Question 1

Who makes Duskin Saddles?

Accepted Answer

Duskin Saddles are made by First Thought Equine, the same innovative company behind WOW Saddles.

Every Duskin Saddle is proudly made in our workshops just outside Canterbury, Kent, UK—the same location where WOW Saddles are crafted. From the tree and metalwork to the final stitching, everything is designed, cut, and assembled in-house. Our team is fully trained by us from the ground up in the art of saddlery, ensuring exceptional attention to detail and consistent quality in every saddle we produce.

Engineered with the exclusive Total Flex Tree™ technology, Duskin Saddles provide exceptional flexibility and support in every direction. Whether your horse has a flat or curved back, the adaptive tree ensures a precise, comfortable fit.

You are getting the quality and craftmanship of WOW Saddles without the full customisation of a WOW Saddle, meaning they can be produced more efficiently.

Question 2

What types of saddles are in the range?

Accepted Answer

The saddles in the Duskin range include:

Dressage
VSD (Very Slightly Dressage)
GP (General Purpose)
Jumping
Cross Country (XC)
Showing

These are available it sizes 13" to 19" to fit almost any size pony or horse.

Question 3

What sizes are Duskin Saddle available in?

Accepted Answer

The pony saddles are available in seat sizes 13 inch, 14 inch and 15 inch.  The adult saddles are available in 16 inch, 17 inch, 18 inch and 19 inch.

Question 4

As a manufacturer do you test your saddles on horses? and do you ride?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. At First Thought Equine, the company behind both WOW Saddles and Duskin Saddles, we believe in creating saddles that truly work—for both horse and rider. That’s why our directors and many of our saddle makers are riders themselves.

We keep a range of horses at our on-site stables, covering a variety of shapes, sizes, and breeds. These horses are used to trial new saddle designs and for hands-on saddle fitting demonstrations, ensuring that every design we produce performs in the real world—not just in theory. When you buy from us, you're getting a saddle built by people who ride, test, and care deeply about equine comfort and performance.

Question 5

Are the saddles made of leather or synthetic?

Accepted Answer

Duskin Saddles are made with leather.

Question 6

Do Duskin Saddles have a Tree?

Accepted Answer

Yes Duskin Saddles have a Total Flex Tree™ that is made from polypropylene which whilst resilient can flex in all directions, i.e. laterally and front to back.

Question 7

How does the Total Flex Tree™ work?

Accepted Answer

The Total Flex Tree™ is designed to distribute the rider’s weight evenly over a wide area while completely avoiding pressure on the horse’s spinal processes.  Its clever design allows for the expansion of the horses muscular as the horse moves.

Question 8

How Do I access the headplates?

Question 9

Do Duskin Saddles offer Spinal Clearance?

Accepted Answer

Yes the way the saddles are designed means there is full spinal clearance along the length of the saddle and so no pressure on the backbone /spine.  The panels are designed so they lift the tree away from the spine and create a channel that cannot be depressed by the rider’s weight so the spinal clearance remains integral to the saddle design.

Question 10

Do Duskin Saddle have a big bearing surface?

Accepted Answer

The panels of a Duskin Saddle, like a WOW Saddle panel offer a very large bearing surface which is proportionally larger than most other brands.

Question 11

What about Tree Points and Stirrup Bar pressures?

Accepted Answer

Duskin Saddles are designed without traditional tree points to dig into the horse.   The stirrup bars do not show through the panels to the surface of the horse, when pressure testing as the foam is resilient with a protective plate which forms part of the panel construction.  In addition, there is a layer of soft foam to mould to the horse’s changing muscle shape.

Question 12

How do I find the saddle number?

Accepted Answer

The saddle number is on the tree in two places in the gullet of the tree under the gullet leather cover.  The Pony saddles (13 inch to 15 inch) are prefixed by a P.

Question 13

How many Stirrup Bars Has the Duskin Saddle have?

Accepted Answer

The Duskin saddles have a double stirrup bar so you can change stirrup leather position depending on whether the rider has a long or short thigh and is riding with a straight or bent leg position.  It means the rider can ensure their lower leg sis positioned under their body to get the correct shoulder/hip/ankle alignment.

Question 14

Can I change headplates?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can change the headplates with an Allen key we also sell.

Furthermore, like the WOW Saddle, there is a greater range of headplates, than produced by other brands,  as the head plates are made in angles that range from 43 degrees (X Narrow) to 143 degrees (8X Wide).In addition, there are three styles- the V arch, The U arch and the UU arch for the 16 inch to 19 inch saddles, and the V arch and U arch headplates for the pony saddles ranging 13 inch to 15 inch.

Question 15

What type of girthing billets are there?

Accepted Answer

The Duskin Saddle has a unique W type webbing that has both front point strap options and back balance strap options  and long leather billets straps.

Question 16

Can I use a point strap?

Accepted Answer

Duskin Saddles have an inbuilt point strap that is easy to access and change to.

Question 17

What happens if I need a back balance strap?

Accepted Answer

Duskin Saddles have an inbuilt point strap that is easy to access and change to.

Question 18

Can I fit a WOW saddle fore girth attachment?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can fix a WOW Saddle fore girth attachment to a Duskin Saddle if your horse has a very forward girth groove.

Question 19

Can I change the panels?

Accepted Answer

Duskin Saddles are sold with an extra wide gullet panel with the rear gusset proportionate to the saddle seat size. So, on a 16 inch to 19 inch seat saddle, the rear gusset will measure 2 inches whilst on smaller saddles it decreases proportionately. The panels comprise a resilient foam that is lined by a soft foam.

Please not the Duskin cannot take Flair air flicking panels due to the nature of the flexible seat.

Question 20

My pony has a very short back, can I still fit a Duskin Saddle?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Duskin saddles have the option of a “SHORT” panel at no extra cost.  A “SHORT” panel is one which is an inch shorter than the seat it is fitted to.   The top of the panel is the same length as the tree so the tree transfers and spreads the riders weight to the panel over the entirety of the tree length.  The gusset does not spread out in a diagonal manner but is more vertical so the lower surface is an inch less than the panel that would normally be fitted to that seat.

Question 21

Tell me about the seat styles

Accepted Answer

The seat shapes have been developed to allow the rider to sit in perfect balance and feel secure without having to grip with their knees.  If the rider is in balance with the moving horse their aids are lighter and more in tune with the horse enabling the horse to feel comfortable and happy in their work.

We currently offer two types of seat:

Deep Seat - Typically suitable for dressage and schooling purposes along with hacking and trekking.
Flat Seat - Typically suitable for jumping exercises and showing.

Question 22

Are the blocks adjustable?

Accepted Answer

All Duskin Saddle have adjustable knee/thigh blocks, which can be changed in position and angle to personal preference allowing for the different lengths, proportions and geometry of the rider’s legs.

Small adjustments can make a very big difference to the rider’s stability.

Question 23

What colours does the saddle come in?

Accepted Answer

Duskin Saddles are available in either Black or Dark Brown.

Question 24

Can I request custom features like I can for a WOW Saddle?

Accepted Answer

No. Duskin Saddles are designed to offer great performance at a more accessible price, which means they don’t include the full range of customisation options available with a WOW Saddle.

Question 25

Can I trial a Duskin Saddle?

Accepted Answer

Talk to your local fitter to see if they have any in stock for you to try.

Question 26

How can I buy a Duskin Saddle?

Accepted Answer

There are two options:

1. Contact a fitter to arrange a demo, and then purchase through them.
2. Buy direct from this website if you have the confidence to fit yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions