Wow saddle fitting - what are your experiences?

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Tonks

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My boy is very asymmetrical and considering buying a new WOW SJ saddle.

I had the fitter from the south west region (Taunton) to come and have a look at my existing saddles. She confirmed [what I'd been feeling for a while] that she didn't think my SJ was doing either me or my horse any good. However, she has taken my dressage to be fitted with Flair.

Just to ask about opinions, really, please - of wow saddles, fitters and so on.

I have heard some horror stories about bad fitters, saddles not fitting correctly and then being told by First Thought Equine that they never fitted in the first place, etc.

Can you give me any suggestions - 2K is a lot to spend and then get it wrong!!

BTW - they are going up to 2.6K in January so I have to place an order in December to get it at 2K - so I don't have a lot of decision time!!
 
I have has WOW saddles or rather first WOW 12 years ago flair in my trusty KN 15years,and still going strong.
You need a fitter that only really works with WOW as they understand all the gussets, tabs settings that are possible . You also need to know what tree flat, medium and curved types. Every horse I have in the WOWs improves in muscling , has greater shoulder freedom. The width needs to be not too wide, and therefore have less air. This allows the saddle panels to work as designed not like woopie cushions. It's a common fault as many more conventional saddle fitters have got into the habit of fitting slightly wide and the filling the space with air this IS NOT GOOD!
Find a fitter you trust and can work with and I would say you will have years of good service out of your saddle.
Hope that helps.
 
Partoow said:
Every horse I have in the WOWs improves in muscling , has greater shoulder freedom. The width needs to be not too wide, and therefore have less air. This allows the saddle panels to work as designed not like woopie cushions. It's a common fault as many more conventional saddle fitters have got into the habit of fitting slightly wide and the filling the space with air this IS NOT GOOD!
Find a fitter you trust and can work with and I would say you will have years of good service out of your saddle.
Click to expand...

I would agree with partoow above, the secret is having a fitter that truly understands the way in which the system works, once you have that you will be sorted. A good fitter will also show you how to manage the system yourself (how to put air in and check the bags etc).

I've had my wow for about 6 years and love it. My TB developed 4 widths in about 4 months and my slightly cold backed WB hasn't shown any signs since he's been in the wow and i would have gone through at least two saddles in the time I've had him.

I see mine as a saddle for life, I can swop bits if they wear out but it should fit any horse that I have moving forward.
 
I don't know if it's my saddle, me, my fitter, or my horse, but on my assymetrical horse the adjustment made to the air actually made it slip more to the weak side of the horse...

To explain more fully, the horse who is now aged 17 has a long term injury (before I had him and over 10 years ago) to his right shoulder. This means his right hand side of his back is less muscled that his left (yes, he's had pysio, chiro, vets etc, he just is that way!). My wow fitter (also SW but not Taunton) put more air in the back right hand pad. This made it slip more to the right, not less. I have now equalised the air and am finding it stays still. If I do find it starts slipping again I'm going to try a shim under the front right and see if that helps (as advised by another saddler).

I'm pretty sure it isn't the saddle or me, as I had it on a previous horse and it was fine.

So, not saying don't get one as I do love riding in mine, just saying don't be sure it'll resolve your problems!

Re price, are you sure you can't find one second hand? There are lots around and they're usually under 1k.
 
When balancing for the reasons above the back quarter and the opposite FRONT quarter need adjustment not just the 'weak' side.also a point strap on one side will also help stop slippage.
 
First Thought Equine recommended Nicola Nicholls of Taunton, so she is a WOW fitter. Anyone used her?

Re second hand - I have been looking but I'm after a No 1 seat (curved) SJ - DWG No 1 no tab and/or blocked flaps?? There aren't any out there - as of yet?????

She seemed OK but the only thing that concerned me was that she didn't look along his back (getting a step to look above his quarters) so she could have a good look along his back and at his shoulder asymmetry too.

I will of course, make sure she does when she comes out to fit my dressage which will have Flair but.........
 
I ordered a new Wow and it arrived Monday. Lady did say they were going up in price soon! She spent ages fitting it and tweaking it with me on board. I have a point strap as all saddles seem to slip to the right on him.

Hopefully by the time she comes to check it again he will have evened up and won't need it anymore.
 
Tonks said:
First Thought Equine recommended Nicola Nicholls of Taunton, so she is a WOW fitter. Anyone used her?

Re second hand - I have been looking but I'm after a No 1 seat (curved) SJ - DWG No 1 no tab and/or blocked flaps?? There aren't any out there - as of yet?????

She seemed OK but the only thing that concerned me was that she didn't look along his back (getting a step to look above his quarters) so she could have a good look along his back and at his shoulder asymmetry too.

I will of course, make sure she does when she comes out to fit my dressage which will have Flair but.........
Click to expand...

There do seem to be more size 2's than 1's around. I found mine which is a size 1 seat, extra long and big block dressage flap and DWG no 1's with tabs and no stitchline on ebay at a really good price, but you do have to get lucky.

