Are you or do you know an upper level rider who rides in a treeless - even sometimes?

[fatorangehorse]

I read previous threads and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for . . .

I am mildly interested. I often ride my horse bareback to work on my seat and balance as well as strengthen my core - It has really helped me. Admittedly, my ability to ride a good half-halt - all the way to his feet is compromised - and my position probably gets a little chair-seated. I wondered if any of the treeless saddles might be something I should consider. I can also REALLY feel his back bb. I can feel it start off tight - and get swingier and swingier underneath me. I might reach the same quality of gait with my regular saddle - but I certainly can't feel it as much. I have found it especially helpful in schooling passage and piaffe a bit - but my horse - still learning - sometimes responds to the request of lifting his shoulders and flexing his hind joints with a little levade or other leap of some kind. Bareback - I get a little unseated and have to regroup more than I'd like. i'd like something to make me feel a little more anchored - but with the same closeness and freedom for his back.

I am not looking to convert altogether - or compete in it. Just to use as a part of our program. While some of you may consider it blasphemy, I would love to hear from other upper level riders who have tried one.

[slc2]

(crickets)

[J-Lu]

Years ago, Martha Diaz trained and showed a pinto Bashkir Curly Stallion named Sparlock to GP in an Ansur treeless saddle. They won lots of year end/regional championships through the levels.

Sparlock was very round and wide in the back and they had a heck of a time fitting saddles to him. Martha ended up trying the Ansur and it worked very well on this horse. She primarily rode and showed him, to GP, in the ansur. Her warmbloods mostly went in saddles with trees but she used this saddle on a couple of round ones, too.

Martha could easily go back and forth between the saddles. I rode some of her horses at the time and I had a hard time in the Ansur because I'm a narrow twist kind of gal. It really pushed my upper thighs open and I had a hard time keeping the knee area of my leg on the horse without adopting a chair seat. But this was me. Martha never seemed to have this problem.

So she is at least one person who trained/showed a horse to GP in a treeless saddle.

[Lieslot]

My suggestion, try it and see if the horse likes it.

Sorry I'm by far not an upper level rider (miles off ;)), so feel free to discard the below ;).
I was totally convinced the Fhoenix Vogue was the answer for my horses, read super feedbacks, contacted people that had one and thought it would free my horses more in the shoulder, just like riding bareback.
Well, it so was not. Both my horses totally hated it. I still don't understand why, but it was an absolute no-no as far as they were concerned, couldn't even do a simple trot without stargazing, where my one horse would be moving lovely in a simple bareback pad.

I totally loved the Fhoenix for myself, it felt heavenly, but horses were not happy.
So it's not because a horse goes well in a bareback pad, that it therefor means the horse will enjoy a treeless saddle.

Really try it, most treeless reps will allow you a 5 to 7 day trial. It's worth trying, either you both fall in love with it, or you don't and then you can put your mind at rest over treeless, like what happened to me.

[coloredhorse]

There's a local trainer who mostly works with young client horses or sales horses, but has riddent the upper levels and often uses an Ansur. In fact, that's all I've ever seen her use. But I don't know if she uses that saddle exclusively.

[Karoline]

You might want to check the Ansur Yahoo Group, it was started by an FEI rider (I think) who rides to I1 and appears to really like her Excel - that's the Ansur with a gullet The group has 733 members, so you could ask your question there. Also, they list treeless, not just Ansur saddles for sale.

Another kind of saddle you might want to look at is ReactorPanel, the company owner rode to PSG I believe.

[Roan]

If you check the Ansur web site you'll find a section on "Bronze, Our VIP of R & D". Bronze is a PSG Morgan and the Ansur was originally designed for him.

https://www.ansursaddle.com/mvb.html

Another:

https://www.ansursaddle.com/reviews/laura_hamler.html

From Equisearch -- dunno how old this article is, but a couple of Olympic riders use(d) Ansurs:

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/tack_apparel/english/treeless_091003/

There's lots more -- just Google it. I used "FEI Ansur" as search criteria.

Eileen

[Om]

I've been riding in the Phoenix Vogue for a year, doing 4th level work, and find that my horse is much more sensitive, and his gaits are freer and I am way more comfortable. I ride bareback occasionally also :yes: but I don't feel the "closeness" with the Vogue.

[kaarina]

My trainer in california rode exclusively in an ansur, as recommended to her by Jeff Moore, a Grand Prix judge and trainer

[bird4416]

My trainer rides the FEI levels in an Ansur on one of his horses as that is all he has found that will fit properly. I believe he has shown this horse all the way through Grand Prix.

[Om]

Quote: I was totally convinced the Fhoenix Vogue was the answer for my horses, read super feedbacks, contacted people that had one and thought it would free my horses more in the shoulder, just like riding bareback.
Well, it so was not. Both my horses totally hated it. I still don't understand why, but it was an absolute no-no as far as they were concerned, couldn't even do a simple trot without stargazing, where my one horse would be moving lovely in a simple bareback pad.

I totally loved the Fhoenix for myself, it felt heavenly, but horses were not happy.

To poster Lieslot: I notice that there can be significant pressure on the horse's back, depending on it's conformation, from the leather below the cantle. Perhaps that is why your horses didn't like it. I use an additional sheepskin pad for protection on my horse's bony back. :D

[FineDesign08]

I have an Ansur I would like to sell!