Wow saddles

MissJessica

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I'm researching saddle slippage...heard these saddles are built to support & correct weaknesses...I'd like to hear all about them please???
 

GemG

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I have a second hand dressage one and love it, but like other threads on here you and or horse tend to love or hate them. Myself being the former.

Key to most things ... A great fitter who knows what you both need. I've never had any problem with mine, it's fitted on my short coupled, well sprung, flat withered wide 14.2hh veteran who is trying dressage in his later years!

Try getting a try on one to see if you like the feel first yourself if you can, then find someone near you who knows all about them/fits them etc and quiz them to death! * try one yourself as no point if you don't like the feel of it, no matter how much it suits your horse *

They are very adjustable and as I say I will be looking to get another when I next need a saddle!

There are numerous girthing options for those tricky horses, to assist in fitting properly, but I've not exp these as not needed to.
 
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Burmilla

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Well, BK, that's an interesting description! I have a wonderful WoW (professional dressage model) which greatly benefitted my old short coupled big barrelled Arab gelding, my next Arab, who was narrow and longer in the back and now my Exmoor/gipsy cob, who resembles the first Arab in conformation.
The key to success with these saddles is with the fitter. I have had my WoW saddle for ten years. It was built and fitted by an excellent fitter, and have been able to keep her for the six month checks, ever since.
IME, people love them or hate them with an equal passion!
 

GemG

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Don't discount until you have tried yourself....

You may find you agree with tampon analogy, however I can assure you that is not how I would describe the feel at all! And I certainly wouldn't pay what I paid for a second hand saddle unless I found it fab! I could have got a new cheaper one in a different make.

I stand by the wow.
 

GemG

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Well, BK, that's an interesting description! I have a wonderful WoW (professional dressage model) which greatly benefitted my old short coupled big barrelled Arab gelding, my next Arab, who was narrow and longer in the back and now my Exmoor/gipsy cob, who resembles the first Arab in conformation.
The key to success with these saddles is with the fitter. I have had my WoW saddle for ten years. It was built and fitted by an excellent fitter, and have been able to keep her for the six month checks, ever since.
IME, people love them or hate them with an equal passion!

^^^agree totally...

Sounds like your first mentioned horse built like mine... Found the wow was one of the few wide enough.
 

BeingKate

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Erm - interesting analogy, care to expand?

Hehehe well how do I put this politely, I found them rather... err.... bulky around the lady regions...

However the 4 I ride in all clients horses and none have been fitted to me personally which may not be helping. Each to their own as they say, I'm sure there are some people out there who would hate my saddles, it really is personal preference.

As another poster said, you either love them or hate them. Or get sliced in half by them :p
 

FairyLights

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my very very wide horses have wintec saddles. one has the widest gullet available and the other has the next one down. they are VERY wide indeed. maybe worth a try.
 

GemG

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I did not buy this brand purely due to it being available as wide... there are lots of wide saddles out there. But it does seem v adjustable which is a bonus for some people.

It suits me and horse, jobs a good one.

As I say try one, marmite ... Love or hate !
 

GemG

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Oops meant to add...

They look a little different from the more conventional makes, so this aspect may put off the traditionalists. Not noticeable quite so much with rider on board.
 

milliepops

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However the 4 I ride in all clients horses and none have been fitted to me personally which may not be helping.

Coming to this thread a little late, but just to pick up on this point - I suspect that is the main cause of your problem. My fitter told me that the flair is adjusted to take account of the rider's weight and balance, as well as the shape of the horse. So riding in a saddle adjusted for someone else might feel a bit odd, if you are not very similar to the owner.
That's before you get into the angles that the flaps are set on, which stirrup bar is used etc etc.

OP, best thing you can do is get a fitter out (ask First Thought Equine for their recommended fitters in your area) and have a sit in one on your horse. It's a very very individual thing. I've had a dressage one (not my ideal spec but it fitted the horse and I bought second hand to fit my budget) and I have a jumping one which I bought new to my spec.
I wouldn't be parted from my jumping saddle, it suits me & horse perfectly. Super adjustable. You can have changes made to the seat to make it more comfortable to your "anatomy" if necessary.
 

ihatework

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Love my dressage one.

