FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) What makes the Ansur different?
Q: Why build a saddle without a rigid tree? A: The rigid tree was originally designed to hold soldiers in place during battle. Since its origin we have spent several hundred years trying to make a lump of wood feel comfortable for horse and rider. A better solution: get rid of the wood. Q: But I had my saddle custom measured and fitted for my horse. A: Yes. Surely he was not moving when it was measured, so as soon as he moves, it will not fit anymore. A tree is a stationary, rigid object and as your horse bends and moves the tree is not able to move with him.Q: What about even weight displacement? A: Please remember that your horse is moving. When you ride, your weight moves along with him. A rigid tree rubs his muscles and drives your weight into the shoulder area causing pressure points. That is why so many people use large amounts of padding under the saddle, in an attempt to prevent the damage to your horse ’s body that the tree is causing. The Ansur takes a different approach. The Ansur absorbs the concussion, not displaces it. The Ansur has a patented layering system built into it that absorbs trauma so there are no pressure points on the horse’s back.Q: What makes the Ansur different from other treeless saddles? A: First of all, the Ansur is the ONLY saddle with the patented layering system and nothing rigid inside the saddle. These layers are made out of modern materials originally developed for NASA. The layering system serves three purposes. The first is to absorb trauma, the second is to disperse heat and the third is to provide “cushiness.”. In addition, the Ansur meets all competitive requirements for showing and competing. Q: Why haven’t treeless saddles been on the market before now? A: Good question. Here is a bit of information to consider. Our human backpacks used to be built with rigid frames in them. We complained about the hard frames causing pressure, bruising and all sorts of discomfort to us. The manufacturers listened…soft frames are now the order of the day. Hi-tech materials are used to create soft frames without sacrificing the stability and efficiency of the backpacks….most importantly we humans are protected from localized trauma by these materials. Horses have been complaining about this same problem for centuries, but unfortunately no one truly understood what they were trying to tell us, and furthermore we didn’t know how to help them ….UNTIL NOW! Q: Does the Ansür® sit up clear of the horse’s back? A: No. The body of the saddle molds around your horse ’s shape, and moves with him. For your horses it simply fits like a large cushy saddle pad.Q: Does the Ansur saddle need spinal clearance like treed saddles? A. No. Traditional treed saddles need spinal clearance to protect the spine from the rigid tree. These saddles use padding to protect and raise the tree up off of the horses back (which also lifts the rider farther away from the horse’s back). An Ansur saddle does not have any rigid parts inside, so it does not need to have spinal clearance. The trauma absorption system absorbs the weight and concussion caused by the rider, so there are no localized pressure points on the spine.Q: But this goes against everything we have been taught about saddle fitting! A: Yes, and it ’s high time for a change. We have been hurting horses for long enough, and remember, the old rules were in place to try to protect the horses from the trauma caused by a piece of wood (tree) inside the saddle.Q: How is airflow between the saddle and the pad accomplished without a tree? A: There is no airflow between saddle and pad. The heat dispersion properties are included within the layering system. The saddle lays on the back just like a pad does… and it moves with the horse in the same way. These saddles have been used in Egypt for Arabian distance races in 100+ degree heat with outstanding results.Q: Has the Ansür® been tested on a variety of horses with varying types of back conformation? A: Yes. The Ans ür is in daily use all over the world, and has been for several years. This saddle has been used on nearly every breed of horse (include mules and in one case a cow!). Because this saddle does not have a tree it can fit all types of horses, even those with extreme conformational challenges. Some horse’s conformation may require the addition of a pad to create the close, even contact with the underside of the saddle. Please refer to our product line and saddle fitting manual to see which padding suits your horse’s needs.Q: Does this saddle work for high withered horses? A: Yes. Supplemental padding, e.g., shoulder shims or a dorsal supplement front wedge pad can be placed on either side of the wither to broaden the contact area of the saddle. This will prevent the pommel from resting solely on the top of the wither. Once the pad(s) are in place, you should run your fingers just under the front edge of the saddle, up one side, over the wither and down the other side to test the contact. You should feel a fairly even contact with the animal’s body. What you’re filling in on the high, steep, narrow withered horse are any gaps that may exist on either side of the wither. Often, the supplemental padding can be removed once the horse fills out over time when being ridden in the Ansür. Q: What about the rider’s pressure on the pommel of the saddle? A: First off, there is no frame to rock the rider's pressure forward and back....an Ans ür saddle does not tip up when the horse begins a canter stride; and it does not tip down and smack them in the shoulders and wither on the landing of each canter stride. Secondly, trauma absorption is built into this saddle. Trauma from the rider is absorbed by the internal layering system so does not radiate to the structure of the horse. And finally, the rider’s weight is to be carried well back on the saddle. The saddle is not designed to have the rider hovering over or very near the wither. The idea is to move the rider well back from the horse’s front end so the animal has the freedom to move.Q: How do I place the Ansur saddle on my horse? A: The main thing to remember is to place the saddle as far back on the horse as the animal ’s girth channel will allow. In other words, don’t girth around the belly but go ahead and let the billets be at a bit of an angle if need be, to put the saddle back farther. The more room you can give between front of saddle and point of the horse’s shoulder, the better the ride. What you want is for the saddle to make contact with the animal at or near the base of the wither bone…not over it.Q: Does this saddle work for horses with very wide backs? A: This saddle is great for wide backed horses because you don ’t have to deal with trying to find a tree that will be wide enough to span a broad backed horse. Some horses backs are so wide that you would have to find a tree that was literally 2 feet wide! And, even if one could find a saddle