Flexible Saddle Tree

[rickybobby]

Have any of you heard of or used a "Fitsright" saddle tree. It has wood swell and wood cantle but rubber bars.

Long story, short. I have one and am not to sure about building on it.

Any suggestions or expieriences welcomed. (Good or bad)

Thanks,

Rick J.

[Blake]

Hi Rick

The rubber bars are very hard on a horses back from one perspective. From a builders perspective you will get a ground seat nightmare. If you use a metal strainer you have to be aware of the bar rock because the way you set the strainer will determine the rock and balance of the tree. If you get this done then be prepared at some point to do it again as a repair. The flex of the bars has a tendency to undo everything. If you use a leather ground seat then the straightness of the bars become an issue as the saddle ages and that too will eventually need repair. They are also on the narrow side and don't fit many horses.

Blake

[greg gomersall]

Ebay

You cannot put an all leather ground seat in this type of tree properly cause when you spike your bottom piece ahead to create some tension you will increase the rock of the tree and when you spike the seat area sideways to create tension you will actually pull the bars together. Greg

Edited September 12, 2008 by greg gomersall

[rickybobby]

Thanks for the information on doing the ground seat. I think I will stick to the tried and true saddle tree. I have had this one for some time and have not done anything with it. Maybe I will just use it for a book end, LOL!!

Is there any way to put a ground seat in it and be sure it will not fail??

Again, Thanks for the comments, you folks really have helped me on this and so many other projects!

[Blake]

Thanks for the information on doing the ground seat. I think I will stick to the tried and true saddle tree. I have had this one for some time and have not done anything with it. Maybe I will just use it for a book end, LOL!!

Is there any way to put a ground seat in it and be sure it will not fail??

Not Really. Some people have tried a flexible strainer thinking that it would move with the bars but it still comes loose. Maybe some duct tape?

Actually it is just a poor thought out design.

I was told by the manufacturer that the tree maker and designer from Ortho-Flex was the brains behind it but I don't know that to be fact.

In an independent test We did pressure mapping on this tree and it was off the scale regardless of what we tried to make it work.

Blake

[rickybobby]

Thanks for the information on doing the ground seat. I think I will stick to the tried and true saddle tree. I have had this one for some time and have not done anything with it. Maybe I will just use it for a book end, LOL!!

Is there any way to put a ground seat in it and be sure it will not fail??

Not Really. Some people have tried a flexible strainer thinking that it would move with the bars but it still comes loose. Maybe some duct tape?

Actually it is just a poor thought out design.

I was told by the manufacturer that the tree maker and designer from Ortho-Flex was the brains behind it but I don't know that to be fact.

In an independent test We did pressure mapping on this tree and it was off the scale regardless of what we tried to make it work.

Blake

Thanks for the information Blake,

I think I will just hang it on the wall as a conversation piece! and to remind me not to get talked into anything new and improved again !!

The man I spoke to was not Les Brown from Ortho Flex, but I did not ask if he was involved with the company a couple years ago when I ordered it. I do not remember the mans name.

When you did the pressure mapping did you have one of the "blankets" that display on a computer screen?

And what opinion do you have about the measuring device from Austrailia? It seems to be working for some saddle makers and tree makers here in the U.S.

[Blake]

Thanks for the information Blake,

I think I will just hang it on the wall as a conversation piece! and to remind me not to get talked into anything new and improved again !!

The man I spoke to was not Les Brown from Ortho Flex, but I did not ask if he was involved with the company a couple years ago when I ordered it. I do not remember the mans name.

When you did the pressure mapping did you have one of the "blankets" that display on a computer screen?

And what opinion do you have about the measuring device from Austrailia? It seems to be working for some saddle makers and tree makers here in the U.S.

It wasn't Len Brown, it was one of his people that did this .Evidently without Len's Knowledge. The company that makes the tree that you have is out of Gadsden Alabama.

The card system out of Aust. is still in its infancy but in my opinion will only get better. It deals with actual measurements and profiles and as the data base expands it will eventually and finally give some sanity to the fit issue. I have done my own measurements in a similar way for years but Dennis has taken this to a level that I hope becomes an industry standard. I know that a lot of the better tree makers will work with a saddle maker using this system but I'm not too sure about the production tree makers to date. Someone mentioned that Bowden showed an interest at the Sheridan show.Its not a quick fix gimmick but a tool to be used by someone with a little savvy. This quote comes to mind " When designing something fool proof, Never underestimate the ingenuity of a complete fool" (end of quote)

On the pressure mapping, we do use a computer system but we use it more for evaluation and research to improve upon design and construction of saddles in general. We found out early on that the competent Saddle Makers and Tree Makers already have a good grasp on what works. Especially the ones that have spent serious time in the saddle.

Blake

[daviD A Morris]

How close is the "fitsright" to the tree used in the "Steve Tucker" saddles. I've seen one of those trees and I've seen a finished "Steve Tucker" saddle but no idea how they put the ground seat in. My personal experience of "flexible" trees has been all bad, however the "Steve Tucker" saddles do satisfy a lot of customers. I'll bet he'd sell more of those in one week than I'd sell in 10 years. What am I missing? It seems the more I learn the less I know!

dam

[Blake]

http://www.steelesaddletreellc.com/V.html

Hi David

Try or cut and paste the link for Steele Saddle tree. Equifit is the brand name. I don't know that Tucker uses these trees but they are the same principle as far as ground seat.

Its actually a pretty well designed system from an engineering perspective.

Blake

[rickybobby]

http://www.steelesaddletreellc.com/V.html

Hi David

Try or cut and paste the link for Steele Saddle tree. Equifit is the brand name. I don't know that Tucker uses these trees but they are the same principle as far as ground seat.

Its actually a pretty well designed system from an engineering perspective.

Blake

Blake,

Have you used these trees? It seems like a good concept, the website is informative and nicely done. Have you used the blue fitting system they developed? I did not see any price list for anything on the website.

Rick J.