Part-tree Saddle

The new concept saddle, the Fhoenix, is a revolutionary design unlike any other saddle on the market. The manufacturing process is unique in saddle-making, the Fhoenix being a part-treed saddle, however unlike with other half-treed where it is at the front, the Fhoenix part-tree is in the cantle end. This forms the rigid cantle and seat support for the rider, also ensuring that the gullet does not collapse.

Fhoenix GP

The whole seat and flexible front arch are made from 45mm thickness of the Seatbone Saver memory foam, into which the rider sinks, giving great depth of seat and exceptional comfort. Unlike most treeless saddles on the market, the design features a 'twist' enabling the rider to drop the thigh deeply, and not feel straddled, especially on a wider horse. The 'twist' and core are built up from layers of materials, tested and chosen for their shock absorbing and pressure resisting properties. This enables the saddle to flex with every oscillation of the horse's back, giving great freedom of movement, with no restriction of the shoulders or hindrance of the lifting of the horse's back.

Fhoenix Dressage

With the prolite panel saddle, the replaceable panels are moulded to give a traditionally gulleted underside to the saddle, but designed in a way to permit additional padding to be inserted into the front arch to give clearance for very high withered or atrophied horses.

The Fhoenix offers unrivalled comfort to both horse and rider, combining the best 'Multifit' flexibility and characteristics of a treeless saddle, self adjusting to the fit of almost any horse, but with the rider support of a treed saddle.

The saddles should be always used with a so called ‘high wither’ cut saddle cloth or numnah, which will again fit well up into the front arch of the saddle, not pulling across and down and causing pressure on the wither as often happens with the usual cut of saddle cloths and numnahs – all should be cut high at the front – thereby eradicating this common problem. We strongly advocate use of the Professional’s Choice dressage girth and leather dressage leathers with the saddle, which will soon be available for purchase.

Riding in the saddle

The seat has been designed to allow the rider’s thighs to drop easily into a more vertical knee position, the saddle having a definite ‘waist’, which does not leave the rider feeling straddled as if bareback. The Fhoenix offers the same level of support as a conventional treed saddle, yet is the nearest thing to sitting on a cushion on a horse!!

Nearly all conventional saddles have the stirrup bars set too far to the front, resulting in the rider’s seat being pushed to the back of the saddle, and the thighs pulled forwards. This is why so many riders find it nigh on impossible to maintain the ear/shoulder/hip/heel line- the very tool that is supposed to be assisting the rider, i.e. the saddle, is actually preventing him or her from maintaining this ideal position of balance! This is especially so in rising trot.

The rider who is accustomed to sitting in a ‘chair’ seat as a result of riding in most GP saddles, will feel more stretched as little stretch is placed on the hip and thigh joints when sitting in this way- as soon as the leg is brought back into line, and the hip joints have to open and the thighs stretch, the saddle will feel wide!!

This is often attributed to the fact that the saddle is treeless, but in fact is mostly to do with the placement of the stirrup bars.

The stirrup bars are set back as in all of the Heather Moffett designed saddles, to enable an instant ‘ear/shoulder/hip/heel’ line to be easily achieved. The bars have been designed to permit the use of normal stirrups, allowing the leather to come away and prevent the rider being dragged in the event of a fall. They are attached to strong webbing, which is in turn, attached to wider bands of webbing strained front to back, to ensure that the weight is evenly distributed, and which also carries the girth straps.

The Fhoenix, when brand new, will look a little odd when first placed on the back of the horse. The panels and flaps may appear to point a little backwards. This is because when the rider’s weight causes the saddle to sink in the middle, this pushes the flaps forward. The saddle may appear not to touch all along the back, and may protrude at the rear, on either side of the back, but after riding in it a few times, it will very quickly mould and adjust to the shape of the horse.

The saddle may even look asymmetric when taken out of the box! This is because it is fully flexible, excepting the cantle, and will sometimes assume the shape of the box. This will quickly correct itself once used on the horse.

Under cold conditions, the viscose-elastic foam used in the seat will feel hard. It is advisable to warm the saddle before use, either keeping it in a warm place, or allowing it to sit for ten minutes or so on the horse’s back before riding, preferably with a rug over the saddle and horse’s back to retain heat it necessary.

Dressage stirrup leathers- i.e. those with adjustment at the stirrup end, MUST be used, as the stirrup bars cannot be recessed as with treed saddles. Or, alternatively, use normal stirrup leathers, with the buckle at the stirrup end, and put the loose end of the leather into one of the neoprene sleeve you can buy for the purpose from Robinson’s catalogue and many saddlers. Using the stirrup leathers in this way is commonplace on the Continent, even with treed saddles to avoid having buckles under the leg. If hiring a trial saddle, even use a couple of strong rubber bands to secure the end of your normal leathers, to prevent them flapping.

