PHOTO GALLERY
Here are 4 very happy customers in North Carolina who had a 'Barefoot Reunion'. They are, from left to right: Ziggy and Amy in a Tahoe Classic; Wizard and Janet in a London; Mazoul and Debbie in a Cheyenne; and Sam and Lisa in a Tahoe.
I live in Montana and was a little hesitant to try something without a tree since we often do weekend trips into the backcountry up to elevations of 9000 feet or more. I had heard that treeless saddles slip and don't protect the horses spine. Well Spark's Cheyenne sure has never slipped in our time in the mountains or in the ring. I swear it's turned him into a new horse. He's extended his walk, is collecting very softly and is very balanced and gentle going up or down the steepest of trails. I LOVE THIS SADDLE.
I was inspired to write this today because we were out on a trail when Spark tripped in a root and went down on both front knees. He was able to right himself and the Cheyenne and I stayed right with him. I was so impressed with both his ability to recover and the saddle's security, I just had to write!
I have included a few photos of Spark and I for fun.
T. Blood
Happy Riding,
That someday finally came, and from the moment I pulled the Barefoot Arizona saddle out of the box, I was impressed! The quality, workmanship, and construction are wonderful. So far, so good. The "proof" was yet to come. What a welcome surprise when I climbed aboard and settled into the driver's seat. There was NO pain, none of that need to shift until I found a comfy spot, no pressure on my tailbone, and yet the seat was very secure. The saddle is close contact, extremely lightweight. affordable, and easy to clean. I highly suggest you order and use the cleaner and conditioner from the web site. It's easy to use, and it works!
After riding in the saddle for at least an hour a day if not longer, I'd recommend the Barefoot saddle to anyone! If you have pain issues, this saddle is for you!
S. Wagner, AZ
I'm so glad to have found a saddle that fit my Haflinger, Mighty Mitch. Mitch is hard to fit, as many Haflingers are, and in his case, he's narrow up front, but widens and flattens out. It's been suggested that he'd need two different trees just to fit his back properly. And of course, a custom saddle would require funds I just don't have. A treeless saddle seems like the perfect fit for Mitch, and he moves forward very willingly and energetically in all his gaits because his shoulders are free to move, and he can extend his stride better. With his old saddle, Mitch was shortening his stride, and walking stiffly, and he was not comfortable going downhill. And as a trail rider, it was important to me to find the best saddle that fit my horse without breaking the bank. Finding the Barefoot Cheyenne DryTex was the answer I'd been looking for. From the first ride, Mitch showed an improvement in his stride, and movement, and he feels like he can go all day without stopping!
Thanks to Brita, for all her wonderful help, in getting us set up, and asking all those questions of me to make sure we were good to go right from the moment the saddle arrived! It's been wonderful having a saddle that makes me and my pony happy. Treeless, barefoot and bitless... and ready to hit the trails!
Leiana Furlong
A friend suggested the Barefoot, which led me to Brita. I'm extremely grateful that Brita shared her experience and genuine interest in finding a saddle that works for both Cookie and me! She was enormously helpful in answering my questions and making it easy to try a demo saddle. In this photo we're getting ready to enjoy this beautiful trail at a canter, something Cookie never liked doing in her treed saddle. Thank you, Brita!
Theresa Mattor
Left: Heather from MI and her paint gelding, Romeo, in their Barefoot Arizona. Right: Julie Knight and her friend are very happy with their Barefoot London saddles and Skito Dryback pads!
See More Happy Customers . . . . . |
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As you can see, I ride some pretty rough country. My Barefoot works so well especially the sheepskin saddle pad is great for long hours in the saddle. I rode in a 35 mile limited endurance race this summer. No sore spots on my horse from the saddle! I went on a cattle drive a couple of weeks ago and used my western saddle. Boy did I miss my Barefoot by the end of the day!! It was the first time I have been sore since you sent me the saddle. I may have to add one of your western style saddles to my tack room. 
The Barefoot London saddle fits my Paso Fino comfortably and lets him to do his gaits with ease. We ride 10 mile trails 3-4 times a week, and this is my saddle of choice. We also have the Grandeur Pad with real sheepskin lining and it goes well with the saddle. I easily get on and off my horse with no slippage. Thank you Brtta for your help choosing the right saddle and accessories. 
My little 7 year old 15 hand Morgan, Spark, has such a short back and wide shoulders that we went through 6, yes SIX, saddles and 3 years of trial and error trying to find something that wouldn't pinch one end or another. His symptoms of poor saddle fit included; white spots on his shoulders, side passing downhill mountain trails, stiff short gaits, head and neck way to upright and lots of tail switching - none of which happened when I rode him without a saddle! I was at the end of my rope when a friend suggested I trying the Bareback line of saddles.
