WOW saddles: so OK please convince me they're worth the money!

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Sorry, sorry, sorry, yet another "saddle" thread!

A friend of mine has just bought one of these saddles............ and is delighted with it.

BUT (big "but") they're a tad out of my current price-range. If buying one, I'd want to buy it with a credit card, for two reasons, firstly that I've just had a negative saddle experience with another company which if I'd purchased the wretched thing with a credit card I'd have had certain consumer rights, PLUS with Credit Card you can spread out the cost! BUT apparently WOW won't accept Credit Cards???

Anyway....... I saw their stand at a local equine event; and I think their prices start up around the two thousand mark, or thereabouts.

That's a lotta dosh for a saddle; which admittedly should be "the saddle for life" as apparently they're fully adjustable in every possible sense, BUT as I'm just a happy hacker basically, that is one helluva lot of money for a trot around the block

If they won't accept credit card for payment, I don't see how I could afford to kit out my two horses............ - so, unfortunately, guess the question I'm asking is merely rhetorical.

But....... peep's that have them: ARE they worth the money? Would you buy another? What was the after-sales service like?

Has anyone had one of these saddles for a while: any issues arising? (especially with regard to the air panels; had a Wintec with these in and know they're prone to collapsing!).

 

[Copperpot]

I bought one new in November 2012. Sold it 8 months later. It never really fitted properly and slipped to the side. It was also very heavy. Saying that before I sold it I tried it on my other horse and he moved lovely in it.

 

[JillA]

I know someone who loves hers, but I did look at one a couple of years ago and agree about the weight. I would struggle to lift it onto my 16.1hh horse, decrepit old pensioner that I am

 

[RunToEarth]

My friends raved about them so I bought new fitted to my horse. I hated it and sold it to my local saddlery a year later and got a lovely ideal cc. I just felt horrendously perched on it, it almost pushed my seat too far forwards and in the three months I did ride in it I fell off a hell of a lot. Thankfully they seem to hold their value so I didn't loose anything on it.

 

[Spacehopper]

Wow saddles can be very good - but a lot depends on your saddle fitter so I'd only consider one if I knew the local fitter was very good.
They are heavy - but if well fitted the weight is negligible compared to that of a rider so I don't think this is a problem for the horse. When I borrowed one the weight of the saddle was more of a problem for me than it was for my horse as I was taking it home daily and trying to get it into the back of a tiny car to transport it then trying to wrestle it into the cupboard under the stairs at home!

 

[cptrayes]

I haven't used anything else for years because of the freedom of shoulder movement that they allow the horse. As a plus, I get total adjustability. I have my own pump and a whole range of guilet plates.

If you buy of eBay, you can sell again and lose very little, or even make a profit, if you don't get on with it.

I recommend a wool numnah or a geleze, some horses can feel the airbag overlap.

The air bags are nothing like Cair and they rarely fail. I have had three saddles in heavy use for five years and only one air bag failure. It was second hand and probably quite old. I stuck it back together with pound shop superglue three years ago and it has been perfect ever since Sometimes the tubes can stick together and then split as you pull them out, again only when they are old, but they are so long that you can just chop off the bit with the hole in.

If you buy second hand, make sure you get the leather tree not the resin, they are a lot lighter. Then you will also avoid the problem of the head bolt holder breaking free, which only occurred in resin trees. And you will also avoid a period that they went through a few years back when the seats were filled too high for most people and were terribly uncomfortable.

They use properly died leather, not coated, so although this does mean that it does not rub off, it can fade, particularly the black, though they seem to be better lately.

They are expensive, but for horses that change shape, they have saved me a fortune on not having to replace saddles. Both my horses have gone up a gullet size this autumn, due to maturity, not weight.

 

[wallykissmas]

I had one and hated it, too heavy and slipped like mad. Horse always had a sore back with it and this stopped when we changed to a wintec.

 

[Copperpot]

I had my horses back scanned after using the Wow and it was extremely sore. I now have an Ideal Impala pro. Has never slipped and his back is fine. He used to bite me when I girthed up the Wow, since having the Ideal this has stopped.

