Last updated 01/10/2009
TREELESS ACCESSORIES
WHY DO I NEED A SPECIAL NUMNAH FOR TREELESS SADDLES?
This is a commonly asked question but it is an important one.
Treeless saddles do not function in the same way as conventional treed saddles. It has been long considered that if your saddle fits correctly and well enough that you do not need a numnah. This may be the case with a treed saddle (though new thinking in the fitting of treed saddles opposes this view) but when it comes to treeless saddles, it should be considered as an essential part of the kit. Treeless saddles do not have a tree, which is the whole point of their design but because of this, conventional numnah's bought from your local tack shop will not provide the necessary features needed to get a correct and comfortable fit for your horse.
Many horses, due to their natural shape or due to atrophy caused by ill fitting treed saddles, will need extra spine & wither clearance than is already provided by the treeless saddle. Many treeless numnah's, including those listed here, are designed with pockets which hold shims that form a gullet over the withers and spine. For horses that are flat backed and witherless, sufficient spine clearance is often provided by the design of the saddle.
More importantly however is how the numnah is stitched. Most conventional numnah's have a standard seam along the spine which creates bulk in this area which can then lead to high pressure points if used with a treeless saddle. The gullet space of a treeless saddle cannot be as constant or as roomy when there isn’t the rigidity of the tree to support it. Therefore, it is easy for the bulk of a conventional seam to fill that small space, negating the effects of the spinal space provided by the saddle. A flat seam is a must to reap the full benefits of spinal relief a treeless numnah can provide.
