wow saddle yay or nay?

[milliepops]

Bit late coming to this thread but my xc Wow saddle was a saviour for my jumping. I couldn't balance in anything else I tried. After my last event I posted a video on here in desperation because i couldn't maintain a decent position over fences. I felt so incompetent! Something about the design just works so well for me. It was an instant fix and horse is happy too. (Phew)

I bought a cheap dressage wow second hand afterwards but I've just sold it as I won a new Equipe, but I'd have another wow in a flash if/when this no longer fits.

Fwiw I always use a sheepskin of some description, usually mattes. My fitter is happy with that but tbh my mare doesn't seem to have an issue with the air bags

 

[Qru]

I loved mine at first!
It came with my horse (had to pay extra for it though.) and he went well in it, it's possibly the comfiest thing to sit on.

However, after a couple of months my boy had lost weight (fantastic as he was HUGE when I got him!) and put on muscle - so became too wide in the wither but also tight around the shoulder.

I had the physio out as we were having some problems and she discovered some pain points in his back - just behind where the saddle sat and also some muscle wastage behind the shoulder blade where it was extremely uncomfortable for him. She said that the weight Of the saddle didn't help either - they're HEAVY! - and I needed to get it refitted.

Unfortunately the WOW saddle fitter that came out to fit the saddle when his previous owner bought it no longer comes out - bit miffed about this as we were told she was coming out in 2 months and she just never showed up - so after spending quite a bit of money on my WOW, I then had to go out and buy ANOTHER saddle.

Moving to the UK soon and unsure as to whether I'm going to get it refitted or sell it and buy something different.

I think they're good as lOng as you an your horse is happy and you have a good, trusted WOW saddle fitter in your area. Unfortunately for me, I didn't.

 

[RunToEarth]

There are some deep and shallow (not flat or XC or extra deep) seats that were made around 2004/5 that had far too much padding in the seat for a lot of people - not enough dip in the middle.

That is really interesting and could possibly explain a lot. I HATE mine, but every horse I have ever used it on has got on very well with it, I just stick a jelly underneath. I find myself very perched, almost forwards and never seem to find a secure seat in one, I have come off before and blamed in on the saddle tipping me forward.

I go through stages of putting it away and then after a few months forgetting why I hate it so much and get it out again. I had an instructor watch me jump in it last year and she agreed the saddle makes my seat less secure than it is in other saddles.

I pulled it out last month, had it checked and got along with it, last night I jumped in it, this morning I have back ache and I feel a bit wrecked, and I do jump regularly.

So, mine may soon be on ebay, and I will stick to my Sue Carson.