 

[Lgd]

I have three and hate riding in anything else.
Got my first one in 2004 followed by another in 2005 for the other horse.
The mare who got hers first went from scoring low 60's at elementary level to qualifying for the petplan festival finals at medium just three months after switching into it. I thought she had topped out at elementary, she has subsequently competed up to PSG and has just come back into competition and qualified for regionals after 3 years off on maternity duties.
Second saddle went onto my established advanced horse and her scores went up, plus for the first time ever I could sit to her extended trot because she was so much more through in her back.
I have just bought a third one for my 3yo stallion who is getting backed in the spring.
Second and third were bought second hand, although over the years I have switched bits out of number two so it is now an entirely new saddle. I switched the seat and flaps initially (To an XD seat and giant high flaps) as it was going onto my young mare when she was backed and she is considerably more 'athletic' than her mother (the original owner). Once she muscled up she needed different panels, that was expected and for the amount of ridden work her Mum now does they are alike enough in shape to use the saddle on both with it fitted specifically to B.

You need a good fitter - if saddle is slipping/feel off balance/etc then the fitting is wrong. Either wrong panels or wrong air balance. I've heard horror stories about fitting and it put a good friend off for a number of years before she tried mine and then I fitted one onto her mare. To get the right set up from scratch will take around 2 hours from selecting the parts that suit to fully fitting it. I'm incredibly lucky as my fitter is a rider and trainer herself, I have a set for fitting and just get her to check it every 6 months or so unless I have a problem I can't fathom. You do need to work with your fitter to get the best out of it. When they first go into a WOW they change shape very quickly and have had one go 2 plate sizes in 2weeks. That is one of the reasons I learnt to do basic fit and adjustments myself.

Weight - little or no difference between my WOW and my old Barnsby dressage. Means nothing to the horse, the newer ones are lighter.

No problem with the bags. You can't compare them to CAIR as that is just air filled foam which is not adjustable and eventually deteriorates.

What you could try is to get a fitter out to work out if the horse/you like it and what set up is needed. Then either buy second hand on ebay as parts or a full saddle. The other option is to try and find a WOW Club with air flock (you can also get them with foam flock) as they tend to be cheaper.

 

[EmmyMD]

They all need to go on a fire.
Hate hate hate hate hate. Never sat in one that was comfy, I think thy are really heavy and nah.

 

[catembi]

I love them! Got mine 2nd hand around 2007, & I agree re fitter - my fitter is really fab. It is probs the only saddle that would refit from a chunky ISH to my ex-racer.

The best bit is the effect on my back. I wrecked my sacroiliac joint when I was 13 (I'm 42) getting rolled on, & have v nearly given up riding once or twice as my back was so painful. The Wow is like getting a new spine. I can jump, do sitting trot, ride for miles... it is fantastic.

I want another one for my ISH, so if any Wow haters have a tatty GP/vaguely jumping one that they don't want too much for, don't be afraid to PM...!

You could look on ebay as there is the odd one for £600ish, then get a fitter out & change the front plate, which is £50.

T x

 

[Darremi]

Like many others have said they are extremely heavy compared to other types of saddle. You have to be careful not to overburden the horse as the combined weight of rider and saddle is considerable.

They are also not very stable and tend to roll to the side. And the feel is not great either. Like somebody else said you are very perched on top.

But then again I was trying to event in it. A WOW is probably better suited to hacking or dressage. Definitely not the right shape for jumping.

 

[nuttychestnut]

If you are only going to be hacking, then do you really need to spend £2k plus on a saddle? If you are looking for a comfortable saddle, why don't you look at Weston or endurance?

 

[charlimouse]

IME they are horrid saddles. The airbags in mine were faulty and burst within 6 months. To be fair Wow were very good and replaced the whole airbag system and also updated the head plate for free. However since than I just didn't trust it any more. Add to that the fact it didn't seem to fit me at all and I felt very perched, this means it has spent the past 4 years collecting dust at home!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

love mine, hate riding in anything else. I would strongly recommend an excellent fitter and have one on trial (if they still do that) as they can take a little time to get used to and rarely, a horse will have a pretty big reaction to one. I also bought mine as an ex demo, for half the RRP at the time in perfect nick so it was a bit of a bargain. they are heavy its true.

 

[cptrayes]

Like many others have said they are extremely heavy compared to other types of saddle. You have to be careful not to overburden the horse as the combined weight of rider and saddle is considerable.

They are also not very stable and tend to roll to the side. And the feel is not great either. Like somebody else said you are very perched on top.

But then again I was trying to event in it. A WOW is probably better suited to hacking or dressage. Definitely not the right shape for jumping.

