Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most elusive. That was the situation that became the catalyst for Ansür Saddles, the soft-frame saddles that have turned conventional thinking about saddle making on its ear since they were introduced nearly 10 years ago.
Company founder Carole Weidner owes it all to Morgan dressage partner, Mountain View Bronze. Everything went fine until Carole began to school “Bronze” for FEI level dressage work. When he started to shorten his stride and brace his back, Carole suspected the saddle was to blame. She went through 17 saddles. With each, he would perform normally for a while, but then revert to cramped, stifled movements. In desperation, Carole tried a bareback pad and, immediately, Bronze became his old self and stayed that way: moving freely and happily to Carole’s cues.
It dawned on Carole that building a saddle on a rigid wooden frame and placing it between a horse and a human who were constantly in motion was silly.
Carole took that epiphany to a local saddle maker and asked him to create a saddle that would give her more security and the right cushioning without restricting Bronze’s movement. And it had to be suitable for competition, an important part of Carole’s equestrian life. The craftsman was a traditionalist and not the first to think that Carole “was crazy,” she laughs, but he gave it a try.
What eventually evolved is the Ansür line of saddles. Based in Washougal, WA, Ansür offers several completely treeless models for many disciplines, including the newly available Westernaire for western riders. No matter what discipline they are meant for or what leather and suede options buyers choose, every Ansür saddle is built on a soft-frame foundation: no wood, fiberglass or steel tree, nothing rigid.
“We didn’t know we were doing anything special,” says Carole of her first forays to and from the saddle maker. But within a week of using the soft-frame saddle at a dressage show, the phone began to ring. Since then Ansür saddles are cropping up around the world and on horses working in a variety of disciplines.
Carole and her husband and business partner Don Weidner may have been a bit ahead of their time when they started the company in 1999. Now, however, Carole observes that soft-frame technology is becoming the standard in backpacks and other products that enable people and animals to bear weight comfortably.

Traditional Look
Ansür saddles look the same as their counterparts with rigid trees, but they do not ride the same. The soft frame eliminates the need for clearance between the tree and the horse’s spine, putting riders in close contact at every point. Carefully designed trauma absorption material provides even distribution of the rider’s weight.
Creating the saddle wasn’t easy. “Building a saddle of this quality and functionality without a rigid tree is difficult,” Carole says. She and Don bought the equipment from the saddle maker who made Bronze’s original soft-frame saddle, and the design team they have used since then are “graduates of the school of hard knocks,” Carole notes admiringly. Without any rigid parts, nailing, bolting and riveting the leather in place is not possible.
Riding in an Ansür saddle does take a little getting used to, Carole confirms. “Few of us riders have ever truly felt our horse’s movement,” she says. “The movement of the animal has been concealed by the independent movement of the rigid saddle tree that is between the horse’s back and the rider’s seat. The rigid tree cannot bend and undulate with the horse. It can only tip and rock in response to the horse’s movement. Therefore, the rider is forced to respond to the tipping and rocking of the tree rather than be able to respond directly to the movements of his/her horse.”
The Ansür saddle, because it does not have rigid parts inside, gently flexes and bends with the horse. The animal’s movement is not constricted in any way. “Riding as ‘one’ with your horse when using an Ansur is almost automatic,” Carole says. “It is very hard for the rider to be behind the horse’s motion in these saddles. The rider feels all the movement and very easily sits with, not on top of, the horse.”
When the Ansür line first came into production, Carole predicted that dressage riders would be the company’s main clients. They have become quick converts, she reports, along with equestrians across the spectrum of disciplines. Trail, endurance and hunter/jumper riders, mounted police officers and therapeutic riding programs are among those who’ve bought into the concept and Ansür has an appropriate saddle for all. Every saddle is customizable for different rider leg length and/or knee roll preferences. A variety of built-in pad configurations and separate saddle pads enable super fit for horses of all builds.
Customers come mostly through test-driving the saddles and word of mouth, Carole reports. “When someone tries the saddle, they realize right away that their horse’s way of going is dramatically improved. It doesn’t take them long to see that the soft-frame makes perfect sense.” Word of mouth is so strong that a big percent of Ansür ’s saddles are purchased through the company’s website.
For more information on Ansür Saddlery, LLC., visit www.Ansursaddle.com or call 800-987-1545.