We’re excited to welcome WOW Saddles as sponsors of the National Equine Show 2025. We took the opportunity to catch up with David Kempsell, founder of WOW Saddles to find out more about the company, the saddles, and what you can expect to see at the National Equine Show…
For anyone that doesn’t know you, can you tell us a bit about WOW Saddles?
WOW didn’t start off making saddles. We first asked the question – what’s wrong with saddles – and we identified the flocking as the issue. So we developed Flair, launching it in ’98 after a lot of trials and tribulations and making sure it was going to last. It became evident that through a lot of pressure testing that we needed to do a few things about traditional saddles. So, we started thinking, ‘could we actually manufacture our own saddle?’, and that started a four year development process and WOW came out of it.
What makes WOW saddles different?
We’ve created something that is totally and utterly flexible and allows the horse to move its shoulders whilst being supportive for the rider. It’s that combination that really frees the horse up in conjunction with a huge bearing surface. We’ve got a bigger bearing surface on our English saddles than you would have on the same size Western saddle.
Then it’s modular. We wanted to give the perfect fit for the rider and for the horse. And the only way you’re going to achieve that is if you have something that is modular.
We’re also doing a lot with disabled riders because the beauty of a modular saddle is we can move all the blocks around and get it absolutely right- it gives you so much flexibility.
I always think that when saddle fitting with the traditional saddle, you’re looking for the best compromise. We’re not, we’re looking to give that horse and rider exactly what they want.
What’s your latest release at WOW Saddles?
Our Pinnacle Dressage saddle -it’s called the Pinnacle Dressage because I don’t think I can do any better! It suits so many different riders and horses. We’ve got over 700 fittings for a horse. For riders there’s a huge range of combinations of seats and the block can be placed to provide maximum stability. It can also be customised in terms of finish too.
Why are you going to the National Equine Show? What are you most excited about?
People! When you go to the same shows you tend to see the same faces and I think a new audience is what’s exciting about it. I’ve heard such good feedback about the show and I think it’s going to be the right thing for us to do.
What can people expect to see when they come to the stand at the National Equine Show?
Without blowing our own trumpet I think the one thing that everybody always says
about WOW stands is that they didn’t expect us to be able to give them as much
information about them, about their horses and how their horses work, by just looking at them!
Often, when you go onto a saddle stand, you sit on the seat and you think it’s
very nice, but we have the ability to adjust people to tell them about their riding habits and how they can correct them – we can show them how to correct it as well because we have the only saddle in the world that’s actually got a shimmable seat. Nobody, apart from a very very small percentage, and I’m talking 1% or less, can actually sit straight on a horse. Most of us in this country sit to the right, but we can
shim the saddle and get you sitting on both seat bones. We will probably
have a pressure testing mat too, that you can sit on and you can see where your seat bones are. So we can show you how you can make your horse’s life easier, more trainable and give you more comfort and more stability.