I should think if you found the right seat and either the right panels or the right flaps you could buy the missing element and re sell the surplus, but it would take a bit of time :0(
 
Polotash said:
I don't know if it's my saddle, me, my fitter, or my horse, but on my assymetrical horse the adjustment made to the air actually made it slip more to the weak side of the horse...

To explain more fully, the horse who is now aged 17 has a long term injury (before I had him and over 10 years ago) to his right shoulder. This means his right hand side of his back is less muscled that his left (yes, he's had pysio, chiro, vets etc, he just is that way!). My wow fitter (also SW but not Taunton) put more air in the back right hand pad. This made it slip more to the right, not less. I have now equalised the air and am finding it stays still. If I do find it starts slipping again I'm going to try a shim under the front right and see if that helps (as advised by another saddler).
QUOTE]

I had exactly the same experience!! Hole behind right shoulder due to injury and so saddle was fitted with more air in right side and saddle kept slipping. I have now had the air altered so the saddle is symmetrical and it slips much less. i tried a shim but he got pressure bumps. Works much better with a half lined wool saddle cloth.

I got my WOW at the end of May and the change in my horse was phenomenal - put on a heap of topline - the atrophy is slowly recovering and he moves a lot better. I am a total convert!
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Hi, I have used Nicola and am happy with what she does, however I didn't have the horse shape problems you have. I also asked a new neighbour who has WoW and they were happy with what was done. I ended up with a WOW after changing a saddle to Flair many years ago. All my horses have been happy in the Flair, but the present youngster just outgrew everything so changed to WoW with the changeable headplate. I have a jumping saddle with knee blocks which is used for everything.
 
Partoow said:
I have has WOW saddles or rather first WOW 12 years ago flair in my trusty KN 15years,and still going strong.
You need a fitter that only really works with WOW as they understand all the gussets, tabs settings that are possible . You also need to know what tree flat, medium and curved types. Every horse I have in the WOWs improves in muscling , has greater shoulder freedom. The width needs to be not too wide, and therefore have less air. This allows the saddle panels to work as designed not like woopie cushions. It's a common fault as many more conventional saddle fitters have got into the habit of fitting slightly wide and the filling the space with air this IS NOT GOOD!
Find a fitter you trust and can work with and I would say you will have years of good service out of your saddle.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Can you recommend a fitter?
 
Partoow said:
I have has WOW saddles or rather first WOW 12 years ago flair in my trusty KN 15years,and still going strong.
You need a fitter that only really works with WOW as they understand all the gussets, tabs settings that are possible . You also need to know what tree flat, medium and curved types. Every horse I have in the WOWs improves in muscling , has greater shoulder freedom. The width needs to be not too wide, and therefore have less air. This allows the saddle panels to work as designed not like woopie cushions. It's a common fault as many more conventional saddle fitters have got into the habit of fitting slightly wide and the filling the space with air this IS NOT GOOD!
Find a fitter you trust and can work with and I would say you will have years of good service out of your saddle.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

I think this may be what my fitter has done with my saddle. But just not sure :-(
 
With any saddle it is never ideal for the panel to try to make up for issues with the fit of the tree - I commonly see too curvy trees on the cobs and natives I mainly fit, and the panel cannot make up for that. This can cause the saddle to rock forwards and back (lifting at the back), to roll sideways through instability, or even to move up the neck. There may be slight asymmetry in a given horse or pony, but often, if it's not too severe, the right symmetrical fitting will sort it.
 
I don't have a wow saddle, although I did struggle with a flair saddle on a very a-symmetrical horse!!

However - to the posters above with slipping issues, please be aware you should always adjust the side it is slipping FROM as well as the side it is slipping too, otherwise it will slip even worse!! I have often found if a saddle is slipping left then more flocking/air in the right shoulder corrects as it is bedding into this shoulder to slip.

I think someone above said similar too :)
 
sbloom said:
With any saddle it is never ideal for the panel to try to make up for issues with the fit of the tree - I commonly see too curvy trees on the cobs and natives I mainly fit, and the panel cannot make up for that. This can cause the saddle to rock forwards and back (lifting at the back), to roll sideways through instability, or even to move up the neck. There may be slight asymmetry in a given horse or pony, but often, if it's not too severe, the right symmetrical fitting will sort it.
Click to expand...

Are you a wow fitter sbloom? I'm not picking a fight, honestly, but as a long term wow user I'm struggling to see how the tree can rock when flocked with air unless the air bags are also pumped up too high ??? The wow curved tree is nowhere near as curved as some, either.

I've bought several eBay wow saddles and been shocked by how much air the panels have in them when they arrive. It's no surprise that the owners wanted rid, they must have been terribly unstable and sat a mile above the horse!!!
 
cptrayes said:
I've bought several eBay wow saddles and been shocked by how much air the panels have in them when they arrive. It's no surprise that the owners wanted rid, they must have been terribly unstable and sat a mile above the horse!!!
Click to expand...

Quite - and I think this is what puts some people off who are not familiar with the Wows. I can think of someone who always criticises them with the comment that 'air in a bag is rock hard, how can that be good for a horse' - yes it will be rock hard if fully inflated but that's not how a Wow should be fitted!
 
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