Hi: I tried one out & found it to be quite bulky under the leg, pulled down on my Iceys whithers & put you in a very big chair seat. I also didn't like the thought of non-breathable foam right on my horse, so I would definitely put it over a saddle pad. I know several people who cut a spine channel on the bottom to have less pressure directly on the spine & made the rigging multi-point. They say it can be a nice in a pinch saddle once you do these modifications. Without, their horses hated it. The best web-site for this conversion is one by Galadriel Billington (just Google her name & it comes up).
The best bareback saddle I found was the Little Joe, which I put over a Skito Sensation pad. It has a contour over the whithers & is quite nicely made out of high quality suede. The english billets are placed well & I can't feel the stirrup rings at all. I have a second one on order as we speak as an alternate to my Sensations. I wore my first one out after about 5 years of steady use in rain & heat. One of my guys has an "A" frame back & does better when we alternate the Sensation Hybrid with the Little Joe. Kaaren Jordan http://kaarenjordan.com
