Performance Equine - WOW Saddles Sally Talbot-Smith

21/09/2026

Fern Collier looking fabulous as the Pony Club Champs.

30/08/2026

Caz Mosley and Kenny absolutely flying at Scone!

19/08/2026

I’m organising these clinics so any clients interested in coming, just pop me a message.

Charlie is in high demand across the globe with more than 20 venues ranging from British Dressage clinics within the UK to coaching in the USA and Asia.

04/08/2026

Hazel Nelson and her gorgeous Star Trooper had a brilliant month. Seen here at Oatridge and Alnwick Ford BEs where they were 6th and 3rd respectively with double clears at both. Fabulous!

01/08/2026

21/07/2026

🦴 How WOW Saddles Sit On The Scapula Differently (And Why It Matters) 🦴

Here's something that separates WOW saddles from traditional design:

How the saddle accommodates the scapula's movement fundamentally changes what the horse can do with their shoulder.

Let me explain:

TRADITIONAL SADDLE POSITIONING:

Traditional saddles sit BEHIND the scapula.

Why?

Because traditional saddles have tree points—hard pressure points at the front of the tree that extend downward (length varies by brand, typically 5-12+ inches depending on wither type).

If you put a saddle with tree points directly over where the scapula needs to move, those hard points would restrict the scapula's rotation and swing.

So traditional saddles sit further back, away from the scapula, to give the shoulder blade room to move forward and back as the horse moves.

The trade-off:
Shoulder freedom ✅ (within limits)
Shorter bearing surface ❌
More concentrated pressure ❌
Less total support ❌

WOW SADDLE POSITIONING:

WOW saddles can sit further forward because of one key difference: they have no tree points.

Instead of hard pressure points, the WOW tree has a lobe-shaped front that incorporates the stirrup bars without creating the pressure points that restrict movement.

But here's the crucial part:

The WOW Y-bar tree has lateral flexion.

As the horse moves and the scapula rotates back, the headplate of the saddle actually twists with the movement. The tree flexes laterally—side to side—to accommodate the scapula's backward swing.

The scapula can rotate freely UNDER the saddle because the tree moves WITH it, not against it.

The Pointless Panel System extends the bearing surface to 12-13 inches instead of the traditional 7-12.5 inches, distributing weight over a much larger area.

The benefit:
Scapula freedom ✅ (greater than traditional saddles)
Extended bearing surface (12-13") ✅
Distributed pressure ✅
Superior support ✅

WHAT THIS ACTUALLY MEANS:

By allowing lateral flexion of the tree, WOW saddles:
✅ Let the scapula rotate and swing freely as it needs to
✅ Distribute weight over a much larger area (because panels extend further down the ribcage)
✅ Provide superior support without restricting movement
✅ Reduce pressure points from both the saddle design AND the horse's skeleton

The scapula doesn't get trapped. It moves freely under a tree that flexes WITH it.

THE BIOMECHANICS:

Think about how the scapula moves:

As the horse moves, the scapula rotates back and down. It needs space and freedom to do this.

Traditional design: Saddle sits further back → creates space in front → but less bearing surface, more concentrated pressure elsewhere.

WOW design: Saddle sits further forward → tree flexes laterally as scapula rotates under it → bearing surface extends further down → weight distributed over much larger area → no restriction.

It's not that WOW saddles give the scapula space in front (like traditional saddles do). It's that the lateral flexion allows the scapula to rotate and move UNDER the saddle without being restricted by tree points.

REAL-WORLD DIFFERENCE:

Horses in traditional saddles: Good shoulder freedom due to saddle positioning, but pressure is concentrated in certain areas.

Horses in WOW saddles: Full scapular freedom due to lateral flexion of the tree PLUS weight distributed over a much larger surface area.

Result: Better movement, less compensatory tension, improved long-term soundness.

