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  Discussion on Baretek saddle
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Member:
lilly

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - 7:59 pm:

I really enjoy riding bareback and I would like to purchase a bareback pad. I am very interested in the Baretek saddle sold at www.equestriancollections.com . Does anyone have experience with this saddle "alternative" ? I ride in a dressage saddle when not bareback. I would love to get a review of this product before I buy it because it costs $270.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - 8:19 pm:

Ann I don't have any experience with the one you mention. I do have a soft ride saddle and the few times I have been able to use it I like it real well. Unfortunately due to my knee injury I have a feeling I won't be using it much more, The few times I used it I loved it.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=4391b8f0-0436-4f01-816e-ee30e6b78 15d
Member:
jivete

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 8:55 am:

I have one and I love it. It's been my primary saddle for the last 5 months. I've orderd the Sensation g4 dressage saddle, but I've still got a couple of weeks before it should arrive.

The knee rolls are a wonderful addition. They really help you keep your leg long. I do ride mine with a grandeur pad made for a barefoot dressage saddle and a thinline pad, although I don't think that's all necessary. I use the pads because I have them and this is the only saddle I'm using. I would recommend an underpad of some sort, preferably seamless and wool, but I don't think it's essential but it'd help keep the baretek clean.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 10:11 am:

Carla,

Does this saddle slip from side to side at all? Do you think it would fit a wider backed horse?

I have treeless western, and absolutely love it! My daughter wants an English saddle, but this is for an older Arab mare, sway backed, wide, and has some pain issues unless I carefully built up padding under her. I wonder if this one would work? I hate to order a Wintec which is what she wants; I figure that would just be a whole new set of problems to work on for fit wise.
Member:
lilly

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 10:16 am:

Thanks for the info. I have also looked at the softride saddle and wondered if I would like it. I had been riding bareback with nothing between me and my horse but then I borrowed my friends bareback pad. I really liked it. It was just a simple pad, I think the brand is Best Friend. My horse is very round - half draft. She is comfortable to ride without a saddle and I do it to improve my seat. Plus it feels good when she warms up my but in the winter

Here is a link to some pictures of Isabella:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAlOFT8jkpA
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 10:16 am:

Carla,

One more question, how are the billet straps attached to the saddle? Is there a strap across the underside of the saddle, or is it attached to the pommel and cantle?

I ask because I have a Wintec Aussie, and the straps are held on by 2 screws which are screwed into PLASTIC...now how safe does that sound?! I had another strap added across the back to make sure it wouldn't pull out.

Thanks, appreciate your feedback.

Ann,

If you decide to buy one, let us know how you like it. I am interested too, never heard of it before now.
Member:
lilly

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 10:29 am:

It's good to hear from you Angie! How's life in the UP?
I probably will buy the Baretek English. Are you interested in the English or Western?

I am going to wait until Isabella is sound again before I make my purchase. She was trimmed too short two weeks ago. The poor thing had so much hoof wall removed that her soles are directly on the ground at the toe region. And now that it is summertime in Louisiana, our ground is extremely hard. Her feet grow really, really, slow. I have no idea how long it will take to grow out enough hoof wall to put on a shoe. We are currently trying sole pak on her hooves. It was only put on Monday. I am going to visit her today and see if it is still in place.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 4:39 pm:

Ann,

Hi, life is good in the U.P.!

Sorry to hear about Isabella, poor thing. I used to have a farrier who seemed to have problems trimming to short. Nothing worse than waiting for a hoof to grow out. Of course if you leave home for a couple of weeks, you swear that the hoofs grew 1" or more!

I was thinking the English as that is what my daughter wants to ride in. I don't want to buy one specialized saddle for one horse, and I don't need another saddle. I have 2 western with trees, the western treeless, and the "aussie" one.
And I don't know anything about English saddles plus my daughter is into ridng some weeks, not at all other weeks. The Baretek looks like something I would be comfortable in too. Hope Carla gives us some feed back on it.
Member:
lilly

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 4:51 pm:

I just got back from visiting Isabella. Her sole pak is sticking well to the bottoms of her feet but it hasn't changed her situation. She is still walking very tenderly over any surface that isn't covered in grass. Her feet are so sore that she actually stumbled a little when walking on concrete. I think it will be at least 6 weeks before I can try to put a shoe on her and lift those soles off the ground.
Member:
36541

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 8:51 pm:

Does anyone know if the Bareteks are USDF/USEA legal? I am interested, and like the price compared to leather, but not worth it if you can't show in it... Stacy
Member:
lilly

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 10:56 pm:

I don't think the saddle/bareback pad would be legal because it does not have stirrups. The following rule is in the USEF rules:
"English-style stirrups, without attachments, or safety stirrups are compulsory."