Please meet Princess Fiona, my 4 year old rescued Quarab. Here we are riding in our new Barefoot Tahoe Classic with matching Grandeur pad and Barefoot girth. I was looking for a saddle that would fit Fiona’s Arabian petite stature and short back along with her Quarter horse stocky, muscled shoulders and girth area. The Barefoot package completely molded to Fiona and myself. All of the Barefoot items are soft, cushioned and crafted with incredible leather and workmanship. I easily found my seatbones and felt so comfortable and secure in the Barefoot Tahoe Classic saddle while having my legs naturally fall into the proper riding position. The best part of our Barefoot experience was that Fiona no longer had any trouble with forward motion, like she was having in the saddle that I was training her to ride in. Fiona was immediately ‘freed up’ and was ‘moving out’ in her new Barefoot saddle. It was amazing. Fiona is a very happy horse. Brita, I can’t thank you enough for all of your support, knowledge and graciousness. I completely believe in these Barefoot products and it has been a pleasure.
Here is my horse, Dublinvally Surefire(MAX) and me in our official mounted police uniform. I had a real hard time finding a saddle to fit my big, 6 year old Belgian gelding. Often times, we spend hours in the saddle, so I was looking for something secure (which is really needed if one is in the middle of a riot) and comfortable for both me and my horse.
Zayna and me in our 1st 25 mile competitive trail ride in our new Atlanta. We took 1st place in novice class in our 2nd competitive ride. It was also a 25 miler but w/ very steep hills. I did not use a breastplate or crupper and no saddle slippage w/the grandeur pad. Zayna (click on thumbnail to enlarge) is small and shortbacked, she has been hard to fit but seems very comfortable in her Barefoot.We are ready to try a 50. Another cool thing is the same saddle can fit Fabio,the huge(obese) Tennessee Walker my husband rides w/just a girth change.
After years of suffering from arthritis and a broken tailbone, and having had several orthopedic surgeries, at 66 years old, I consider myself very fortunate to be riding, let alone being able to show. It had become increasingly difficult to hoist my very heavy show saddle onto my 15.3 hand horse, and I had tried several different "treeless" saddles along the way. I ran across the Barefoot saddle sat in it, and thought I "might" try it someday.
My new Drytex Cheyenne saddle seems to be the perfect fit for my 5 gaited saddlebred . . . Finally! It is extremely comfortable and doesn't seem to restrict her some-what-choppy gait at all, it is so light, too, so I can do all my groundwork with her in it too without it getting in the way. This is definitely the best saddle I have ever come across for both me and my horse, Sadie.
I've admired the Barefoot Saddles for a long time, but never took the plunge to get one until I got a round, wide barreled no-withered Haflinger who's saddle was no longer fitting him very well. So I decided to give it a try, and was very very pleased with the way the saddle fits my horse and how he has responded to it. While I feel treeless isn't for every horse out there, I think using a treeless saddle definitely shows an improvement for many horses and for many people, treeless saddles are a wonderfully economical way of buying a saddle for a hard-to-fit horse. I know I've already suggested treeless saddles (and Barefoot in particular) to other Haflinger owners, and I hope my experience can help other Haffie owners who are searching for a saddle for their golden ponies.
Here are Cookie and me on the trail on a brisk January day. Cookie is wearing her new London dressage saddle and Skito Dryback pad. Before the London, I had trouble finding a saddle to fit Cookie's round body, short back, and flat withers, and she had great trouble under saddle. After extensive vet tests and coming upon an informative website called Equine Equilibrium, I looked seriously at saddle fit as a possible cause for her problems. Because I rode her bareback for several months with no problems, a treeless saddle seemed like a reasonable next step. 
My husband, Philip, bought Dart and me an Atlanta for Christmas last year and we LOVE it. As you can see, Dart is a little guy and the other saddles we have just didn't fit quite right. We've ridden for a year now and have competed in 25, 35, and 50 mile endurance rides even winning best condition twice! I love the cushy comfort and close contact that is inherent in the saddle and I know Dart loves his unrestricted movement and no hard, rigid tree. And I find the materials and quality excellent. Thanks again Brita!
I wanted to tell you how much we love our new Barefoot Atlanta! Being only 5'3," I wanted something that would give me great leg contact and be comfortable for both me and my horse. It's a perfect match - no thick flap to get in the way! The saddle fits Cricket wonderfully. It is very flexible and and conforms to his uneven shoulders (he couldn't be ridden in a standard treed saddle) and fits his short back. The Grandeur pad compliments the saddle well and doesn't slip at all. Thanks for all of your help - you went above and beyond!