I have plenty of photos of jumping six foot hedges in mine

They are only unstable of wrongly fitted with air bags too full of air.

 

[Nancykitt]

I considered one and was told that they are as good as the fitter; getting a perfect fit via the airbags is a very skilled job.
In the end I had a saddle made by All Saddle Solutions which uses the same airbag principle - but they are much lighter than WOW and there aren't as many options (basically they come in the usual GP, plus a couple of jumping and dressage saddles, etc - but not the selection of different components that you get with WOW). They are also considerably less expensive.
We have three of these wonderful saddles now, one for each of our horses. Can't speak highly enough of them.

 

[amandaco2]

I tried them and had a fitter out six times in 9 months but still didnt sit stable on mares back. Felt like a trampoline.
So gave up after physio said her back nr the rear edge of the saddle was becoming very sore.
now in prestige, which seems to suit all three comp horses. No better for my purse tho!

 

[amandaco2]

It was lots heavier than my prestige too. I had the steel head plates which I think added lots tho.

 

[Roody2]

I am in the negative camp on these. I had a Wow fitter out to trial various seat/flap combinations and the saddle spec we set upon at the time was great. I then bought the exact same saddle from them and it was different. Same fitter came out but I always felt perched and as if the saddle was wedging into the horses shoulder despite being 'fitted' and adjusted to his shape. Fast forward 2 weeks and I had a VERY unhappy horse, sore back and misbehaving as a result.
I also had to have 2 Physio visits to the horse to rectify his back. The saddle never fitted, and I could feel the bolts in the headplate against his wither - no wonder he got sore!!
Cut my losses and sold it.

 

[cptrayes]

I considered one and was told that they are as good as the fitter; getting a perfect fit via the airbags is a very skilled job.
In the end I had a saddle made by All Saddle Solutions which uses the same airbag principle - but they are much lighter than WOW and there aren't as many options (basically they come in the usual GP, plus a couple of jumping and dressage saddles, etc - but not the selection of different components that you get with WOW). They are also considerably less expensive.
We have three of these wonderful saddles now, one for each of our horses. Can't speak highly enough of them.

Do they have the lateral flexion of the head of the saddle that is the first reason I bought one, because of the way it moves with the horse's shoulders??

 

[Frumpoon]

I'd avoid, wouldn't have one again...mine nag found the movement of air on his back very distressing...so he put me on the ground which I found very distressing...the fitters aren't masters saddlery or owt like that either, just a little course in blowing bags up and down....

 

[cptrayes]

It would help if people could put a year on when they had bad experiences. There were certainly bad seats made around 2007. There were periods where there were bad fitters. And there were some panels around in the earlier years where the stitch lines were wrongly set and pressed into the horse's back at the back. All of those caused issues that are lately resolved now unless you buy an old second hand saddle.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I have a love hate relationship with mine. I find it very comfortable (did a 20 mile ride in it and my bum was about the only thing that didn't hurt), but I can only have webbers which I hate, and I can only use one setting on the stirrup bar. Everyone that has sat on it has loved it and not yet found a hater, but the whole thing is not cheap and while you can pretty much build a new saddle yourself for each discipline it costs. I have the competitor which was built for me in 2010. It is in theory the new lighter one, but I hate to think how heavy the older ones were as mine is not exactly light! But I have suspicions about my whole saddle make up.

It is also a minimum of £90/time to get a fitting, and it is only recently that you could get the adjustment kit without being given the nod from a fitter (and what fitter would do that as it would take away business).

I would really make sure you are comfortable with how a saddle should fit as even a slight change in the volume of air can alter the fit to cause issues and you need to spot this sooner than later.

 

[lisa_dundee]

I bought a second hand one, mine is a new leather tree on a flat y-bar. I have scoliosis, a displaced hip and a damaged disc, I am always in agony after riding but with the wow my back pain has significantly decreased! I have the extra deep dressage seat and I love it, it's comfortable and secure but it took some getting used to as I did feel a bit perched on top to start with. The saddle is heavy and there is a bit of movement which I don't like and to be honest I don't think mine is fitted correctly, although I am going to try a H-girth and see if that stabilises it more. I think the fitter play a vital role in buying these saddles

 

[flyingfeet]

I think you like wows if you are happy adjusting your own saddles. I love the freedom they offer, and i'm never perched.

Weight wise they are lighter than my stock saddles!