Stacy, have you ever tried an Ansur treeless saddle? I borrowed a friend's once and really liked it. They are similar in style to the Baretek but are very expensive.
Member:
jivete

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 8:41 am:

The Baretek doesn't slip much on my very round Spanish Norman, in fact not really at all. The billets are attached to the side of the pad. I think there's some confusion about it, but it really is just a bareback pad. It just has some knee rolls (or rather knee blocks) and a little bit of a cantle built in and as far as bareback pads go, it's pretty attractive.
Member:
cgby1

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 1:06 pm:

Hi Ann,
I have never owned a treeless saddle so I can't help you there. May I suggest that you get Isabella some hoof boots. Easy Care Inc. has several lines so you should be able to find some that fit her perfectly. And you could continue to use them when you ride her. They last a long time and you can save on the cost of metal shoes. They also sell pads that go into the boots, which I recommend.

Cynthia
Member:
lilly

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 2:07 pm:

Thanks for the suggestion Cynthia. Isabella has a pair of Delta hoofboots. The reason why I haven't put them on her is because of a thrush situation. She has a deep crack going up the back of her hoof that is thrushy and I have been fighting it for many months (I lost track of how long). I am afraid that if she wears her boots that her heels will get irritated.

Isabella is a great horse except for her feet! She has very flat soles and thrush that refuses to go away. The thrush problem popped up after I tried using therapeutic rocker shoes. The shoes worked great but her heel fell apart. During an extremely dry period her feet start looking pretty good but then one rain storm and we are back to square one. The skin on her bulbs turns white and feels like rubber and peels off. I board her at a barn that is 20 miles away which makes things more complicated. I am going to contact my vet (who owns the barn I board at) and make arrangements to get a current set of x-rays. I want to make sure there isn't something sinister going on inside the hoof that I can't see. I would also like to see what kind of sole depth we are dealing with.
Member:
cgby1

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 3:13 pm:

Ann, There is a soaking boot by Davis with a pad inside that you pour medication on. It might be just the thing for both problems at least until the thrush is cured. It will provide some cushioning as well. The boot is made to be left on for long periods.

Cynthia
Member:
gailkin

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 3:48 pm:

Ann, if Isabella has a thrush problem you won't get very far with topicals. You need to use a soak that will penetrate the really deep spots. I finally fixed my horses' hooves after years of fighting the mild thrush to no avail. Many barefoot trimmers are using the treatment. The easiest to use is oxineAH which you dilute to 500 ppm and then activate with citric acid. After thoroughly cleaning and scrubbing the hoof, you put on a Davis boot and soak in the solution for 10-20 minutes. You can use it several times a week, but I found it rather drying to the outside, so only use it once a week now that my horses' frogs have filled in and are thrush free. It also got rid of the wall separation that happens from fungus and grows faster up into the hoof wall than you can trim off the separated hoof. Amazon carries it and Revival Animal Health. It is light sensitive and can be diluted without activation and kept awhile, but after activation it loses its effectiveness after a few hours. Good luck on curing the fungus because she will not be totally sound until you can do so. Lots of barefoot horses have borderline ouchiness and discomfort that is almost always underlying thrush problems. The frog may even look healthy, but still have problems deep down. I have given several of my friends some concentrate to dilute and use and the results are truly awesome. One of my friends just got the quarter crack that her gelding had had for five years to grow out completely healthy after soaking with oxine. If you need more details or info you can contact me or you can join the barefoothorsecare.yahoogroups.com group where they have info and articles on their site to get more information. Good Luck
Gail
Member:
lilly

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 6:33 pm:

I think you are absolutely right Gail. Isabella's thrush is only in her right front foot. It rotates around the frog and heel area. I get the heel to start looking good and then the frog goes to hell. The next thing I know, the frog is looking great and the crack in the heel is getting deeper. My tack locker has just about every topical made. I am getting new x-rays tomorrow morning to rule out road founder and then I will start my war against the thrush again.
Member:
winger

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 10:34 pm:

I have a barefoot treeless saddle and it works awesome on my round withered mare..I love the saddle..my friend is an equine therapist and she really likes it..I took a lessen and the trainer was impressed also.
Member:
lilly

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 11:00 pm:

Ooooooh! The barefoot saddles look so cool! I would love to try one someday. Isabella does very well in treeless saddles - at least the Ansur. Her dressage saddle is an XX-Wide, size 38 tree. Thank god for Duett saddles! The only reason why I bought a saddle with a tree is price. The Duett saddle was only $1500 brand new, and that's their highest priced model. I love it.
Member:
36541

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 11:27 pm:

Bummer about the saddle not having stirrups. Maybe some could be attached with a little horseman's ingenuity? I have not ridden in a treeless at all, but whenever I need to fix something about my positioning, I always ride bareback grinning for a few sessions. I was hoping to take that same happy smile into the show ring!
Member:
cpacer

Posted on Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 8:54 am:

I have a Freeform Treeless for sale if anyone's interested.

