These are the Ghost Saddles currently available for trial, all in Grande size. Please contact Ghost Saddles Ireland to trial any of the saddles listed below. The saddle security deposit is €1,000.
Please get in contact with us to book your Ghost trial saddle. Ghost Saddles are available on 30 days trial, with a security deposit of €1,000. It is recommended that you put at least 3 rides in on the saddle. The customer must also pay for postage via tracked service both ways and arrange the return postage, approximately between €40-€90. The saddle and pad must be returned in the same condition it was received and free from any additional dirt, scratches, hair etc., any damages must be paid for, you are of course welcome to use your own shimmed pad and you will need your own dressage girth. A photo of the saddle will be taken and emailed to you, before it leaves here. Once the saddle has been returned and received, your deposit will be refunded to you, less €150 trial fee (which will be credited to you, upon the purchase of a new saddle), postage, €30 administration fees and any damages present, there will also be a daily fee of €30 charged per day, if the saddle is not returned on time. Please put at least 3 rides in on the saddle. If you decide to keep the demo saddle, please make contact before the end of the trial. Bringing Ghost saddles to you: I can bring all three Ghost demo saddles to you. The charge is €50 and €1 per kilometer there and back, after the 15 kilometer free radius.
Ghost Saddle Fitting
Please note, this is a basic guide. If you are in any doubt on the fitting or suitability of your saddle, we advise you to seek the help of a qualified, experienced saddle-fitter. We also request that due to the design of the stirrup leather attachment, you MUST use a safety stirrup when using one of our saddles. Always use an appropriate saddle-pad or numnah under your saddle, even during fitting. This ensures the best adjustment for your horse and protects the underside of the saddle. Ideally all saddles should sit behind the slope of the withers and not exceed the 18th vertebrae.
Panels and Pad Foam Layers of crushed foam and specialist material in the Ghost panels ensure the form does not compress when hot or become rigid and unforgiving when cold. It absorbs shock and mirrors your horse, synchronising with his fluctuations, rather than offering an un-coordinated rebound. With the expert team at Ghost aiming for ongoing improvement, they test new materials regularly.
Panel Placement Adjust the panels for complete spinal clearance and velcro securely into this optimum position. Panels of different thicknesses are available for separate purchase. Narrow the gap (gullet) between the panels at the front, to raise the saddle and rebalance it for a downhill horse. Adjust similarly for a horse with prominent wide withers. Conversely, to lower the front of the saddle, widen the gap between the panels at the wither end. Take care with either adjustment to avoid dropping the base onto the spine or a pinching effect on the withers. After making an adjustment, glide the hand under both sides of the saddle to check that the evenness of panel contact and freedom of movement have not been undermined. Adjustments must be symmetrical. If small adjustments aren't enough, adding shims inside a correction numnah is preferable. Wool felt is an excellent material; simply cut to a wedge shape.
Seat: Ensure the seat is in place with the front Velcro strap centred between the stitch lines on bottom of saddle-base. To exchange the seat, follow this link to the instruction video on the website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz7zNAsyRuo
Girthing: It is easy to adjust the sliding V to fix the girth-straps in the correct position, towards the horse’s natural girth groove. Simply draw the V into alignment with the girth groove, let the girth straps hang perpendicular to the ground and attach the girth. Once fastened, gravity and pressure work together and the saddle will stay in position. Do not over tighten the girth; the horse needs room to expand his heart and lungs during exercise, particularly in the faster paces. To put this in perspective, his lungs can expand to accommodate 15 litres of air. Your lung capacity is 6 litres. And while your heart is the size of a fist, your horse’s heart at rest is about the size (and weight) of a large, full handbag. Both organs need mobile ribs to function effectively. To leave this area unrestricted, we highly recommend the Ghost Westip elastic girth or the Banana/Moon girth, particularly for horses with a more forward girth groove. It allows the girth to sit in the groove whilst the saddle sits slightly behind, in its optimum position. This curved girth helps prevent a forward drag on the saddle.
Saddle-Pads/Numnahs Be prepared to try different saddle-pads/numnahs with your Ghost saddle to find the best for your horse. He may need a saddle-pad/numnah that accommodates additional shims, or a different type of backing/ thickness. Be patient and discover what works best for you and your horse.