We strongly advocate the Professional’s Choice dressage girth-this girth is extremely well made, elasticated at both ends (one end means that the saddle is pulled unequally to one side) and has a wide neoprene strip against the horse, which is velcroed and can be removed for easy washing.

Ensure that the girth is done up equally on both sides, and make sure that even with a dressage girth, it is long enough! If the girth is too short, it will result in the horse’s elbows hitting the buckles as the shoulder swings back and forth. This is very painful, and can cause injuries to the elbow, and has even been severe enough for it to be known to bring a horse down. Therefore, the girth should be long enough to come about two inches below the bottom of the saddle flap, once the girth is sufficiently tightened.

The Fhoenix has a soft front arch, which expands and contracts automatically to accommodate all but very high withered horses (see later for additional fitting instructions to permit easy fitting to high withered or atrophied horses).

The Fhoenix has a gullet, which is more for lateral stability than spinal clearance. The saddle being soft with no hard tree in either the front arch or down the gullet area does not need spinal clearance, but the presence of a gullet does make the saddle remarkable laterally stable, even permitting mounting from the ground without difficulty. Although we strongly do not advise this on a normal basis, as it is damaging to the horse’s back, it may be unavoidable out hacking occasionally, if the rider, for instance, drops his or her whip!

Underside

Flap to permit additional shimming

The gullet has a velcroed flap along both sides , allowing a small amount of extra padding to be inserted into either side of the front arch, between the panel pad and the main body of the saddle, to give extra clearance to very high withered or atrophied horses, eliminating the need for a variety of extra pads under the saddle. We can supply Prolite or similar neoprene-based shims for this purpose.

Pressure points?

Questions often arise regarding whether there are pressure points caused by the rider’s seatbones, as there is no tree to support them, but the saddle is as thick as conventional saddles and made of layers of shock absorbing/pressure dissipating material. We have experienced no soreness in all of the test horses, ‘cold backed’ horses have shown no resistance at all to the Fhoenix, and those who have suffered sore backs through conventional saddles being incorrectly fitted, accept the Fhoenix willingly. The Fhoenix has come out very well in pressure testing and sweat patterns- results have proven to be extremely even, with very little dry area except under the gullet, where it would be expected if not contact with the horse.

If using a numnah rather than a saddle cloth, make sure that it is large enough to fit so that the numnah has around an inch at least showing all round the saddle, without any binding seams coming directly underneath the saddle. This could encourage the saddle, with a less than balanced rider. to slip and rub, especially across the back under the cantle region. The Fhoenix should be always used with a so-called ‘high wither’ cut saddle cloth, such as the excellent Mattes range, see left. All saddle cloths and numnahs should be designed in this way, conforming to the shape of the saddle arch, thereby not pulling across the wither, and creating a pressure point. The high cut also assists with lateral stability, being cut to fit up into the front arch, rather than straight across.

With wide flat backed horses, overweight ones such as the horse, left, and those with mature, correctly muscled backs, no padding is necessary. Use only a high wither saddle cloth.

For those with a small amount of atrophy, just needing an extra padding boost, our Backsaver pad, made from the same visco elastic foam as the Fhoenix seat, is ideal, used on top of the Mattes cloth between cloth and saddle.

Care of the Fhoenix Saddle

The saddle is by it’s nature and construction, very different, and the life expectancy will is unlikely to be as long as that of a treed saddle, which can be twenty years or more with proper care. The saddle has been manufactured using the finest quality materials, but these are softer than those used in treed saddles, in order to give the saddle flexibility, and the grip needed when no tree is present.

The saddle should be either oiled regularly with a product such as Hydrophane leather dressing, or can be waterproofed with Nikwax G wax leather dressing, which will also keep the leather supple. The saddle should also be regularly cleaned with saddle soap, such as a glycerine based product- the spray glycerine soaps are excellent- or a cream such as Stubben Hamanol.The saddle does not need reflocking, and maintenance is minimal

Stitching should be regularly checked, as with all saddles, and if repair is needed, should be attended to immediately- please contact your supplier.

Some riders have asked why both GP and dressage models have long girth straps, and not the conventional three short billets associated with GP saddles. This is because we found the saddles to be less laterally stable with the longer girth, and also with the soft flaps, the rider is likely to feel the buckles under the thigh, causing discomfort.