Wow saddle owners - headplate "clearance"

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OliveOyl

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A question for those of you with WOW saddles please!
When you're sat in the saddle and horse is walking along, how much clearance is there between the horses back and the headplate? so a few inches back from the front of the saddle?
I've got about an inch or so clearance at the front of the saddle, but less than a finger's width where the headplate goes and I'm wondering if this is how it should be??
 
I've got loads of clearance, but then mine don't have much wither

You check the headplate by taking it out of the saddle and putting it roughly where it would sit the saddle. Then when you press on the headplate, it should not leave a gap on one side (otherwise its too big). When you press down from the top it should not leave a mark (then its too tight)

Weezy - pls check the above.... my memory is awful!
 
Thanks
I've checked the fit of the headplate on him without the saddle and that seems fine. But when I'm sat on him, I'm not happy that there's enough of a gap between him and the headplate.

I'm thinking it's more likely to be that the panel he has is too wide at the front for him, but wondered how much clearance other wow users have got with theirs before I go down the panel changing route
 
I don't know what they're called off hand and paperwork is at home. But they have a tab and a stitch line and have a wide gullet, which I wonder if that's the problem really, as it allows it all to sit a bit too low on him?

I have recently bought a pump and set about increasing the air in the front bags this morning, to see if that helped, but it didn't make much difference. Once I'm sat on it, it's too low down on him again.

Thanks for your help, will see if friend will let me try hers on him as I'm pretty sure hers has panels without tabs, see if that raises it up for him, without restricting him in the process.
 
Sounds to me as if the tabs are causing the problems - you might need to get your fitter back to either consider a front gusset or panels without tabs.

Mine are in SDWG panels, but they don't have what i'd call a very defined wither. However the thinner of the two is border line needing a DWG panel to give the front a little more lift.
 
Having just found the pics of the panels on the wow web, we've got the SDWG panels too and like you've suggested, I think they're too wide for him and he needs a bit more lift.
Many thanks for your help, will speak to fitter.
 
When I last had a head plate change I was concerned that it was a bit low, but now he's filled out into the fit, which was the fitters idea anyway. I was concerned that it was too close on the sides of his wither though- does that make sense?
HE now has over an inch of clearence, and I think it wants checking again.
 
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