Shimming: Occasionally it may be necessary to improve the fit of the saddle by adding shims to the saddle-pad/numnah. This is most common in horses with uneven muscle development or horses whose natural conformation makes fitting saddles difficult. Shimming the saddle-pads and/or numnah will help prevent sores from uneven pressure on these types of horse. Experiment with the thickness and positioning of the shims to discover the optimum fit. Seek assistance to either a) check the saddle stays centred whilst riding the three paces or b) film for verification after. The best environment for this is an arena. If in any doubt, seek the advice of a professional saddle-fitter. Your new saddle will settle after a few rides, as it adapts to your seat and the horse’s shape. Thereafter, the saddle will easily adapt to different horse and rider combinations.
Safety The use of Dressage, T-Bar or Comfort leathers eliminates the bulk and discomfort of buckles under the thigh. Alternatively, position the buckles of traditional stirrup leathers at the bottom, by the iron. You must use a good safety iron on any of our saddles. Always mount from a mounting block to avoid putting uneven or extra pressure on the horse’s back. Always introduce a new saddle quietly and slowly, in a safe environment. Allow the horse to acclimatise to the new sensation on their back. Ground-school the horse before mounting and/or hacking. If in doubt, seek the advice of a professional saddle-fitter.
Ghost Saddle Info
The Ghost Treeless Saddle has a design and adjustability to allow it to be fitted properly to almost any conformation. No saddle will fit every horse and rider and some horses may be better suited to a different style of saddle. It can often be used for several horses, although minor adjustments are usually required to get a custom fit for each individual horse. The underside panels are cushioned for support and stability, to maintain true spinal clearance, typical to the treed English Saddle. The panels connect only with the horses back on the long back muscles and allow freedom of movement, especially in the shoulder and loins. Stirrups and girthing attach to the sides of the saddle and do NOT lay across the horses spine. The flexible carbon pommel keeps its shape over your horses whither. You can use a Ghost pad or a regular style pad, as long as it has foam inserts. All Ghost Saddles have long billets and require any standard English dressage girth, Western rigging is also optional. You can use your own stirrup leathers or Ghosts biothane stirrups lay flat and have low profile buckles. The Ghost rigging is designed to take a standard 1" English stirrup leather and slide on fenders are available. A Western fender is also available on short-flapped saddles and will hold a Western stirrup. Ghost Saddles have two girthing configurations and two stirrup leather positions. Ghost Saddles are the perfect choice for pleasure rides, schooling, training and long distance. Some of the endurance riders are using Ghost Saddles for 110km plus, we recommend a suitable endurance pad and regular saddle checks, especially at distances over 40km. We recommend a rider limit of 80kg, however good rider balance and extra padding may help compensate for a few extra kilos.
Construction
The Ghost Saddles are treeless, with no rigid parts. The base, which is the core of your Ghost Saddle is made from layers of strong, flexible material. Micropel (synthetic leather), Montecchio (fabric from Nylon and Polyurethane), Carbon (reinforcements around the stirrup and rigging), Biothane Granite (belting), Steel (1-2mm standard inside the arch, thicker steel for high withered or narrow horses) and Stainless steel for rings and studs. The base provides excellent stability on your horses back, together with a twist for the rider. The overall structure of the saddle is self adjusting to each horse and suits many different types of horse. Ghost Saddle has been completely redesigned by a team of leading Treeless Saddle experts. It is a versatile saddle that fits and adapts to an extraordinary variety of horses. The Ghost Saddle is balanced and secure, even on the most difficult to fit horses. Its Sympanova panels not only create airflow and breathability, they also provide excellent spinal clearance and weight distribution. These panels have special foam inserts and are adapted to take additional shims. The Sympanova panels are movable, to create the best fit for each horse. The Ghost Saddle has a flexible carbon pommel that fits even the widest horses. Its distinctive V girthing system is adaptable, affording maximum comfort and stability. The overall structure of the saddle is self-adjusting, making it suitable for many different shapes/sizes/breed of horse. Perfect if you have more than one horse to ride. The Ghost seat is ergonomic, comfortable and feels much narrower than many hip-wrenching treeless saddles on the market. There are two stirrup attachments,one for a more forward GP position, the other for a longer-leg, classical position. The addition of thigh-blocks increases the rider’s security.
Ghost Saddle Care
The life of a leather saddle depends on the care and maintenance it receives. The regularity of cleaning depends on the type and frequency of its use. Regular competitions and events, along with exposure to dirt, mud, sweat, extremes of temperature and rainfall, test the saddle more than the odd weekend pleasure ride. Please take care to use the correct cleaning equipment and materials relevant to your saddle and saddle pad material type. For suede and nubuck; to help prevent soiling and staining, apply a water-repellent spray (suede guard/nubuck guard) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Always use a small inconspicuous patch as a test first for any cleaning products.