wow saddle questions

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samp

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OK so I am considering trying one out - currently have Albion K2 jumping saddle with Flair but think needs some work. Ideal Jessica - not used had 7 months and needs apparently flocking or I want flair

So questions are:
How easy are the flaps to change
Can you change the seats as well and if so how easy
What saddles did you have before
Did any of you with horses that had bad backs improve
Did topline improve
How much am I looking at for dressage and jumping flap saddle?

Thanks
 
1) Easy, but takes time, head of the bolts can become burred if you are not careful
2) Yes, but the seat is the tree, if you are talking different seat and flaps it would be cheapest to buy 2 secondhand
3) Pessoa, Lovatt & Ricketts, Stubben, Henri De Rivel, Bates, Omega, Wintec, Hayes, DB
4) Did not have bad backs, but one is impossible to fit
5) Topline irrelevant, the lateral adjustment fixed out problems and the saddle enabled one horse to jump properly.
6) New £2,045 (£1,595 saddle and £450 for flaps), secondhand £1,00 (£750 saddle and £250 flaps), two saddles would be approx £1,400 secondhand. If you buy secondhand you will also need to pay a fitter.
 
I think CotswoldSJ has answered most of the questions but for the others:

* What saddles did you have before
Thorowgood (eurgh!) and Albion (which I loved!!)

* Did any of you with horses that had bad backs improve?
Didn't have a bad back but had hollows behind his withers which filled within a few weeks. We ended up going up 2 widths within 7 weeks and everyone commented on how strong he looked!

* Did topline improve?
Well general muscle improved massively - see above!!

Most important thing is getting a GOOD fitter! The lady I used is brilliant and has fitted mine perfectly. She gave me some really good advice in that you can actually use the GP flaps to do your flatwork and jumping as you have the 2 stirrup bars so you can change your leg position. I dont jump particularly huge but have happily popped over 1m20 in my GP flaps and haven't felt insecure
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Overall I really love my wow and the horse clearly does
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-I had a Barnsby Milton before which I hated.
-Yes my horse had back problems before I got the WOW.
-Her topline increased massively.
Lots of fiddly finicky problems with mine but it has made such a difference to my horse that I can live with that.
 
Changing flaps relatively easy. I was changing my dressage and GP flaps quite a bit so I invested in a second XC saddle for jumping in which also had a shallower seat.

My horse had a very weak back before I bought the WOW and it's worked wonders with him. He's now developed muscle and topline and now working easily at medium level and BE eventing.

I would suggest that you get a saddler who has an understanding of the WOW as it makes a huge difference to the fitting.
 
All sounds quite positive, my horse also tends to have hollow in front of saddle. I absolutely love my Albion and never move. My horse is unpredicatable and quick but in the 3 years I have owned and used Albion we have managed to always stay together. Guess worry I will lose stickability in a new saddle and then regret getting rid of my albion
 
I have never felt so secure as I feel riding my friend's nippy coblet in her Wow. I usually only feel safe in dressage saddles (I love the Wintec Isabell as it wedges me in) but coblet's Wow has a deep seat and VSD flaps. I have happily jumped her in it (miracle in itself that I got over a jump!) and don't feel restricted, but on the flat I feel SO comfortable and secure it's unbelieveable. She can be quick for a cob and has a habit of taking off across open spaces - she used to make her novice owner feel very insecure in her Wintec GP. Everyone loves the Wow, and if Kit decides to try to take off it's just so easy to stay balanced and stay with her (which makes stopping all the more easy!)
I absolutely LOVE the saddle and if I could afford it I'd get one for my happy hacker - but that would seem a bit silly!
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I had a WOW and because it didn't fit properly my girl became very stiff through her back and neck. Despite all parts being changeable I could not get it to suit me or my girl. I now have an Albion SLK and it's like riding a different horse.

