I had always dreamed of this kind of a saddle fitting. I wasn’t  at all sure it existed.   Finding the right  saddle is so EXTREMELY important  –  and I have found a company that REALLY knows that.

Birgitta is an exceptional saddle consultant. Her knowledge and understanding of not only the products but also of the horse, his biomechanics, movement and correct development are second to none. Having a saddle consultation with Birgitta is like no other saddle fitting I have ever had. I learnt so much from the time she spent with me and have continued to learn with every visit she makes to see me and my horse Max. I am so happy to have discovered BALANCE saddles but also feel so lucky to have Birgitta based so close to me so I can pick her brains and gain from her advice as often as I like. I would (and do) recommend Birgitta to anyone. Being an Equine Osteopath I really value the knowledge that Birgitta has and I love being able to work with her and my clients together.

Birgitta is always so much aware of the horse and creates a direct bond to him/her. And she is very patient with the owner. She knows how much she can teach the owner for the moment to make it work without overloading him/her. If the rider has difficulties to understand she finds simple examples to eventually get the rider to where he/she gets the idea how it should feel. She has a logical and simple answer for every question. And she has got the patience of the Universe! Birgitta lives her passion, it is her dedication to help people helping horses with what she has been learning from Balance and experiencing through her work in the past 20 years. She is a wonderful person!

Sattelcheck in Bremgarten kennen.  Mein Pferd Domino war damals total verstört und rannte unter dem Reiter weg. Ich hatte mir einen Westernsattel verkaufen lassen, der mein Pferd an den Schultern sehr einschränkte. Nach den ersten Minuten im Schritt im Balance Zenith Sattel wurde mein Pferd langsamer, atmete besser und fing sich sichtlich an zu entspannen. Diesen Moment vergesse ich nie.  Birgitta hat die ganze Geschichte fotografisch dokumentiert, schon nach wenigen Monaten entwickelte Domino sich prächtig.  Heute ist Domino 25 Jahre alt, sieht toll aus und ist immer noch topfit. Dies schreibe ich unter anderem auch dem Sattelsystem von Balance International zu.

Birgitta Bergsten ist eine äusserst kompetente, freundliche und zuvorkommende Pferdefachfrau. In den vergangen elf Jahren habe Ich Sie mehreren Bekannten von mir weiterempfohlen und jede von Ihnen wurde von Birgitta dort abgeholt, wo Sie mit ihrem reiterlichen Können stand. Birgittas grosses Wissen über Anatomie und ihr Geschick im Umgang mit Pferden und Menschen hat mich sehr beeindruckt.  Ich bin sehr dankbar, Birgitta kennengelernt zu haben und schätze ihre Unterstützung auf meiner „Reise“ sehr. Ich hoffe, Birgitta bleibt noch lange in dieser Funktion tätig und freue mich auf das nächste Wiedersehen. Danke Birgitta!

I met Birgitta in 2008 at a balance saddle check in Bremgarten.  My horse Domino was totally disturbed at that time and ran away under the rider. I had a western saddle sold, which severely restricted my horse’s shoulders. After the first few minutes of walking in the Balance Zenith saddle my horse slowed down, breathed better and visibly began to relax. I never forget that moment.  Birgitta has documented the whole story photographically, after only a few months Domino developed magnificently.
Today Domino is 25 years old, looks great and is still fit. Among other things, I attribute this to the saddle system from Balance International.

Birgitta Bergsten is a very competent, friendly and obliging horsewoman. In the past eleven years I have recommended you to several acquaintances of mine and each one of them was picked up by Birgitta where she stood with her riding skills. Birgitta’s great knowledge of anatomy and her skill in dealing with horses and humans impressed me greatly.  I am very grateful to have met Birgitta and very much appreciate her support on my “journey”. I hope Birgitta stays in this role for a long time and looks forward to the next reunion. Thank you Birgitta!

“Wow!! I’ve been on a nine year journey with my mare Khaleesi to a single-day 100 mile endurance race. We finally accomplished that a month ago and placed in the top 10! My horse came through with all A scores in the very tough course nicknamed here in Virginia “The Beast of the East.” So so so many endurance riders struggle with saddle fit being on a horse’s back for 24 hours riding hard and lots of sore backs and white spots show the struggle is real. It has been real for me too- only I am so so pleased that riding over the years in a BALANCE saddle (we use a Nexus wide GPD with double thick quilt and a 1/2” base pad to give as much cushion as possible over the miles) has been a huge key to not only finishing that 100 but doing it in the kind of strength we did! I have learned over these years to ride in true balance, seeking the horse to find strength in her whole body and for me to be able to help that instead of hindering it! I don’t think I could have been as successful with my horse without BALANCE!! I’m not perfect and neither is she, but we are getting better and stronger all the time!”

“I am often asked for advice on saddles and I always recommend speaking to the BALANCE team. As a result, I have seen dozens of instances where the introduction of the BALANCE system works dramatic improvement in a horse’s behaviour and movement 25 years of using BALANCE – I would never change.”

“I had the amazing good fortune to have a BALANCE saddle consultation with Birgitta Bergsten in France last December. My current saddle was too small and my Welsh cob was, understandably, not working happily, unsettled and rigid, falling in on the right rein, restricted movement and obvious discomfort on the left rein, overly on the forehand with over developed shoulder muscles. We tried three saddles and pad systems and we settled on the BALANCE Felix GPD with a regular wool pad and 1/4” large JB pad. My saddle arrived in March and I am thrilled with the progress we are making I can feel the difference in Henry’s freedom of movement, he is so much more willing, forward going and comfortable, he has dropped all stress schooling and is much more relaxed out hacking, and personally I no longer have lower back pain after any riding, it’s a truly wonderful saddling system, can’t be any happier, and it can only get better.”

“Thanks Mel for coming out for a saddle fit the other week. I was really impressed with the time and care you took to let me try all the BALANCE saddles I wanted and a few you thought I should also try. I have had many saddle fits in the past 40 years of owning and  riding horses but never one so comprehensive or professional. Being able to ride in each saddle and see how I felt as well as feeling how my horse reacted under each one was enlightening. Discussing each saddle with you was also interesting to see how you were seeing what I was feeling. It was well worth the invested time and money as I feel very confident about purchasing my next and first BALANCE saddle. Many thanks.”