Ralide tree question

[Ithacabrand]

Okay guys I'm new here. I'm getting ready to start my first saddle. It's going to be on a ralide tree. Atleast that is my plan. The tree came in today and I tried it on two very different animals. A fairly round backed mule and an old Arab cross mare. What concerns me is that the ground seat contacts the spine on both. The mule isn't near as bad as the mare. Anyway the question I have for those that have used ralide trees, have you ran into this? And if so, what can I do about it. I realize that when the skirts are on it will sit alittle higher. But I would think there is something here I'm missing. If all the ralide trees in production saddles put pressure where it looks like this one will, I can't think you could use any of them. Other than getting a wood tree, what are your thoughts on this? Thanks

[Thor]

My only thought on this is: It doesn't fit the horse now and will not fit in the future. Return it if possible and have a wooden tree one custom made.

[Denise]

Whether it hits the spine or not with the groundseat will depend on the shape of the equine and the "fit" of the tree - wider trees being more likely to hit if the animal is narrower.  Contacting the top of the spine anywhere down it can cause major, major problems for your horse that may even in the long run result in their death in the worst case scenario.  If you plan to use this saddle on those equines, don't use this tree.  Get something that fits well.  If you really want to use a ralide tree, try a narrower tree to see if it still hits.  But honestly, there are lots of trees out there with far more surface area on their bars, that this is important in spreading out weight and decreasing pressure under the saddle.