About WOW Australia
Kiah Equine and WOW™
Kiah Equine is the Australian importer and distributor of the WOW™ product range.
The design is clever, it moves beyond intuition and “feel”, basing the design on measurement of weight and pressure, physiology of horse and rider, and sensible manufacturing principles.
Products are available either online, directly from Kiah Equine or through our re-seller network.
The Science of WOW™
The saddle is the link between horse and rider. Obvious. We need a saddle that carries the rider well on the horses back while allowing freedom of movement for the horse – without injury!
Here are the principles, for the horse:
- The saddle should carry the weight of the rider evenly on the largest possible surface areas along the length of the back between the 4 and 17th ribs.
- There should be no bridging or localised pressure points.
- The saddle must carry the weight of the rider longitudinally along the back while keeping the rider off the horse’s spine. This is the purpose of the saddle tree.
- The saddle should be wide enough to clear the withers and sit off the shoulder to allow freedom of movement of the shoulder. This is the saddle gullet.
- there should be no constraint or impediment to the horses shoulder movement, often a problem where the front of the saddle “bars”, part of the tree called points, reach forward of the last rib and constrict movement.
- the seat must be positioned such that when a rider is sitting correctly, the rider is placed over the centre of balance of the horse.
The saddle must also fit the rider:
- The length of the seat should suit the size of the rider.
- The width should suit the seat bones of the rider.
- The seat should be designed for the comfort of men and women.
- The seat should encourage the rider to sit squarely and in the right position while assisting in balancing the rider over the horses centre of gravity.
- Flaps should suit the discipline, the riders length of leg and comfort.
- The placement of the stirrups should assist the rider to maintain balance over the saddle while the horse is moving.
What you need.
If you can have a saddle that can be easily adjusted to meet the changing shape of horses, then you can also adjust the saddle when you change horses. An almost infinite number of variables.
How it used to work.
If it’s off the shelf it’s a matter of trail and error.
If it’s bespoke, some saddle fitters are better than others!
Every time you need it altered – call the saddle fitter.
How WOW™ works.
The final fitting is made onsite by adjusting the amount of air in the panels.
Make a mistake? Let the air out and do it again.
Horse changes shape? Change the air or change a module.
Trusted by Professionals
Megan Davies tells us why she rates the WOW Jumping Saddle.
Industry Insights
Horses change shape – so should your saddle
It is a well-known fact that horses change shape Or maybe it is not – A horse can feel a fly land – so obviously changes in the rider’s weight distribution are going to affect the horse. I suspect we just do not appreciate how little change is needed to alter the way...
Sweat marks and Flair
As with most things Flair we have to think about this a little differently than the “stable myths” would have us think. For example, you are unlikely to have an even dampness from sweat under the saddle. The Flair is a soft air fill, it is designed to move with the...
Saddle fitting in your hands
Saddle fitting is complicated. Trying a lot of off-the-rack saddles will get a close fit. You can have them modified by a saddle-fitter. Better yet, you can have a saddler build a perfectly fitting saddle, which will fit when its built but cannot accommodate the...