Built on the same tree as the Express, Pony Express and the Officer. The Freedom is made for distance riders with professional needs and for those who are seeking an exceptionally light but supportive saddle. This secure saddle has a low slick fork “A”-frame design for a fast and easy handgrip.  The seat is nicely padded and uses both upholstery and neoprene foams, it is hand skived and shaped to be anatomically correct with no stitching lines to rub you raw.  The seat itself is flatter and this low rise allows the rider more room to move in the saddle while still offering a great pocket to sit back in.  The flap has an upper thigh blocking that frees up the riders leg while still offering security for that unexpected shy.  This saddle has an adjustable stirrup hanger bar allowing one-inch leathers to be set in one of three positions for rider comfort and for different leg positions from dressage to moderate jumping.  A super and versatile saddle for gaited and non-gaited horses and mules alike, that come in all different sizes and shapes.

Seat Size: 15, 16 and 17 inch
Weight: 19, 20 and 21 lbs.
Panel length: 22.7, 23.77 and 24.77 inches. All designed for up to a 3-inch scapula overlap.
Bar length: 20, 21 and 22 for 15, 16 and 17 inch seats
Saddle color: Black, Brown or two-tone
Seat type: Black or Brown Upholstery Cowhide, smooth or Suede.
Seat style: ½ inch smooth padding or the one-inch Soft-Seat  How to know?
Blocking: Upper thigh
Fork: Slick – 3 inches high measured from base seat.
Horn: N/A
Cantle: 3.5" tall and 12 inches wide. Height measured at back of cantle is 3 3/4 inches. 
Hardware: All Stainless Steel. Pair of breast Dee’s, 1 pr. of footman loops at base of fork, 2 pair of accessory Dee’s – rear bar, 2 pair footman loops on cantle with crupper Dee.Additional hardware? Specify quantity and where to place.
Rigging: Dropped cross fire with adjustable Stainless Steel sliders and with 14-inch long nylon reinforced one-inch English billets.
Stirrup leathers: 2 inch biothane with stainless steel cam lock buckles with leather sleeves (will come with leather bell stirrups) or top grain 1" nylon reinforced leathers with sleeves.
Stirrup hanger bar: 3-position for a 1-inch leather or 2 inch biothane strap.
Saddle pad: Saddle sox - synthetic in brown or black Codura with black or white fleece.
All About Saddling DVD and Leather Care Kit:  Yes View
Additional options: Available

The Freedom in the Sable color.  Two tone - black with brown seat and blocking with biothane leathers

Remember that rear loop is for hanging up your girth and stirrups when your saddle is not in use.

What about that blocking? The blocking on the Freedom gives the rider more leg flexibility. The rider can adjust the leathers shorter to allow for a more bent knee position.  It also offers thigh and some knee support when your horse is acting fresh.

Standard padding or the extra padding of the Soft Seat - that is the question.
    

Center photo of lighter color saddle DOES NOT have the extra padding that is in the Soft Seat.

Why select the extra padding of the Soft Seat? 
 There are some points to consider when deciding to select this option-with the Soft Seat.  First, you will lose some of the room that the saddle has to offer for your rear-end - so if you are between sizes use this to help gauge your seat size. Secondly when you select the Soft Seat, you will lose a bit of the "pocket" to sit down in, (since the extra padding is now there for your rear-end and /or your bone-y butt bones). Lastly, with the Soft Seat, the saddle will have a bit of a narrower twist. The twist is the part that is between your thighs (your crotch area). Therefore, if you like a narrower twist, have a bony butt or need a smaller seat size, adding the extra padding of the Soft Seat is key.

The Soft-Seat is soft and easy to care for.  It has NO stitching lines that can fill up with dirt and grime making a saddles seat difficult or impossible to clean.  Also having a seat with no stitching keeps the saddles seat soft, as the more a saddles seat is stitched the firmer it becomes.

Brown black combination with merino wool saddle sox