Saddle trees

A saddle tree having a cantle end and a pommel end and comprising a pommel section, a seat section and an axially aligned Y-shaped strengthening bar having forks directed towards the cantle end of the saddle tree and an elongate portion directed to the pommel end of the tree and aligned with an axis of the saddle tree;

• wherein the pommel section includes a pommel plate having an upper surface and a lower surface and formed of a flexible sheet material and comprises a first, or left, pair of reinforcement plates and a second, or right pair, of reinforcement plates, wherein each pair of reinforcement plates includes an upper plate and a lower plate and wherein each pair of reinforcement plates is mounted to the pommel plate with the pommel plate between the two reinforcement plates of each pair;
• wherein the pommel section further includes a headplate and a headplate support member mounted to an underside of the pommel plate;
• wherein the pommel plate is mounted to the elongate portion of the strengthening bar;
• wherein the seat section includes a pair of seat plates, each plate of said pair being mounted to a respective fork of the strengthening bar, a cantle and a cantle support, each mounted to the strengthening bar;
• wherein the seat section and pommel section are mounted to the strengthening bar to provide a space or gap therebetween;
• wherein the saddle tree further includes an arcuate collar mounted to an upper surface of the pommel plate to urge the pommel plate to adopt a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the seat section.