. I've been able to work on his canter and he's willing to canter now at the drop of a hat. No doubt all the bridging that was happening with all the treed saddles I'd tried was really hurting him. I owe him so many apologies. Also, like you said, even my trot is better because this saddle fits me (big butt AND long thigh).

    Let's hear it for Eli the saddle maker!

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