One of the most significant advantages of owning a WOW saddle is the Flair air panel system — a genuinely innovative approach to saddle fitting that replaces traditional flocked wool panels with air-filled panels that can be precisely adjusted to achieve an accurate, even, and comfortable fit for your individual horse. Unlike wool-flocked panels, which compress and change shape over time, Flair panels maintain their shape and pressure distribution remarkably well between professional fittings — but they are not entirely maintenance-free.

Knowing how to check your Flair panels correctly between professional visits is an important part of owning and caring for a WOW saddle. The checks described here are designed to help you monitor your saddle’s fit and identify when a professional review is needed — they are not a substitute for professional fitting, and they do not enable you to make adjustments yourself.

Understanding the Flair panel system

Flair panels are air-filled cushions divided into sections — typically a front and a rear section on each side of the saddle. During your fitting appointment, your fitter introduces a precisely calibrated amount of air into each section using a specialist pump and needle, placing pressure exactly where it is needed to achieve an even, balanced fit for your horse. Because air is compressible and responsive, Flair panels conform to the shape of the horse’s back during movement, distributing pressure more evenly than a static panel and accommodating the natural movement of the back during work.

The pressure within the panels can be increased or decreased by adding or removing air through a valve system, allowing the fit to be fine-tuned precisely as the horse changes shape over time — something that is simply not possible with traditional flocked panels without a complete reflocking.

What changes between fittings

Understanding what can change helps you know what to look for. Your horse’s muscle development — particularly through the back, topline, and shoulder — will change over time in response to workload, diet, and the quality of their ridden work. Weight gain or loss affects the shape of the back and how the saddle sits. Seasonal changes, particularly the transition between winter and summer, can produce significant shifts in condition that affect saddle fit. Changes in workload — moving from light hacking to more intensive flatwork or jumping — can produce changes in muscle development relatively quickly, and age-related changes in older horses can affect the shape of the back over time.

Air pressure within the panels can also change very slightly over time, though Flair panels are designed to hold their pressure well.

What you’ll need

• Your WOW saddle — clean and dry before you begin
• A clean, well-lit area in which to work
• Your horse — brought in and allowed to stand quietly for a few minutes, so their muscles are relaxed and their back is in its normal resting state
• A clean, thin numnah or no numnah at all for the under-saddle checks — checking without a thick numnah gives you a more accurate picture of how the panels are sitting
• A helper if possible — some of the checks are easier with two people

Before you begin

Never attempt to add or remove air from your Flair panels yourself without the guidance and authorisation of your WOW-qualified fitter. Incorrect adjustment can result in an uneven or dangerous saddle fit that causes discomfort or injury to your horse. If you have any significant concerns following these checks, stop riding in the saddle and contact your fitter. These checks are designed to be carried out regularly — ideally every four to six weeks — as part of your routine saddle care.

Check 1 — Visual inspection off the horse

Begin by inspecting the panels before placing the saddle on the horse.

Place the saddle on a clean, stable saddle stand in good light and look at the panels from directly behind. The two panels should appear symmetrical, with the same amount of fullness and the same general shape on each side. Any significant difference in fullness or shape between the two panels is worth noting and reporting to your fitter — asymmetry is one of the most common signs that adjustment is needed, and it can develop gradually in response to the horse’s natural asymmetry or changes in their back shape.

Look at the overall shape of each panel. They should appear evenly filled, with a consistent, smooth surface rather than areas that appear over-filled or deflated. Run your hand firmly but gently over the surface of each panel, feeling for areas that feel significantly harder or softer than the surrounding area — a correctly filled panel should feel consistent and even throughout.

Check the valve area on each panel carefully. The valve is the small, sealed point through which air is introduced or removed. Ensure each valve is clean, undamaged, and showing no signs of leakage or deterioration. Inspect the panel material itself for any signs of wear, damage, or deterioration — scuffs, abrasions, small punctures, or areas where the surface appears to be thinning. Any damage to the panel material should be reported to your fitter promptly, as a punctured or damaged panel cannot maintain correct air pressure.

Check 2 — Visual inspection on the horse, ungirthed

With your horse standing squarely on a level surface, place the saddle on their back without a girth and without a numnah, allowing it to sit in its natural position.

Stand directly behind the horse and look along the channel of the saddle from the back. You should be able to see a clear channel of light running the full length of the saddle from front to back, indicating that the panels are not pressing on the spine. If the channel appears to be closing or the panels appear to be pressing toward the spine at any point, contact your fitter.

Stand to the side and assess the overall balance of the saddle — it should appear to sit level, with the seat approximately horizontal rather than tilting significantly forward or backward. Check the clearance at the withers: there should be a clear and visible gap between the pommel arch and the highest point of the withers, with no part of the saddle touching or pressing on the withers. As a general guideline, you should be able to place at least two to three fingers upright in the space between the pommel and the withers when the saddle is ungirthed. If the saddle appears to be sitting close to or touching the withers, contact your fitter before riding.