WHY THIS POSITIONING MATTERS:

The scapula's range of motion directly affects:

Stride length
Shoulder engagement
Impulsion
Overall movement quality
Long-term soundness

A saddle that allows free scapular movement while distributing weight over a larger area is biomechanically superior.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE DESIGN:

This isn't theoretical. It's based on:

Equine anatomy (how the scapula actually moves)
Biomechanics (how movement happens)
Pressure testing (Dundee University studies)
Gait analysis (how horses move differently)

The WOW lateral flexion design exists because it's scientifically supported to improve movement and reduce pressure.

Feel your horse's shoulder movement in your WOW saddle

🦴 The free scapular movement and lateral flexibility is noticeable once you understand it

🐴 This is why horses often move differently in WOW saddles

The way a saddle accommodates scapular movement changes everything about how your horse can move.

09/07/2026

🎯 WOW Headplates: The Science Behind The Flexibility 🎯

Here's something that blows people's minds when they understand it:

Most saddles come in maybe 4-6 different widths.

WOW comes in 19 different headplate sizes.

And it's not just about having more options. It's about how those options WORK.

First, the specs:

WOW headplates come in 19 sizes across 3 different shapes, with angles ranging from 73 to 143 degrees. The most common "U" headplates are available in 11 sizes, with 7 degrees difference between each size.

That range means:

73 degrees = extremely narrow/very high withers
143 degrees = 8X wide/flat-backed horses

By contrast, most saddle manufacturers only offer headplates ranging from 80 degrees (narrow) to 110 degrees (extra wide).

WOW goes almost TWICE as wide.

BUT, the shape affects balance and fit

Now here's where it gets clever - the THREE shapes

"V" HEADPLATES
For horses with very narrow spinal processes and very little shoulder
But here's the interesting part: a V isn't just for narrow horses. A V headplate on a downhill horse with broad withers keeps the pommel up and the saddle balanced, where a UU on the same horse would allow the saddle to rock because the front isn't supported.

"U" HEADPLATES
The most commonly used headplates, available in 11 different sizes from 73-143 degrees. The middle arch - the "normal" position for most horses.

"UU" HEADPLATES
For horses with exceptionally wide spinal processes and musculature - your drafts, your broad-backed cold bloods, your horses with massive muscle development.

The ultra-wide arch accommodates horses that traditional saddles just can't fit.

Here's another thing that makes WOW different from other "changeable headplate" saddles:

The WOW tree is Y-shaped, with the point of the Y at the pommel. It's totally rigid front-to-back, but the area where the headplate sits is totally flexible which allows extreme flexibility at the front without sacrificing strength throughout the rest of the saddle. It allows the tree to mould around whatever shaped headplate is put in it.

Traditional saddles cannot do this angle change in a single tree because their trees are fixed-geometry. Change one thing, and everything shifts.

What does that mean in real terms?

With traditional saddles that have "changeable" headplates, if you change the angle, you change the ENTIRE geometry of the saddle.

The whole tree shifts.

With WOW?

The stirrup bars move to the new angle and keep a smooth line with the rest of the tree. The saddle maintains its structural integrity while the front flexes to fit.

So you're not compromising the rest of the saddle to fit a different width.

Why this matters in practice:

Horse A: Flat-backed cob with no wither
You find a headplate that fits the width. The saddle sits stable and secure. Not compromised, not fighting the shape.

Horse B: High-withered warmblood
You find a headplate that accommodates the height. The pommel clears properly. The rest of the saddle geometry stays intact.

Horse C: Broad-backed Iberian
You find a wide headplate. The saddle sits balanced. The UU arch accommodates the width without the rest of the tree distorting.

Horse D: Young draft growing weekly
You start with one headplate. As they develop, you swap to the next size up. The same saddle grows with them.

The 7-degree increments matter:

The difference between each U headplate size is 7 degrees.

That's small enough to fine-tune fit without massive jumps.

You can adjust gradually.

But headplate width isn't the whole story:

Horses change shape constantly:

In and out of training (muscle development changes wither height)
Young horses growing and developing
Seasonal weight changes
Returning from injury

As horses move in and out of work, a change in headplate may often be needed.

They often move between two sizes - one for when they're in training, and one for when they first return to work after resting.

