Saddle Options     

Topics on This Page - This Is A Must Read Page!

è Tree Width & System Style & Cost of Upgrades

è Sizing for your horse

è Systems Designed for Horses with Average Back Lengths

è Systems Designed for Short Backed Horses

è How the Flex System Works

è How Panels Should Fit Your Horse

è Factory Recommendations Per Breed

Sizing for your horse...

 Traditional saddles place a non-conforming rigid saddle tree directly on the horse's back, which does not allow the horse to move under the saddle.  Even traditional saddles which have been custom fitted to your horse perfectly, still will not move with your horse while riding and the custom fit will no longer be custom as your horse gains or loses weight or ages.  A non-fitting traditional saddle is basically a splint that limits your horses movement.  Your horse will quickly learn that it cannot extend fully or turn as freely under a traditional saddle.  This situation, over time, will only cause pressure points, saddle soreing and a non-cooperative horse.  Orthoflex Saddles eliminate this problem,  adapting to your horse's shape automatically, though the use of specially designed flexible panels.  The Orthoflex Flex Panels bend and flex in all directions with your horses movements.  The panels also have a much larger surface area than traditional saddle bars, which spreads the weight of the rider over a larger area and reduces the pounds per square inch transferred to the horse's back.  Because the panels adapt to the specific shape of each horse, tracings  of your horse's back are not necessary to ensure your Custom Ortho-Flex Saddle will fit great on your horse.  Our standard tree with System 2 regular flex panels will fit most standard size horses.  The exceptions to our standard tree and regular flex panels are breeds of horse which have extremely short backs, extremely high withers or very wide bodies.  If your horse falls into one of these categories,  we would recommend a wide tree (1-1/2" wider) for wider horses, System 3 improved flex panels for higher withered horsed  and/or a System 6 flex panel system with short tree for shorter backed horses.  If your horse has a wide and short back you will need the wide and short tree with the System 6 flex panel system.  The System 6 is 4 inches shorter than our System 2 or 3 and was designed specifically for shorter backed breeds.  No matter which model you choose, Ortho-Flex saddles will fit your horse better than any traditional saddle, due to the flexible panels.  BI-directional systems flex right-left and front back.  TRI-directional systems flex right-left, front-back, and angular (X, Y, & Z axis)

Patented Ortho-Flex Panel Systems: 

All systems are an engineered man made material. The shapes are computer aided designs and the different style components are designed to interact differently to accomplish the desired combination of support and flexibility on a variety of back shapes.

System 2 Standard Flex- Multiple layered skirt panels with interacting levels of material. Good for most applications and a normal length back horse except those with severe drop behind the withers. Flexes BI-directionally.

System 3 Improved Flex- Multiple layered panels with interacting levels of material. Good for most applications and a normal length backed horse, except those with severe drop behind the withers. The first and second layer of the system include specially designed "fingers", rather than solid shapes, which allow it to flex tri-directionally to accommodate the shoulder/wither area.

System 8X Extreme Flex- Single layer system panel for closer contact. The system includes specially computer aided designed "fingers", rather than solid shapes, which allow it to flex tri-directionally to accommodate the shoulder/wither area. Use with regular back length, those with severe drop behind the withers, and sway backed.

System 6 Ultra Flex "Short"- Multiple layer material with interacting levels of material. Good for most applications and a short back horse, those with exceptional gait/shoulder movement, and all but severe drop behind the withers. The system includes specially computer aided designed "fingers" on the front and rear end, rather than solid shapes, which allow it to flex tri-directionally to accommodate the shoulder/wither area.

System 8XS Extreme Flex "Short"- A single layer system for closer contact. The system includes specially computer aided design "fingers", rather than solid shapes, which allow it to flex tri-directionally to accommodate the shoulder/wither area better. Use with short back horses and those with severe drops behind the withers.

$200

  System VI

System 8XShort