Walk around the horse and look from both sides — does the saddle appear to be sitting symmetrically, or lower on one side than the other? Look at the contact between the panels and the horse’s back — the panels should appear to be in even, consistent contact on both sides, without gaps at the front, rear, or middle of either panel.

Check 3 — Panel pressure check

With the saddle in place but not girthed, slide your hand carefully between the panel and the horse’s back at the front of the panel on the near side. Your hand should be able to slide in with moderate resistance, indicating that the panel is in contact with the back without excessive pressure. Slide your hand to the middle of the panel and then to the rear, noting whether the resistance feels consistent throughout — significant differences in resistance between the front, middle, and rear suggest that pressure distribution may need professional attention.

Repeat on the off side panel and compare — the resistance should feel broadly similar on both sides. Significant differences between the near and off side are worth noting and reporting to your fitter.

Now girth the saddle up normally to its usual working tension. Repeat the pressure check with the saddle girthed, sliding your hand between the panel and the back at the front, middle, and rear on both sides. The resistance should feel even and consistent throughout, with no areas where the panel is pressing very hard or where there is very little pressure at all.

Ask your helper to observe the saddle from behind whilst you apply gentle downward pressure to the seat from the horse’s head end — your helper should be able to confirm that the saddle remains level and that both panels appear to be in even contact with the back under pressure.

Check 4 — Numnah and girth check

Place your usual numnah under the saddle and girth up as normal. The numnah should sit evenly under the saddle on both sides, with the front pulled up into the channel of the saddle to ensure it is not pressing down on the spine.

Check that the numnah is not bunching or creating pressure points under the panels — a numnah that is too thick, too stiff, or incorrectly positioned can affect the pressure distribution and alter the effective fit of the saddle. Check that the girth is sitting in its correct position and girthed to an even tension — an unevenly girthed saddle can sit asymmetrically in a way that may be mistaken for a panel fitting issue.

Check 5 — Observation under saddle

Ask your helper to observe your horse from behind and from the side at walk and trot whilst you ride — looking for any signs of asymmetric movement, uneven engagement of the hindquarters, or restricted movement through the back that might indicate a fitting issue.

Pay attention to how the saddle feels beneath you. Does it feel level and stable, or does it feel as though it is tipping or shifting during movement? Does your horse feel free and forward, or restricted and reluctant? Are there any signs of tension or discomfort through the back, neck, or hindquarters that were not present at your last professional fitting?

After riding, dismount and immediately check the horse’s back — run your hands firmly along both sides of the spine through the panel area, feeling for any areas of heat, sensitivity, or muscle tension that might indicate pressure points. Then check the sweat pattern on the horse’s back — ideally, it should be even and symmetrical on both sides. An uneven sweat pattern, with significantly more or less sweat on one side or dry spots in an otherwise sweaty back, can indicate uneven panel pressure and is worth reporting to your fitter.

Signs your Flair panels need professional attention

Contact your fitter if you notice any of the following:

• Visible asymmetry between the two panels when the saddle is inspected off the horse
• The saddle sitting lower on one side than the other
• Insufficient clearance at the withers
• Significant differences in resistance between the near and off side panels
• Gaps between the panels and the horse’s back at any point
• Uneven sweat patterns after riding
• Areas of heat, sensitivity, or muscle tension on the horse’s back after riding
• The saddle tipping significantly forward or backward
• Changes in your horse’s behaviour, movement, or willingness — reluctance to go forward, resistance to being tacked up, changes in gait quality, or apparent stiffness through the back
• Any damage to the panel material or valve
• A significant change in your horse’s shape — weight gain or loss, notable muscle change, or age-related changes
• Six months or more since your last professional fitting appointment

How often should Flair panels be professionally checked?

For horses in regular work, a professional Flair panel check and fitting review at least every six months is recommended. More frequent reviews are advisable for young horses developing rapidly in terms of muscle and physique (potentially every three to four months), horses that have experienced significant weight change, horses returning to work after time off, horses significantly increasing their workload, and older horses whose back shape may be changing more rapidly.

Key takeaways

✔ Check your Flair panels every four to six weeks as part of your routine saddle care — don’t wait until you suspect a problem

✔ Both panels should appear symmetrical and evenly filled — any visible asymmetry warrants a call to your fitter

✔ You should always be able to see a clear channel of light running the full length of the saddle from behind, and fit at least two to three fingers between the pommel and the withers

✔ The pressure check — sliding your hand between the panel and the back at the front, middle, and rear — should feel consistent throughout and broadly similar on both sides

✔ An uneven sweat pattern after riding is one of the most useful indicators of uneven panel pressure — pay attention to it

✔ Never add or remove air from the panels yourself — always contact your fitter if adjustment is needed

Due a professional check?

If your home inspection has raised any concerns — or if it’s been six months since your last professional fitting — get in touch to book a WOW saddle and Flair panel review.

View services, costs and booking → 

Further reading

• Why a correctly fitting saddle is critical
• The WOW saddle investment
• The compromise problem of traditional saddles
• Signs your saddle doesn’t fit