31/10/2024
Wow! After a very long trip all the way to Wow HQ in the UK, my husband Joe, and I are proud to announce we are the new Wow Saddle reps for California.
Wow's owners and developers, David & Maggie, patiently instructed us over dozens of hours in classroom and lab time, and to say we are blown away would be an understatement.
I have spent 40 years riding horses across the entire spectrum of disciplines, but recent health challenges forced me to retire from training and move into tack sales. It's been a lot of fun, but I've missed riding terribly. I know a lot of trainers and amateurs alike suffer from discomfort when in the saddle, but our love for the sport helps us push through and keep going.
The same could be said for our trusty steeds. Most suffer in silence, or attempt to communicate their own discomfort only to be disciplined by their rider. But what's the cause?
Today, more technology is invested and involved in purchasing a single golf club than a saddle. Narrow, Medium, or Wide trees, and various flap options to accomodate legs and those are your only options.
Wow Saddles are offering something new - over 1,700 combinations of gullets, flaps, seats, panels, girthing, and more. All that, in a completely modular design which means you can take apart your saddle with a single screwdriver and change flaps, seats, girthing arrangements, and stirrup bar placement depending on your discipline. They truly do make custom saddles for each horse & rider pair by approaching saddle fitting in a scientific and technological way using the patented Wow Saddle Gauge.
In the last photos of this post, you can see Gillian Higgins' (of Horses in Motion) famous horse, Arty, now with his excellent new owner, working for 20 minutes in his newly-fitted Wow saddle with Flair air panels.
Arty and Tom hunt, but last year Arty began souring to the fences and no amount of vet or body work was solving the issue. The culprit turned out to be his saddle. You can see the changes in Arty over this first ride as he slowly begins to realize he no longer needs to protect himself from that pain. Note the changes in engagement from behind and improvement in his stride length on the flat. Over fences, he began jumping inverted with his ears pinned but after just 10 jumps, he began eagerly taking Tom to the fence, using his back to improve his bascule, and really squaring and tightening his front legs in the air. Most importantly, notice the change in his expression from pinned ears and tight lips to forward ears and a soft, happy expression.
Joe, Katie Farrell, and I were so proud we could be a part of improving the quality of Arty's life.
I'm pleased to say I also found a saddle that did not cause me pain when riding - something I've been searching decades for. Something I never thought I would experience again after trying just about every saddle and every gel, wool, and foam seat cover on the market only to be disappointed over and over.
We can't wait to offer the same to riders of all disciplines across California.
Over the coming weeks, Delfina Saddlery will be going through some changes in order to carry Wow equipment exclusively. We hope to educate you in all the amazing technology involved in the creation of a Wow saddle, and how improving your horse's comfort under saddle will bring improvements to their overall performance, their quality of life, and your enjoyment of our sport.
Thank you, David & Maggie, for welcoming us into your home and providing the experience and education of a lifetime.
Look out for Joe and I at your next horse show, and if you're interested in having your horse fitted for a Wow, please don't hesitate to call, email, or PM us to make an appointment.
