My recently purchased Ansür saddle is saddle number 5 for my hard-to-fit Danish Warmblood/Thoroughbred cross mare. This horse has a forward girth pocket, well-laid-back huge shoulder and a wither that carries well into the back. I tried some pretty expensive saddles (thinking the more expensive the better my chances that I could find one that fits) and had professional fittings.

In each case the result was unsatisfactory. Generally I found myself balanced at a halt but thrown to the cantle during much of the trot and canter work. I was always fighting to find the "spot" where I was supposed to sit. My mare, who is very opinionated, let me know she was less than comfortable too. Bucking at canter was one way she showed displeasure. Generally however, she had fast mincing gaits, refused to do extensions and moved on the forehand. She had a habit of speeding up, tilting her head to the side and hollowing as I tried to pick her up from a free walk to a working gait. A lot of time was spent trying to resolve a tooth problem that probably was actually her way of avoiding the saddle pinch when put back to work. With the last saddle, she started backing up in the cross-ties and laying her muzzle on my hand when I went to tighten the girth. I knew she was uncomfortable but was at a loss as to what to do.

Having had it with the whole saddle fitting nightmare, I resolved to spend the winter riding bareback hoping that might heal any soreness for the coming show season. Miraculously, all of my mare's resistance problems went away - I had lovely shoulder in, half pass, quiet canter departs, balanced transitions, a swinging back, consistent contact....all of the things I couldn't get under saddle.

With spring I returned to work under saddle and as I feared the negative behaviors shortly returned. My delightful mare, who eagerly greeted me all winter with that "oh wow Mom let's go for a ride look" was now running from me to avoid work. In addition I could palpate a sore spot under the cantle area of the saddle and she visibly hollowed with moderate pressure on that point. It was time for a change.

I bought my Ansür saddle sight unseen after researching everything I could on the Internet. Yes, I was worried that it sits directly on the spine and withers without a spine channel....but so did I all winter riding bareback. Yes, I was worried that without a tree it would slip etc. etc. etc. But having been through 4 previous saddles with a mare that now had an obviously sore back, It was time to do something different.

It was clear from day one that my mare loved the Ansür. She reverted to her bareback temperament as soon as she realized she was not going to be pinched by a tree when her back rounded or her shoulder moved fully in its arc. I had some adjustments to make in my riding but they were long overdue - for instance I tend to weight my outside stirrup in canter work and the Ansür demands that you ride in a balanced way or it tells on you. Finding my "spot" in the saddle was never an issue however, which was an incredible relief. I feel "at home" in it.

After 4 days of the week trial, I was sold, but then a problem arose. After being in the saddle for over 2 hours and riding intensively in a clinic, my mare's previous sore spot was evident again. I called the Ansür people as well as my veterinarian. Both felt that I had done too much and that the saddle was not to blame. Gratefully, I listened because time has proven them right. I backed off in the work, rode with a thick western pad under the Ansür, and did a lot of stretching with my mare. Within short order she was fine.

I have had the saddle now a few months. I love it. My mare loves it. Today we worked on walk-canter-walk transitions....we could not have done that before without being off to the races and meeting with tremendous resistance. My mare is as sweet as they come - she loves to work- she loves to please me. She was trying to tell me for years that she couldn't round her back or use her shoulder in the "wooden corset" I had strapped around her. Now she is gladly offering her back and shoulders with such enthusiasm that I have much to learn to catch up.

I check her back everyday and have noted no tenderness anywhere despite some very intensive sessions. I am seeing incredible changes in the musculature both of her back and her belly. The old saddle "indentation" behind the shoulder area is being replaced with muscle. Her very prominent forward girth pocket with the dropped belly behind it is now a much wider girth pocket with not nearly so much drop to the belly. All of this is happening because she is now able to lift her back and use it properly. I have extensions because she can move her shoulder through the complete arc without being hit by the points of a tree. There is no head tilting, mincing paces, and fear of being brought back up after being on a long rein.

I don't know what the future holds for my mare and me but I do know that I look forward to riding again as does my mare....we are both having fun and dancing like we did bareback...but now with a lot more security. Although showing is important to me, it is the relationship that I share with my mare that is most important and I have that back too.....thank you Ansür folks!