Flexible saddle trees are becoming increasingly popular, reflecting the growing awareness and concern of today's riders for their horses'well being. Beware, however, flexibility is not the same as proper fit.
The fork and cantle should be rigid, which limits the flexibility to
the bars. Otherwise there is a risk of pinching the wither,
creating even more pressure than an ill fitting tree. The tree
should not rest on the spine at any point.
Equi-Fit Flexible bars are molded to shape, not cut from a flat
sheet. This flexibility enhances an already proper fit; it doesn't
attempt to create it. Crudely fashioned bars, dependent on
flexibility for the final shaping of the fit, have pressure points built
in.
Equi-Fit Flexible bars work like the arch support of a shoe; they
provide the correct fit while the flexibility allows unrestricted
movement and bends away from pressure. If you are choosing a
flexible tree, make sure the flexibility improves a quality fit and does
not merely make a crude fit tolerable.