If you can find a GOOD WOW fitter in your area you might be in with a chance. For your info I've been told you can become a WOW fitter after 2 days training?
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i have a wow for my boy, i have the flat seat and vsd flaps (i have very short legs so the work fine for me for flatwork and jumping)
i had tried a few different saddles barnsby lemetex wintec and none of them really fitted properly because of his shape he has a really flat back and hollow withers, since getting the wow he has improved loads he can actually use his back so his topline and general muscle has increased.
he can be a proper plonker when ridden he has a whip round like a games pony and i seem to be less able to fall off and much more secure now than before
the only downside is the bolt heads getting chewed off when you take them in and out a lot (or leave hamfisted dad to swap them for you)
 
I LOVE my WOW saddle but agree with the bolt heads problem. I have one bolt stuck now so I can't change the flaps. Its only 7 months old so hopefully WOW will help with this.

The fitter I bought the saddle from no longer fits and the other lady I was reccommended to use is hopeless - doesn't return calls and I just get a bad feeling about her. I am so unhappy with her I have just ordered an Amerigo saddle for my new horse instead of another WOW, as the Amerigo can also be adjusted to a horses changing shape (though you can't change the flaps!). I will either use the WOW for my dressage horse to hack in (I share her and my sharer hates WOW so we have a spalding dressage saddle for her) or sell it as it seems a waste to keep such an expensive saddle to hack/jump in 2x a week.

I would def reccommend a WOW - but only if you can get a good fitter!
 
I have a bad experience with the Albion Revelation saddle and Albion customer service was totally indifferent. The saddle damaged my horses back and I sent the vets report on the back plus his advice that the saddle was badly fitted, too long and I should get another saddle, to Albion.
Their response was Too bad, we only make saddles not fit them go back to your Albion saddle fitter and have it reflocked. As the fitter had fitted the saddle in the first place and maintained it I told Albion that I did not want to go back to the person who made the problem in the first place and as per my vet reflocking would not be the answer.
Albion's response - again- " Too bad. If you really wanted a saddle to fit you should have bought a custom fit."!
I guess don't buy an Albion saddle least of all one from off the rack
 
wklassoc said:
I have a bad experience with the Albion Revelation saddle and Albion customer service was totally indifferent. The saddle damaged my horses back and I sent the vets report on the back plus his advice that the saddle was badly fitted, too long and I should get another saddle, to Albion.
Their response was Too bad, we only make saddles not fit them go back to your Albion saddle fitter and have it reflocked. As the fitter had fitted the saddle in the first place and maintained it I told Albion that I did not want to go back to the person who made the problem in the first place and as per my vet reflocking would not be the answer.
Albion's response - again- " Too bad. If you really wanted a saddle to fit you should have bought a custom fit."!
I guess don't buy an Albion saddle least of all one from off the rack
Click to expand...


Old thread alert.

To anyone reading previous posts, bolt heads on wow saddles have now been changed

OP, I can understand why you are upset, but you are being unfair, I'm afraid. It really isn't the fault of the saddle manufacturer if they made a saddle in the length they were told to and it doesn't fit your horse.
 
Yes, I understand a manufacturer can't make a saddle to fit every horse but I think they need better oversight of their certified filters.
 
wklassoc said:
Yes, I understand a manufacturer can't make a saddle to fit every horse but I think they need better oversight of their certified filters.
Click to expand...

There is no such thing as an Albion certified saddle fitter. They list dozens of stockists around the country, but provide no guarantee that those stockists will use a good fitter, and neither do most saddle makers. Your issue is with your fitter, not with Albion, as the saddle is not faulty.
 
I have a wow. Bought it off ebay for £1000. A dressage saddle. I knew what I wanted after talking with a wow saddle fitter. To qualify as a wow saddler you have to do a weeks resedential course so in theory could be a fitter after that but most are already qualified and add this to fitting skills. Look for one who has done that. I only get my fitter to change the saddle around but you can do it yourself, a bit fiddly but doable. The saddles also have a number on them so you can see exactly when they were made. Love mine and my mare who was bought rough out a field has changed shape and the saddle has been changed with her, top line will Improve with the correct muscles used. My saddle allowed her freedom to move correctly.
 
Anyone looking to part with their Wow or parts of it! I am looking for the following;
Size 1 shallow or flat curved Y bar seat.
Jump or GP flaps.
Size 1 DWG panels with stitchline and with tabs.
Size 3U head plate.
Fore girthing system.
Preferably in brown, but will also consider black.
Will also consider saddles that match part of this description.
Thanks
 
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