Anatomical girth- Prolite

Traks

Traks

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Hi all

Just had a new saddle fitter come and check my saddle and thankfully only needed a bit of flocking!

He did recommend an anatomical girth, based on her shape…and the saddle moves a little in trot but not enough to be a concern. He has specifically recommended a prolite. Now I’ve read a lot about these being awful and my mare actually came with one with her old saddle a few years ago but it was quite deformed and didn’t sit right in her so I did bin it! She’s got a wide professional choice ventech girth which was recommended by the original fitter 🤪

But he said the company has since been taken over by Fairfax and they are apparently a better design??

Has anyone bought one recently?

Or can anyone recommend a similar design but a softer material?
 
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I had one fitted but in real life the pony dragged it further forwards and it gaped at the sides.

harry dabbs have a waffle version that worked quite well for him (but the binding would split after a while and he was very rub prone, and professional choice do an anatomical one (share horse has one of these) https://www.oldmillsaddlery.com/en/...wyXPHk4yc1wK-GQRb1Mc2dtxcZ6MIU2hoCoboQAvD_BwE

Mum's mare had an ideal F2 affinity that worked great for her - built downhill with forward groove and no shoulder so saddle inclined to come forwards.
 
Prolite and Fairfax girths have always been the same company, although because of the differing materials they are made from have sat differently on horses. Some horses will go better in one than the other.

I have a prolite and although I find them hard and plasticity, my horse goes very well in them and has never shown any sign of discomfort. The prolites are also a bit 'sticky' compared to the leather Fairfax version, which is why I've not swapped to one of them and on a round cob, a stickier girth is handy 😁
 
A few horses go really well in the Fairfax/Proliye but on many it places too much pressure to the tea and the Prolite IS hard and unyielding.

All girths differ slightly from each other, and fitters all make recommendations from their own experience so I may not agree with your fitter as to what would work in your individual situation, so it's hard to say what might work in it's place.

How does the saddle move in trot? Forwards?
 
sbloom said:
A few horses go really well in the Fairfax/Proliye but on many it places too much pressure to the tea and the Prolite IS hard and unyielding.

All girths differ slightly from each other, and fitters all make recommendations from their own experience so I may not agree with your fitter as to what would work in your individual situation, so it's hard to say what might work in it's place.

How does the saddle move in trot? Forwards?
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No, the cantle just moves up and down a little in trot. Its fine in walk/canter. It vastly improved with the re-flocking, he said the movement is within the range that is 'acceptable' but felt the angle of the prolite might improve it...plus allowing more movement in the front legs due to the shape of our Welsh D.
 
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I've got a Prolite one, a Saddle Company one and a Prestige one. The Prestige is GORGEOUS but the other two both do the job very well and no complaints or soreness from either of mine.

Both of them are quite rotund ponies, one with a very forward girth groove and one shaped a bit like a table.
 
Prolite are awful rubbed both of mine and made them girthy. I have the Prestige donut girth now and that has been a game changer on my round Iberian. My older boy has a memory foam anatomical and he loves that.
 
The thing I didn’t like about the pro lite, was nothing to do with its shape, but they absorb the sweat and stay very wet. Take ages to dry and tend to get quite hard. Very impractical
 
I have a Prolite and I’ve checked that it is one because I’ve seen other threads about these. I’ve used mine on a thoroughbred probably for seven or eight years with no issues and it’s not hard at all.
 
My prolite has just started rubbing my very sensitive skinned mare, I never had a problem with it on my previous horse but she was a slightly hairier and tougher type of Irish Sport, so am now looking for either a new girth or a sheepskin sleeve that'll fit it 🙄
 
sbloom said:
I would say the girth will likely have no effect on that, sorry. What range of girth straps do you have? To me it's acceptable or it's not, if you place the saddle on his back and press firmly on the pommel, does the back lift? Which brand/model is it? I'm going on my paradigm here which may not be the same as your fitter's...(https://stephaniebloomsaddlefitter.co.uk/blog-and-resources/why-cant-saddle-fitters-agree)
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No he did say it would help more with the movement of the front legs than the saddle...it was a suggestion really he also talked about putting additional straps for the girth if it was still moving but he wasn't that concerned with the movement that it needed a change of saddle..if that makes sense?

Albion K2 and currently have a professionals choice ventech girth (based on the recommendations of a previous saddle fitter and her old Kent and Masters that definitley did not fit!)
 
Does it only have the three centre girth straps? Does the back lift if you press on the pommel? You don't have to answer, of course, but these are the things that would affect any advice I would give (which you may not want or need of course!!).
 
I don't really understand why saddles that rely on being stabilised by the panel (ie that the panel has rear gussets and is designed to sit flush against the back at the rear) don't have spread out girth straps, they can help at least temporarily (if the fit at the front is very good, and the saddle is in balance, which might be unlikely with a saddle that lifts at the back, but not impossible). A balance strap on both sides would enable the back to be held steadier, I'm sure you can "get" that, and then wonder how a different girth design could do the same....
 
I bought one at my saddlers suggestion. Cost 110 pounds from local tack shop. Went out for two hour usual ride. It had rubbed so much, she was bleeding ! One year later, it’s gathering dust.
 
Both myself and two different mares of mine hated the Prolite. Had much better results with the Shires Velociti Lusso girths personally.
 
I’m glad I’ve seen this thread as I’ve been toying with a Prolite.

The LeMieux one as mentioned above seem very nice. I’ve eyed them up in person a few times and they’re very soft.

Antares ones are also lovely, like butter.
 
I wonder if it’s a new thing. I’ve checked my girth again this morning and it is definitely a prolite. It’s not in the least bit hard and it’s never rubbed my thoroughbred, including when he’s clipped. Perhaps they’ve changed manufacturing in recent years.
 
humblepie said:
I wonder if it’s a new thing. I’ve checked my girth again this morning and it is definitely a prolite. It’s not in the least bit hard and it’s never rubbed my thoroughbred, including when he’s clipped. Perhaps they’ve changed manufacturing in recent years.
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IMO there are different types of Prolite girth - it is the fairfax anatomical style which are hard. The old style straight ones are OK
 
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