It's the English version in black (pictured underneath the dressage model at following URL)

https://treelesssaddle.com/freeform-treeless-saddle.htm

asking $900 for the saddle and HAF pad, which is only about half of what I paid!
Member:
lilly

Posted on Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 2:57 pm:

Cynthia,
You were right about the boots. I had Isabella's x-rays done this morning and there is barely any sole under the tip of her P3 - no rotation though. I have no idea what happened to her sole depth. It is so bad, it looks like the darn thing could poke right through the bottom of her foot. The barn workers are going to leave her barefoot when she is inside and put her boots on her when she goes out. The vet told me that she either wears boots or stays in her stall. He also said to get shoes on her as soon as she has enough hoof wall to hold them on.
Member:
cgby1

Posted on Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 3:26 pm:

Ann,
Do you have pads for your Delta hoofboots? Easy Care has reasonably priced pads to put inside the boots. You cut them to fit inside and they will give her the comfort she needs to help her get the exercise that will get the blood flow to her feet.

Cynthia
Member:
lilly

Posted on Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 5:30 pm:

I don't have pads at the moment. I was wondering if I could make her some pads out of rubber mats. My kids have the red, blue, and yellow mats that fit together like puzzle pieces. I also have an idea of filling in the bottom of the shoes with equipak. I am going to run that idea past the farrier on Monday. I should really start a new thread since I have gone off topic.
Member:
cgby1

Posted on Saturday, Jul 19, 2008 - 3:50 pm:

Ann,
If they are about 1/2 an inch or less they probably would work fine. Are the kids going to miss them? I don't know much about the equipak, it might be tricky to get the same thickness. Will it stick to the boot?

Cynthia
Member:
lilly

Posted on Sunday, Jul 20, 2008 - 1:55 pm:

Cynthia,
I think they are the right thickness. The kids wouldn't miss one square. Yesterday I pulled the sole pak off of Isabella's right foot. I am not sure but it looks like her soles were trimmed before the sole pak was put on. The sole surface has a pristine white appearance to it. That really ticks me off. I thought the farrier knew that she has no sole to spare. I don't know if the equipak will stick, just an idea.
Member:
cgby1

Posted on Sunday, Jul 20, 2008 - 4:35 pm:

Ann,
Go ahead and try using the rubber you have and the sooner the better. I'm sure that they are much like the ones Easy Care Inc. sells and you don't have to wait for them. A lot cheaper than the equipak too, I bet. The sooner she is able to get some exercise and get blood flow to her feet, the faster she will grow her hooves.
Cynthia
Member:
lilly

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 - 10:37 pm:

Cynthia,
I have posted pictures of Isabella's old and new radiographs under the thread "Trying to achieve balance" in the hoof care section. Thanks for your advice. I appreciate it.

Ann
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 - 3:00 pm:

I have a problem with my horse developing white hairs around the pressure points (over the withers and on either side of the back) in a normal fuzzy bareback pad. I am looking at the Baretek as an alternative. Do you think that the way the girth attaches, that it would be superior in terms of pressure to a regular bareback pad?
Member:
hollyw

Posted on Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 - 3:40 pm:

Just checked out the Baretek, Laurie. Looks good to me. I wish it did have optional stirrups because long trail rides bareback make my feet fall asleep, but it definitely looks like the kind of tack that will spread the weight out on the horse better than a regular bareback pad. Doesn't look like there is anything that will pinch and will certainly help with training for balance and muscle memory for the rider.
I have to laugh at the Western style one . . . cute with the conchos and latigo . . . lol . . . geesh.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 - 7:42 pm:

Yeah, I really should get the Western one, but it is a little over the top for me in terms of style. I wish the English one had D rings on the back.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Thursday, Nov 5, 2009 - 11:30 pm:

Update - This is the bareback pad I ultimately purchased. Love it. You can get it in black which matches my Friesian.

https://www.aussiesaddle.com/bareback_pad.html
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