# Hilason saddles?



## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

Anyone have any thoughts on these? They are a good price but I've only found one online review for them.


----------



## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Their quality isn't very good, poorly made and in all honesty, I don't think they are safe. Basically they are a knock off, from the better made treeless saddles.


----------



## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

Thanks, I wondered when I couldn't find reviews just how good they were.


----------



## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

They've actually improved a wee bit since the first ones they cranked out. I saw one of their early saddles, several years back and hated it instantly. Saw a new one earlier this year and thought... eh, not the worst piece of junk ever made. Certainly seen worse.

Some models are definitely better-designed than others. They have become pretty prolific... make a lot of different kinds of saddles now. I wouldn't expect them to be much better than a bareback pad and I wouldn't use a western styled one on a horse with much of a sway to his back. They tend to bear-trap closed on ya.

ETA: Sorry, should have clarified that I was talking about their treeless saddles.


----------



## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

I feel the same; SOME of their current offering are actually "ok"; the ones they made several years ago were mind-bogglingly poor/cheap.

They make ALOT of styles now, so go to eBay and just search "hilason" in Equestrian category; you will see at least 40 versions/models/makes and SOME of them are decently made.


----------



## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

One thing I notice is that most of their Western saddles have the front cinch dee right below the pommel. I really dislike that location for the rigging. I prefer the cinch dee to be back a touch. Also, many of them have the stirrups hung in an akward location


----------



## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

I actually keep a few of the bigger Hilason sellers on my "fav sellers list", so that I can continue to monitor the style offering and any design/material changes.

Hilason seems to be a company on a learning curve, and there may come a day when the lightbulb goes on and they start producing with better leather (in all version) and better trees (in the treed versions). It is during that transition time, when the quality IS good but no one trusts in it yet, that I would "invest" in a few makes/models at the very low price and then just keep them around. 

I have seen this happen with the Dover Saddlery product "Showmark Bridles & leather goods". 8-10 years ago, you could get a Showmark bridle for $59.00; no one had heard of them, and while Dover marketed them as super-duper extra-special yadda yadda yadda, they priced them so close to the junk that no one had faith in the quality. It is now 8-10 years later and the sell like hot cakes for $199.-269. 

This same thing is happening right now at SmartPak; they have "introduced" a house brand priced well below what they should be, "Harwich", which run $99.00-$129.00 and are the quality of $250.00 bridles all day long. I guarantee the price will double as soon as it has a following....(they also have an even cheaper house brand, "Plymouth", for $55.00-$70.00 and from what I've been hearing, should be priced at $89.00 all day long...)

I keep toying around with picking up a hilason treeless and then modifying it to my own desires....I'll let everyone know if I do!


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

jill.costello said:


> I keep toying around with picking up a hilason treeless and then modifying it to my own desires....I'll let everyone know if I do!


Let me know, I've been watching the Hilason treeless. I've been really wanting to try a treeless saddle, but cannot even remotely afford one yet.

Which of the Hilasons have you had your eye on?

I recently met a lady who swears by the EZ Fit treeless saddles, upon googling, they've been getting a lot of good reviews. Extremely modifiable. I wish I would have been more bold and asked to ride hers that weekend. I don't want to put down a 'tryout' fee until I'm closer to being able to buy one. 

http://ezfittreelesssaddles.com/


----------



## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

You know it would be really nice if there were some type of "consumer reports" for horse tack! Put the different ones through some real life testing and then some honest reporting on them. Sure would help people like me .


----------



## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

longhorngal said:


> You know it would be really nice if there were some type of "consumer reports" for horse tack! Put the different ones through some real life testing and then some honest reporting on them. Sure would help people like me .


The closest thing to "Consumer Reports" the horse world has is "Horse Journal" and they do compare products and test them extensively. It started out as "Micheal Plumb's Horse Journal" around 1994-95 and morphed into "Horse Journal" a few years after that. 

Here's a link: http://www.horse-journal.com/


----------



## bergere (May 11, 2002)

There is a place for saddle reviews... just about every saddle there.

http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/7934.html


----------