That said you have to remember they are fitted to rider as well as horse.

They definitely seem to be marmite saddles though. I'd actively avoided them thinking they were overpriced fad.

Current horse/ saddle has changed my opinion.

That said, my featherweight friend who has recently ridden in it said she felt very remote to the horse. It would be because the panels are set for me.
 

cremedemonthe

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Love my dressage one.

That said you have to remember they are fitted to rider as well as horse.

They definitely seem to be marmite saddles though. I'd actively avoided them thinking they were overpriced fad.

Current horse/ saddle has changed my opinion.

That said, my featherweight friend who has recently ridden in it said she felt very remote to the horse. It would be because the panels are set for me.

ALL saddles that are fitted professionally should be fitted to horse and rider, not just the horse.
As for Wow, have fitted a few, wasn't overly impressed, they seem to be trying to cover too many aspects, they're designed to work ok in most situations but brilliantly in none.
 

ihatework

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ALL saddles that are fitted professionally should be fitted to horse and rider, not just the horse.
As for Wow, have fitted a few, wasn't overly impressed, they seem to be trying to cover too many aspects, they're designed to work ok in most situations but brilliantly in none.

Yes but I think the feel you get from a wow is much worse than a regular flocked saddle if it isn't set up correctly.

For me I'm very happy. My horses scores went up around 4%, she is less girthy and I have a saddle than can be relatively easily fitted to another horse in the future. The amount of money I have poured into new flocked saddles from master saddlery which have been rubbish is unreal.
 

MagicMelon

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I've had my WOW adapted to fit my mare, it never slipped on any other horses I used it on prior - interestingly on my Luso x who had big active shoulders with other saddles the movement of his shoulders always forced his saddlecloth backwards (no matter which one I used) but not with the WOW so it definately gave his shoulders space to move underneath. My mare has been hell to fit a saddle to (very forward girth groove), it didn't fit previously, just went up her neck (as what happened with others) but now she's lost a bit of weight its working... I had to have a foregirth fitted to it to stop it moving forwards. It doesn't move side to side like my last saddle did (the only one that vaguely fitted her). My fitter is getting a balancing strap from WOW for me to try as well though as using the foregirth has meant the back of the saddle has lifted. After all these adaptions it will hopefully fit right.
 

MagicMelon

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Find the WOW really comfy again used on a flat backed no-wither cob. Found the Thorowgood T4 a complete crotch grabber!

Agree with this! It was a Thorowgood T4 Ive been using and I HATE it, horrid uncomfy saddle, no support at all for jumping and just awful. This is why Im going to such efforts to get my WOW to fit as I love it, its so comfy.
 

Goldenstar

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ALL saddles that are fitted professionally should be fitted to horse and rider, not just the horse.
As for Wow, have fitted a few, wasn't overly impressed, they seem to be trying to cover too many aspects, they're designed to work ok in most situations but brilliantly in none.

I think this was my issue being used to saddles that fitted me and the horse they where just awful for me , they can't be got narrow enough in the twist to fit me and I was used to saddle that fit me properly .
 

seejay

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ALL saddles that are fitted professionally should be fitted to horse and rider, not just the horse.
Wow, have fitted a few, wasnt mpressed, they seem to be trying to cover too many aspects, they're designed to work ok in most situations but brilliantly in none.


This could have been (wasn't) written by the saddlers who have lost a fortune from me being able to adjust the air in my saddles on a succession of young horses over the last ten years :)

Never had a horse that didn't love the shoulder freedom that is unique to wow trees.
 

Goldenstar

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This could have been (wasn't) written by the saddlers who have lost a fortune from me being able to adjust the air in my saddles on a succession of young horses over the last ten years :)

Never had a horse that didn't love the shoulder freedom that is unique to wow trees.

Tbh many dressage saddle give as good shoulder freedom as the wow .
Many many dressage saddle can be put onto the flair system if the horse likes it .
I use flailed dressage saddles on my horses before I buy them a proper saddle of their own .
 
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