Wow Saddle

[Dressagebabe]

Hi,
I am attempting to find a used WoW dressage saddle for my gelding with kissing spines and have looked at great length on the WoW website on how to fit them, I have sorted out the headplate size but don't know which panel would suit him as there are SD, D & SDWG with tabs without tabs with gusset without gusset!!! I want to make sure I know which one to look out for that will suit my gelding. Does anyone know what each of these codes stand for and which one suits which build of horse?

I would really appreciate your help if you have one yourself and understand how to size them up.

 

[kerilli]

it prob isn't what you want to hear, but i would get a proper fitter out and try one, even if you have to pay £50 for it. some horses just don't go in them, and for a horse such as yours with a known problem, i would want to be absolutely sure he's comfy in it.

 

[Dressagebabe]

Thanks for the advice, Unfortunately the local fitter to my area is 100 miles away so I have used the WoW fitting guide on their website for Mail order users. His kissing spines are minimal, hence being able to still ride him without surgery to sort them. Thanks

 

[JenHunt]

you only need the gussets if he has very high withers, or hollows behind his shoulders.
you only need tabs if he is very wide or is round/ flat across the withers.
as for the flap, i would choose one that is as close to the shape of the one you ride in currently. SD is about the same as a VSD in conventional saddles. D is a standard dressage flap.
i love my wow saddle (i got a xcountry flap and shallw seat) as does my horse, but it will take you both a little while to get used to it!
best of luck, and hope you find the right one.

 

[Tierra]

Sadly Id echo Kerelli. I love the wows and wouldnt be without them but flair is a very different feel for both horse and rider and some horses illegidly dont like it.

Also, while the kissing spine issue maybe minimal, i'd still be wanting to ensure an absolutely perfect fit and really, you need one of their fitters out to ensure this (remember also that the flair adjustments need to be made by a 3rd party while you are ON and riding). The flair does need to be adjusted to individual horses for the fit to be exact.

Is the fitter unwilling to come out? Mine travelled a lot more than 100 miles to see my horse.

 

[Dressagebabe]

Thank you so much for your help, My gelding has quite low but wide withers with very large shoulder muscles that have NO hollows behind them! I use an Isabell Werth at present with a wide (red) gullet which is having used the WoW gauge, equivalent to a size 3 WoW headplate. I take it he will need a wide gullet with tabs and no gusset! Once again, many thanks

 

[Dressagebabe]

Thanks for your advice, I ride in an Isabell Werth with the Cair system which seems to suit him ok and according to my local saddler it is not too different in feel to the Flair system. the kissing spines are under the saddle area, so long as the gullet is wide the saddle has no effect on the spines so I am always careful when I choose him a new saddle. I am fortunate enough to be married to a Vet so I am very gened up on his problem (which he has had since a 4yrs old, now 14yrs) and how it effects the biomechanics of his spine & soft tissues under the saddle.