What the Ansür Saddle has done for pain

Customers unedited testimonials are below
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"Forward Stride Institute, a therapeutic riding barn for people with disabilities, started collecting Ansür Classic saddles two years ago beginning with the very first petite off of the line.

Ansür Saddle created the (youth size) just for us as a saddle to use with our 5 and 6 year olds and then they donated it to our organization. What a great group of people!

Our equine chiropractor was very skeptical, at first, because the saddle lies on the horse's spine. After two years of use, however, he is a believer. Every day, our horses must accept riders who lean, twist, bump and grind as a consequence of their disabilities. Needless to say, this was putting a lot of strain on our horses' backs in the old style saddles we had. The chiropractor was coming out at least once every three months to fix all ten of our horses and sometimes more often to fix individuals. Now, we rarely need more than a couple to be seen every three months and the ones he does see are usually 'out' because of old injuries, not saddle problems. Wow! We have probably saved thousands of dollars in the past two years in chiropractic alone.

We have also found the Ansürs to be great for our riders. It allows them to find a natural balance, feel warmth emanating from the horse and the motion of the horse similarly to being in a surcingle and pad, with the advantage of being more secure.

We have only had problems with slippage with our heaviest riders, who happen to have balance issues as well, and have solved the problem with anti-slip pads. Please keep in mind that the slippage issue with these riders was actually worse in a treed saddle because, if the tree made it over the withers, there was no hope of recovery. Now the slippage is gradual and can be caught in time if it happens at all.

Last, but not least, let's talk about convenience. I cannot think of a better saddle for any riding school situation. Our Ansürs have been on everything from an 11 hand Shetland pony to a 16.1 hand, 1350 lb. Percheron. We have horses with narrow backs, very broad backs, withers and no withers, uphill and down conformation. The only things we must be careful of are saddle sizes and correct padding. It is so freeing to be able to match the saddle size to the rider and know it will fit the horse perfectly every time. We service 60+ riders per week on 10-12 horses. (80% of the rides are in an Ansür.) Normally this would require at least twenty treed saddles, but we do it with 10. (You add up the savings.) Now I only wish all ten were Ansürs!"

Amber J. Henneck
Executive Director Forward Stride Institute

"I have 7 inch Titanium rods in my back making all movement in my lower back impossible. The Ansür has enabled me to ride without pain for the first time in ten years. I ride a Holsteiner stallion with a ton of movement, and constantly get comments about his supple back and my supple seat."

Cynthia

"I just got home from an all-day clinic. I usually ride my western saddle for this kind of clinic for security purposes (my security) but my Arab is aging and his back is really sagging now and he is usually quite sore in the back after a day like this in a western saddle, even though it is a very good quality one. I am usually pretty sore too. So today I used my Ansür for the first time in this kind of riding. Now keep in mind that this clinic started with bounding around a deep round-pen with NO HANDS, no reins, etc, and then went through creeks, over bridges, galloping through hay fields, a few BIG spooks at deer that we flushed and a couple of temper tantrums because I took him away from his girlfriend. (i.e. cantering full-speed sideways with our head at right angles away from the direction of travel.)

At the end of the day:

1. I was not sore at all
2. The saddle stuck all day, didn't slip at all
3. HE WAS FRESH AS A DAISY AT THE END OF THE DAY, NO back soreness at ALL!

On top of this, about 3/4 of the way through the day I realized that I was just as secure or even more than in my western saddle because 6 months in the Ansür in the arena has worked absolute miracles with my seat. I didn't budge all day, I was centered the whole time, top half moving independently from the bottom half, and in a correct position ALL DAY! I never thought I would make this kind of progress in 6 years, much less 6 months. I mean you are talking a very insecure rider on a very hot horse here. Amazing!

So I could not be more thrilled with the Ansür in pretty much any situation. (Even though them cowboys did give me some pretty funny looks.) And for the girl with the back problem in a previous post, my back and one of my knees is usually killing me after a day like this. I feel FABULOUS!! No pain at all.

So unless you need to hook a cow or drag a log, the Ansür is THE ANSWER for me!! Thanks guys! You'll make a rider out of me yet!"

Robyn

My 16-year old, 3rd level, T-bred gelding has had saddling anxiety since he was on the track, age 2. I have owned him ever since so I know he's never been mishandled. At the hitching post he normally exhibits a large variety of bizarre behaviors. Throwing his head and biting, backing until he hits the end of the rope then lunging forward, swinging from side to side - when you switch sides, he'll swing around till he hits the hitching post on the other side, and no matter how slowly you girth him up he would back wherever you tried it. We have had a large variety of saddles on him with various tree widths and most saddles always end up in the middle of his back.

I was quite surprised the first time that I rode the Ansür and it stayed where I had originally positioned it, behind the shoulders. I was doubly surprised by the 4th time I rode in it when he stood STOCK STILL for saddling, for the FIRST time in 13 years. Those revelations came during the clinic at Osierlea while riding with Baron Von Fineke. Since I've been home I've had even more interesting revelations....MY low back pain has almost completely disappeared, my horse has come up in the back almost consistently and the horse that Jeff Moore said 'Might very possibly never learn flying change' is now changing consistently and clean!"

Amy F.

"My saddle is fabulous! My horse is tremendously relieved - at last - comfort for his back. Our first ride in it he stopped dead 3 times and let out a HUGE groan of relief from deep in his belly. He was soft, round and relaxed. We did advanced work with the tiniest thoughts on my part.

The relief for my seat is worth every penny of the price, and more. No more sitting on a 'pointy' narrow saddle that causes pain - ever again! I have never ridden so well and so quietly. And best of all was the very close connection I had with Hobo - we really were ONE!

Thank you for both of us! "

Hobo & Karen