With a WOW system, you swap the headplate. Easy. With a traditional saddle? You're stuck.

The flexibility difference:

Real-world examples:

Flat-backed cob that "can't be fitted" - WOW goes to 143 degrees. Problem solved.

Narrow Thoroughbred - WOW goes to 73 degrees. More range than anyone else.

Growing young horse - Start at one headplate size, swap as they develop. One saddle for years.

Horse developing massive musculature - Swap to a wider headplate as muscles build. Saddle adapts.

What this means for you:

If you have a "difficult to fit" horse, WOW's headplate range probably has a solution.

If you have a horse that changes shape seasonally or with training, you're not buying a new saddle - you're swapping a headplate.

If you have a growing young horse, one WOW saddle adapts throughout their development.

We'll find the right headplate for YOUR horse's shape without compromise for you or your horse

Your horse's shape is unique. Your saddle should be too.

07/07/2026

Claire McNay flying for 2nd in the BE100 at Oatridge this weekend.

04/07/2026

Many of you will have heard me talking about gaping anatomical girths!

🔬 The Anatomical Girth Myth That's Actually Making Things Worse 🔬

I need to say something controversial:

Most "anatomical" girths aren't reducing pressure. They're concentrating it.

And it comes down to basic physics.

Here's the problem:

Marketing tells us: "Curved anatomical design follows the horse's natural shape and distributes pressure evenly!"

Reality tells us: Pressure doesn't follow curves. It follows straight lines.

The physics:

Pressure travels from point A to point B in the most direct route possible. It doesn't politely follow the curved contour of your "anatomical" girth.

Instead, it goes STRAIGHT through.

What this means:

When you have a CURVED anatomical girth, that straight-line pressure hits the EDGE of the curve.

All the pressure concentrates on that one edge.

Result? GREATER pressure in a smaller area. Exactly the opposite of what you wanted.

Compare it to a straight girth:

With a straight girth, that same pressure spreads across the entire contact surface evenly.

Pressure is distributed. It's not concentrated on edges.

Which one actually reduces pressure?

The straight girth wins. Every time.

Why the anatomical myth persists:

Because it SOUNDS right.

Curved = follows shape = must be better.

But physics doesn't care about marketing. Pressure travels in straight lines.

The real culprits of girth pressure problems:

🚩 Girth placed wrong (too far forward or back)

🚩 Saddle balance creating uneven weight

🚩 Girth too tight (restricts breathing and movement)

🚩 Poor quality materials that don't distribute evenly

🚩 Wrong girth type for the horse's anatomy

What actually matters:

✅ Correct girth PLACEMENT

✅ Proper girth TIGHTNESS (snug, not strangling)

✅ Even saddle balance above it

✅ Quality materials with good contact

✅ The RIGHT WIDTH for your horse's girth groove

A well-placed, properly fitted STRAIGHT girth will outperform a fancy anatomical girth every time.

But what about those specialised girths?

Some anatomical designs DO work - but not because of the curve.

They work because:

They're positioned correctly
They use quality materials
They're the right width for that horse
The overall system (saddle + girth + fit) works together

Not because the curve magically distributes pressure.

Don't buy a girth because it LOOKS anatomical.

Buy one because:

It's the right width for your horse's groove
It's placed correctly (behind the elbow)
It's made of quality material
It works within a properly fitted saddle system

Physics wins. Every time.

I can help you find the right girth for YOUR horse (straight, curved, split - whatever works)

Don't fall for marketing. Follow the physics.

20/06/2026

Okay, we admit it, the saddles we produced 20 years ago with the resin trees were heavier than some other saddles, but to give them their due, there's a lot of them still being used today!

It's a testament to the quality of construction that has always been at the heart of how WOW saddles are made.

But we never rest on our laurels and each generation of our saddles have got lighter and lighter.

That being said...a saddle that distributes the rider's weight over the maximum healthy surface area will always serve your horse better than one chosen by weight alone, and that's where WOW excels.

We've written a blog about this, so check the comments for the link.