Bob Marshall
Treeless Endurance Saddle
Trail Saddles
Manufacturer: Bob Marshall
Model: Treeless Endurance Saddle
Category: Trail Saddles
Purchase: I bought this from a private party, used for $850 in 2007.
Likes: Well put it this way - once you go treeless, you may never go back :-) The Bob Marshall is very well made. The leather is soft and pliable with a very nice finish. Everything is well balanced, stitching is tight. I find it VERY easy to "stay with the horse" as you can feel what's happening almost before it happens. There is no hard tree elevating you 5" off the horse and muddling the communication. You can literally feel the horse's spine flex back and forth when they do lateral movement. I found that a lot of the "confusion" and misunderstandings went away when I switched to treeless. My mare was pinning her ears and stiff legging when going down hills, regardless of what saddle I used or how well they apparently fit. Switching to the Bob Marshall fixed all of that. Buy with confidence because the retail on these is excellent. People are willing to pay $800-900 for one that's 5 years old, and new they're around $1,200 and you just can't beat that!
Dislikes: Unless you're skinny and very athletic, it might be difficult to mount from the ground. I can't mount from the ground no matter what - tree or not - so it doesn't bother me. But if you absolutely have to mount from the ground, there are ways to attach a mounting strap that will help. Just a simple biothane strap that attaches to the off-cinch ring, goes over the neck, between the front legs, and attaches to the fore-cinch ring. Reach down and unclip the strap, hook it on your saddle and you're ready to go.
Quality: Construction and quality is excellent. I don't have a single complaint about anything and I've been riding in the Bob Marshall for almost 3 years.
Summary: BUY IT! YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!! And if you aren't, stick it on Ebay and it'll be gone in a day!
Rating: 5
Author: EnduranceMom
Date: 2010-01-11
Usefulness Rating: 3.02222 out of 5.
45 reader(s) voted.
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