tree that was this wide, it would still interfere when the horse bends and moves.Q: Has the Ansur been used on older horses rebuilding muscles? A: Trying to rejuvenate the senior or unfit animal can be difficult. However, many Ansur saddle riders are successfully doing just this very thing. And, yes, the horses, even the 22 year olds, do regenerate previously atrophied muscles on the top line and on either side of the wither bone with astounding results using the Ansur, provided the rider allows the horse to use his back and his natural motion, of course. We also carry a few pads that can aid in your horse’s rebuilding process.Q: Has the Ansur been used to rehabilitate horses with back injuries and back problems? A: Yes. The Ansur has been used with horses that have severe back problems like fractured withers, broken ribs and kissing spine. This saddle works beautifully with them because of its lack of rigid internal parts. If a horse can be made comfortable enough to lift the weight of a rider, the muscle and ligaments can develop sufficiently to put the horse back into service. We have received very good feedback from veterinarians who have recommended these saddles for rehabilitation.Q: What type of research has been done with the Ansur? A: The only scientific research we at Ans ür Saddlery have conducted is what we’ve done with the horses. In the development of the Ansur we spent 3 years testing and observing hundreds of different horse’s movement. We paid close attention to their way of going and overall attitude while using the Ansur in comparison with a treed saddle. Through this period of trial and error our four legged scientists told us in no uncertain terms what was good and what was not! Time and time again, their answer was that the Ansur was good…..very good.Q: Will I be able to sit the same way I always do? A: Probably not. You probably have been sitting in a rather narrow, rigid saddle. With the Ans ür you will sit totally around the natural shape of your horse. This feels great compared to the narrow, hard feel of an old-style saddle. Sometimes it does take a few rides to stretch out the muscles in the upper thigh and lower back if you aren’t used to ridding bareback (aspirin helps!). The second change will be in your horse. He will be moving much more freely, especially in the shoulders, and generally he will move with a bigger stride. This will be a new feel for you… a wonderful feel.Q: Why does riding in the Ansur feel different from a treed saddle? A: The Ansur has no excess padding or a hard rigid tree separating the rider from the horse. This means you are able to get much more of your upper thigh on your horse and you are also able to feel your horse with much more accuracy. The Ansur is very similar to riding your horse bareback, but with the comfort and security of a saddle. Because the horses can feel the rider’s seat and thigh, instead of a rigid tree, the communication between horse and rider is drastically improved. It is very difficult to go against the horse’s motion when riding on an Ansür. There is simply no framework to separate the two so they are able to move as one.Q: Since there is no tree will my seat bones dig into my horses back? A: No. The Ansur is the only treeless saddle with a patented trauma absorption system. This system absorbs the trauma so it is not radiated or conducted through to the horse.Q: I am feeling my saddle slip to the side. Is this a problem? A: I can almost guarantee you that the slippage you mention is due to either of the two problems below ….which may, be one and the same!
I think the hollow side of the horse has to do with the way his mom carried him in the womb but I am not sure that there is any verifiable school of thought on this. Our job as the rider is to produce a straight horse as we school him. Once straightened, he is then in a position to respond to our requests. A good way to achieve straightness is to simply sit to the inside of center when you feel the horse has moved you off center. Most riders find that after they have ridden the saddle a few times the problem has disappeared. This is because you feel the “overbentness” so easily in an Ansür and immediately move to fix it because it just doesn’t “feel” right until you do! This is one of the beauties of this saddle…a rider cannot cheat on her position … it doesn’t feel right until/unless she is straight and balanced. And as we all know, this straight and balanced position is very much appreciated by the horses! Also you may wish to consider purchasing the “Nunn Finer” anti-slip pad. These are quite inexpensive and may help you to feel more secure right at first. Q: How do I try out one of your saddles? A: You have a couple options. The first is to contact a distributor near you and arrange a test ride. If there is not a distributor nearby, your next option is to purchase a saddle and take advantage of our 7 day trial period. The 7 day trial begins once your saddle arrives. If you do choose to return your saddle please keep it in an “unused condition”, which can usually be accomplished with the following precautions:1.) Completely wrap the stirrup leathers/irons in a leg from old panty hose. Attach hose to top of stirrup bar. This will ensure no scratches on saddle flaps. 2.) Wrap the billets with a sheet of “Saran wrap” and this will cover them well and prevent any scratches. 3.) If the need arises you can even place “Saran wrap” across the seat. Q: I have back problems when I ride in a treed saddle. How will the Ansur help my back? A: We already know that the trauma absorption system built into the Ansur helps our horse ’s backs, but it actually helps the riders back as well. This system does two things for the rider. The first is that it absorbs the concussion from our horse’s movement (i.e., jarring trots). The second is that us as riders are no longer hitting a hard treed object every time we come down on our horses back (sitting trot, posting trot, cantering, etc.).Q: How can I afford this saddle? A: Perhaps the question really is: How can I afford to not buy this saddle?!! Since this saddle literally fits every size and type of horse, you will be able to sell all of your other saddles to help pay for your Ansür! We also accept all of the major credit cards which will give you the option of paying for the saddle over time.Q: How can I explain to my spouse that this saddle is the best saddle ever made? A: We can use a couple of analogies when trying to explain the concept of the Ans ür saddle.
Q: Do I have to order from a Distributor or can I order directly through the company? A: You may do either. If you have had a demonstration and would prefer that your Ansür Agent calls the order in, please do this. Or, if you would prefer to call the order in yourself, this is fine too. However, if you order directly from the company, please be sure to tell us if you have taken a test ride with a distributor! |
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