Ghost Bareback Saddles: for a natural connection with your horse

Cavallin Bareback & Riding Pads: true natural contact with safety and support

The Ghost Bareback saddles offer a Flex approach, providing maximum freedom of the horse’s back and enhanced sensitivity. In particular, this Cavallin saddle features:

• Treeless structure (treeless/pad-based), completely flexible;
• No rigid spinal channel: the included saddle pad already contains padding that distributes weight on either side of the spine and can be opened to insert customised shims (recommended for light use on horses with strong backs);
• Minimal weight, helping the rider maintain an independent and balanced seat;
• Maximum perception of the horse’s movement;
• Natural, narrow seat, designed to improve balance and posture;
• Option to use stirrups, with attachments that can be positioned as needed;
• Removable thigh block under the seat for greater stability;
• Excellent adaptability, thanks to the structure’s ability to conform to the horse’s back.

This configuration provides complete freedom of movement, but requires a good-quality pad (supplied with the saddle) to protect the horse’s back during use.

When to choose a treeless Cavallin Bareback saddle

The Ghost Bareback is particularly suitable if:

• you want a total connection and immediate feel with your horse;
• your horse has a well-muscled back capable of supporting a fully flexible saddle;
• you ride in short sessions, practise awareness exercises or work on improving balance and posture;
• you are looking for a riding position that encourages natural stability and independent balance;
• you practise natural horsemanship, groundwork or light trail riding;
• you want to experience the feeling of riding bareback, but with more balanced support than traditional bareback pads.

Great flexibility does not mean instability: in fact, because the structure conforms to the horse’s back, the Bareback often feels more stable and centred.

Choosing the right Cavallin: shapes, materials and models

Criteria and guidelines to help you choose the ideal option based on how you intend to use it.

1. Guide to Cavallin Bareback seat shapes

• Round seat: a classic, neutral profile that provides maximum freedom of movement; ideal for flatwork and leisure riding.
• Square seat: features a more pronounced rear cantle to provide the pelvis with a reassuring point of support.
• Wild seat: a working-riding/western-inspired profile with a shaped cantle and pommel for greater stability.

2. Guide to covering materials

• • Full-grain leather / Pegaso: Soft Italian leather with a characteristic lightly pebbled (orange-peel) finish, highly flexible and exceptionally refined.
  • Nabuk / Nubuck: Smooth leather with a soft, velvety feel, available both in an oiled/greased version (oiled nubuck, water-repellent and high-grip) and in the Nabuk Mastrotto version.
  • Nappa and Julia leather: Smooth and textured natural vegetable-tanned leathers, ideal for seats, cantles and a refined finish.
  • Suede: Leather with a suede finish that provides excellent technical grip for riders seeking maximum seat stability.
  • Lorica / MicroPell (100% vegan microfibre): High-tech synthetic material that is breathable, water-repellent, weather-resistant and extremely easy to wash.
  • Medical sheepskin (natural medical-grade sheepskin): Very high-density natural sheep’s wool with thermoregulating and therapeutic properties, ideal for ultra-sensitive skin and helping prevent rubbing and pressure sores.
  • Vella (high-density synthetic fur): Soft, water-repellent, machine-washable, offering immediate comfort and excellent grip.

3. Cavallin model comparison table

4. Technical and biomechanical differences: Cavallin Bareback vs commercial pads

• Spinal protection: In traditional or inexpensive commercial pads, stirrup and girth straps often run across the horse’s back without adequate protection. When the rider puts weight into the stirrups, the strap can place pressure on the vertebral spinous processes. Cavallin systems eliminate this risk thanks to repositionable Velcro foam panels/inserts that create genuine spinal clearance (spine clearance).

• Repositionable stirrup attachment: The stirrup leather attachment is mounted on adjustable Velcro supports (velcro stirrup hangers). This allows the stirrup leather to be positioned at the anatomically ideal point for the rider’s seat, distributing forces through the lateral structure of the pad rather than directly onto the spine.

• Rigging system: Unlike the fixed, direct girthing attachments found on inexpensive commercial pads, the rigging system integrated into the Cavallin base distributes the pull of the girth across a broad area of the ribcage, providing stability without restricting breathing.

• Lightweight and modular design: Ultra-lightweight structure (~2.5–3.5 kg), fully modular and washable, designed to adapt to the horse’s conformation and muscular changes over time.
  

Limitations of a treeless Cavallin Bareback saddle

Ghost Cavallin Bareback saddles perform best for light and technical use. They are not recommended for

• horses with underdeveloped back muscles that require greater weight distribution.

Discover a new level of feel in your riding: explore all Ghost Bareback models and customise yours with our consultation: contact us or request a quote from the product page!

Frequently Asked Questions about Cavallin Bareback saddles

• Can stirrups be used with Cavallin Bareback Pads?
  Yes. Thanks to the underlying panels and the balanced design of the stirrup attachment, stirrups can be used for balance and light riding. For long trail rides or heavier riders, we recommend using an additional shock-absorbing saddle pad.
• How should Cavallin sheepskin or Vella pads be washed?
  Vella models can be washed by hand or in a washing machine using a delicate/wool cycle; medical-grade sheepskin models require specific leather/wool detergents and should be left to dry naturally in the shade.