WOW Saddles

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spotless

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Hi all!

I'm new to the forum and am after some advice on WOW Saddles if anyone has any experience with them!? :)

I have a 15.2hh appaloosa x called spotless who is a rather portly chap so I would like the saddle to be as adjustable as possible as he is getting slimmer! :D

I currently have a wintec 500 which i have had for about 3 years it has done the job so far but I'm concerned about how solid it is and the fact that its synthetic it doesnt mould to him and seems quite restrictive. Plus surprisingly I'm missing cleaning a leather saddle!

We mainly hack and school, I am planning on doing some sponsored rides this year too!

Do you think spending all the money on a WOW saddle would be a bit extravagant when I only really hack?

Have you seen improvements in your horses since changing to a WOW? What did you have before?

Has anyone got any other reccomendations for saddles if you think a WOW saddle is not suitable?

Any advice would be very much appreciated!
 
Hiya,

I have asked the same question and the consencus was that it depends on the WOW fitter in your area! If you type WOW saddle into the search bar the previous threads should be listed :D
 
I would agree with the OP that WOWs seem to rely upon the fitter.

I wouldn't discount treeless sadddles - a good quality one can be bought easily second hand from Ebay. PM me if you want to know which ones to bid on.

If you are very keen on a treed, Reactor Panel saddles have a good rep and Specialized Saddles are also fully adjustable (if a little non conventional looking).
 
Also be aware that some horses hate the feel of the flair as do some riders. If you get one be VERY picky who fits it (get reccommendations rather than looking for the local one on the Wow site),and make sure you can try it out doing all activities before you go ahead. I have personally found that none of my horses liked the Wow saddle I had, and neither did I. Yet I have ridden other peoples horses who have gone very well in them, I think of them a bit like marmite, you either love them, or hate them.
 
My horses have generally gone really well in their wows, with the exception of just one horse but the other two loved it, and really improved in their flatwork quite drastically.It was the only dressage saddle my kissing spine horse would have on his back. Its GORGEOUS to ride in, so comfortable but does take some getting used to!

as others have said , do get a excellent fitter, and also be aware that there was one batch of wow saddles that were manufactured with the locking plates the wrong way round ( they had a new saddle maker in which didnt quite know what they were doing)which makes the panels fit on all wrong. A lot of fitters do not notice this error and are not actually sure which way round the plates should be. I think this reason could be another reason why a lot of the saddles have failed for some people/horses.
 
I personally hate my WOW saddle- it is so uncomfortable and generates complaints from others who ride in it. It has a major crease across the middle and has been refitted umpteen times. I complained to WOW about one saddle fitter who told me the crease was unavoidable as were the lumps my horse was developing. I have to say they sent another fitter at their expense who put the saddle right for the horse, although he now has white hair where one of the lumps was and he is a black horse - not good!!

If I could afford it I would replace it but they are so expensive and I will only loose a lot of money.

Would not buy another - although I am interested in the comments about panels being fitted incorrectly!
 
I finally gave up on my WOW saddle after 18 months of trying to get along with it.
It did suit my big moving Warmblood, but didnt do anything for my Irish Draught at all.
And I just never felt comfortable in it, almost felt "perched" on the top of my horses.
They do really seem to be love em or hate em saddles, as my instructor loves hers but the friend who couldnt wait to buy mine off me at a bargain price also hates it and is looking for a "regular" saddle now.
 
Love em. Got six at the moment, though one for sale. I fit them myself and never have any problems getting an SDWG panel to fit any horse I have. I never use them without a geleze as the airbag overlap often causes lumps otherwise.

They are VERY dependent on which person in the factory made them and how much padding they put in the seat. For me, too much padding is VERY uncomfortable. They can no way be described as "close contact", you are sat a fair way above the horse.

But my horses move superbly in them. The adjustability has saved me thousands over the 5 years I have had them on young, fast-changing horses.

I buy off eBay otherwise they are a tad expensive.
 
Thanks so much for all your responses! I'm going to Badminton where I shall have a good look at all the options but was interested to get personal experiences rather than just getting a sales person push something on me!

Thanks again!
 
I love them, i have 3! They are great for the horse IF they are fitted properly. But the same goes for any saddle, they need to be fitted properly. There is alot to getting them right and if fitted badly it does seem to be the saddle that gets the blame as a make to avoid. So you do need to have confidence in the fitter and they know what they are doing.

They are the most adjustable saddle available, so as long as the tree and panel type are selected properly you can change the balance as required by the horse to a very accurate small amount as often as needed. You cant do that with traditional flock, nor as frequently. You can also feel the horses movement brilliantly and better than many other saddles.

IMO they are worth every penny. Badminton is a great time to speak to them and see the range. Take some photos of your horse and they will discuss which style may suit you best.
 
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