Wow Saddles: The Comeback

So, a few months ago, we had my former college professor (chair of the department, now retired, and my advisor, the woman that got me into Welsh Cobs) out for a Wow saddle fitting "clinic."

Dr. M fitting Ivan the Wonderful, First of His Name

Dr. M is not a rep for them, just a die hard fan who had her life changed by them (quite literally, she almost had to give up riding until these saddles solved her knee and hip pain, and bonus, made her horses go better than ever too) and has spent some time intensively shadowing a very talented Wow fitter (ah, retirement).

Last weekend, now that three of us have bought Wow saddles of our own, Dr. M came back to play again, and this time that fitter was on hand via video, with Dr. M on-site as her smart hands.

(And lest you question Dr. M's credentials, she has multiple hundred milers under her belt, including a completion on a borrowed horse at the Tom Quilty in Australia, which I believe made her the first American to ever finish it. The woman knows well-fitting tack, even if she's not a career saddle rep.)

Using a Wow saddle fitting gauge to estimate which parts Missy needs

 

If you're not familiar with Wow, a quick primer: they are completely modular (so every part can be swapped out), and they have a firm yet flexible carbon fiber tree with no tree points thanks to the way the Flair panels attach to it. This gives it a massive weight distributing bearing surface compared to most English saddles, as well as an incredibly narrow waist under the rider's thighs.

Taking one apart to swap a part out in the barn aisle at my first Wow fitting in 2019

You may remember that I wasn't super crazy about Wow when I had a different fitter out in 2019. I didn't sit in anything that Wow'd me (pun absolutely intended), I didn't develop a rapport with the fitter, and I didn't love how much tinkering it required.

Barnmate Deb sitting on a seat, tree and panels with no flaps

Well, my feelings have changed after finding one in Connor's specs that's older than dirt and practically free (in saddle terms). Connor has told me he likes it, I like it, and I also like that since I'm going to be riding a young horse again soon, I'll be able to swap parts in and out as he grows rather than buying a whole new saddle once a year.

Homeslice is suddenly going like he could get my last two Bronze scores next weekend. Note that this was before we adjusted the flocking so it had slid forward and put me in a chair seat. Much better now.

 

It's not that I don't love my Patrick. It still disappears into the background when I ride in it the way a good saddle should, and it's beautiful. But every time I walk into the tack room I find myself walking out with this damn 15+ year old saddle I got for less than I paid for my Fairfax bridle.

I have a suspicion Connor loves this tree. I already know he hates his shoulders feeling impinged upon from our previous saddle search, and he's so willing to lift his back and move forward in this saddle, it has surprised me.

About to go for a test ride to adjust the airbags after taking the saddle partially apart to change the billet positions.

I expected to hate it for myself - a long, straight flap with a long, straight thigh block - but I really don't. I feel so balanced and snugged in around him in it, and I don't notice the blocks or the flaps. This is in part because I'm able to choose which stirrup bar I'm using, which gives me enough room behind the blocks for my Mary Wanless knee.

I'm on the further back stirrup bar to give my knee room. You can also see here how there's practically nothing under the rider's thigh, allowing my short thighs to really snug in around Connor without any extra bulk.

I am also changing my feelings on tinkering. I've had the Patrick for years now and have never managed to get the flocking adjusted now that I'm not going to CGP's monthly. My barnmate has likewise had a hell of a time getting her much more local fitter out to adjust her Loxley. As former saddle fitter BFF Mary said, "Wool is the superior flocking choice unless you can never get it adjusted, then it's the worst."

I should hate everything about this, but I don't

Truth is, in this part of the country, being self-reliant is necessary. And with this fitter and the Wow saddle fitting gauge blessing the fit of the main components (tree shape, tree/seat size, headplate, panel shape/size), it's nice to be able to say "Hey Leah, I think this is riding a bit low on his weak side, do you mind adding a pump of air to the back right panel for me?" Rather than, you know, waiting half a year or more for a fitter to do that same thing!

Wow saddle fitting gauge. It's a lot more nuanced than I'm about to make it seem, but if the pendulum in the middle points straight down both when the horse is standing normally and when you do a belly lift, you know those components are probably correct. The front piece of the gauge is swappable based on headplate shape (they come in U, V and UU shape profiles and 11 different sizes).

Not only that, but being able to ride past the mirrors (bless) and see if it's popping up or bridging or shooting my leg forward makes me much more confident in troubleshooting minor flocking changes I need to make.

Finally, my barnmates are getting on the Wow bandwagon too, which means we have a slowly increasing pile of spare parts to play with. Want to slap a bigger seat on your saddle or try a different sized headplate or a set of panels that sit a little lower? Get a new horse that requires a flat tree instead of a semi-curved tree? Someone probably has you covered, and is also more than happy to give you a second set of eyes.

Video fitting our haul-in's young horse

I don't know. But I'm rolling with it. And if you happen to have any Wow spare parts for sale...