In my opinion, if you purchase a saddle, English or Western with a Flex Tree, odds are that you are setting yourself up for lots of frustration and odds are that you are going create lots of back pain for your horse.
When I ask customers what possessed them to purchase a saddle with a Flex Tree, the answer I get is "They said it moves with the horse, so I thought it would be better for the horse".
Yes, that does sound like a good deal.
However, when I point out to the customer that the saddle will also move and flex from the pressure of their body weight, they are at a loss for words.
Reality Check:
The horse has his own movement dynamics;
The rider has their own movement dynamics.
This partnership needs a neutral place where they can sync up their dynamics.
That place would be the saddle.
If we introduce a piece of equipment into this equation that has its own movement dynamics, all bets are off.
Which movement does the flex tree move to, the horse or the rider?
In my experience, I had found that at the end of the day, the horse's back takes the brunt of the pressure from the rider and the flex tree.
Get it Right
The functions of the saddle tree (or tree and panels if we are talking English) are to:
1. Give the rider a secure and balanced seat.
- 2. Protect the horse's back. The bones of the spinal column and all tissue surrounding the spinal column: muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves.
3. Evenly distribute the weight of the rider over as broad an area as possible. The goal is to keep the pressure on the horse's back from the weight of the rider and saddle to under 2 pounds per square inch.In the equine industry today, the focus is on what the rider wants and lip service is given to what the horse needs.
Our philosophy is that the top of the saddle belongs to the rider and the bottom of the saddle belongs to the horse.
Wiggle Room
Most people, who have horses, do not know how to evaluate the health of their horse's muscular system.
Most people cannot recognize back pain in horses. This includes owners, trainers, saddle fitters and saddle sellers.
This is one reason why the Flex Tree, and many of the other "gimmicks" are popular in both Western and English Saddlery.
Case Study #1
Last winter we consulted on a case that had the core team of health care professionals stumped (vet, chiropractor, equine bodyworker)
This was a very talented mare. The mare was in heavy training for upper level 3-Day Eventing. The mare was doing flat work as well as jump training. The mare was owned, trained and ridden by a very accomplished and talented rider.
In this case the back pain was recognized, but no matter what the therapy: massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, the mare continued to have the back pain and an attitude to go with it.
When Don palpated the back, the mare demonstrated pain at the withers, the mid thoracic and lumbar areas. The mare was not in a good mood.
When I examined the saddle, I was puzzled. It looked like a winner. It had a very wide gullet and beautiful wool flocked panels. Something was not adding up.
Taking another look at the saddle, it looked just a little crooked to me. Or "Wonky" as my English Saddlery instructor would say?Bingo. I checked with the owner and "Yes, this was the new flex tree jumping saddle, the tree moves with the spine of the horse".
This is your problem, case closed.
Case Study #2
We took on a new client with a gelding dressage horse that having trouble with his training. When Don palpated the back, the gelding demonstrated pain at the withers, the mid thoracic and lumbar areas. Additionally, this gelding had muscular issues in the gluteals and medial hind legs.
The owner had within the past 2 months purchased a new "flex tree dressage saddle".
We explained to the owner that the root cause of her horse's back pain could very well be that new flex tree saddle. As we did not have a baseline on the horse's muscular system, there was wiggle room for doubt.
This owner was very fit, a good rider and had basically no body fat. So we took on the case, with the caveat that if the horse did not improve from our work, then we needed to further examine the flex tree saddle.
We had a successful season. The horse's muscular system improved, his level of fitness improved and he moved up the ranks in training and showing. He still had back pain, but it was being managed to the owner's satisfaction.
To the owner, I imagine this success proves that the saddle is safe. To Don and I, it proves that the horse will try to conform to his equipment. The horses with good athletic ability and correct pain management get the job done.
Case Study #3
This case made me want to cry. This case is why I decided to post this article.
In cases 1 & 2, we have upper level, goal oriented riders with horses bred for performance. These riders have financial resources to find and provide their horses with the best pain management money can buy.
Case #3 is about a horse and an owner who just wants to do light casual riding and enjoy life with her horse.
The horse is a lovely, classically built Quarter Horse with a quiet and gentle temperament. His current owner had rescued him from a less than lovely previous lifestyle.
The complaint was that the horse did not want to move forward. Sometimes he would drag his front feet. Sometimes it looked like the trouble was coming from the hind end.
The horse had recently received a series of massage therapy sessions. The owner and therapist did see an improvement in the horse's movement and muscular system from the massage. However, they agreed that there were still problems that needed further investigation.
When Don palpated the back, the horse demonstrated pain at the withers, the mid thoracic and lumbar areas. Additionally, this horse had muscular issues in the gluteals.
"OK, tack up". The owner carefully brought out her equipment and tacked up the horse. She did a good job placing the saddle and at first glance it was a good looking picture.
Then I saw the Maker's Mark on the saddle. "Is this a flex tree?"
"Yes".
"That is your problem".
This lady was holding back the tears, which made me feel terrible and feel like crying myself.
Then the story comes out. Well I had the horse fitted at the local tack store and we special ordered this saddle and I had to wait 2 months for it and it cost me $1800. It is light and easy for me to lift.
I agreed that the local tack store had done a good job getting the right tree width for the horse.
I went on to explain that was only part of the picture. The design of the front of the saddle did not provide any room for the horse's shoulder to rotate back. Every time this horse extends his forelegs, his shoulders get pinched. Likewise, with the flexible tree, his lower back is getting pressure. This horse has no where to be comfortable. No wonder he moves slowly!
This horse should be named "Lucky".
He is lucky because his owner is sharp enough to recognize that there is a problem and took the steps to check it out.
She did not blame the horse, like so many people do.
In different hands, this horse would have been labeled "Lazy" and he would have been "sent to boot camp" and punished until he did perform to the owner's expectations.
So this case may work out OK. The crime here is that the owner paid good money for bad advice and a bad piece of equipment. The good news is, it seems that she wants to do what is right for her horse and is shopping for a new Non-flex tree saddle.