Badly designed girths

alexomahony

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How many have you been through?

I've been dreaming about owning one of those snazzy Mark Todd short leather event girths since I bought my new saddle - though at a pricey £80-90, I thought better of it. I went with a Thorowgood girth for the meantime till I could find my dream MT girth at a more affordable price!

Well, last week, I got one from Ebay at £40 - bargain! It arrives, beautiful as I expected, soft but fit for purpose, wide, comfy for horse and nicely designed too - everything I want in a girth!

I put it on Sky, do up the girth straps tuck them into their first slot, go to tuck the ends under the leather on the rest of the girth and WAIT! what's this? Stitched up?! :eek:

So the intended design on this girth is to have girth straps flapping.... or have a MUCH shorter girth so not to allow flappy girth straps?! I've got around the issue by curling the girth strap back on themselves and tucking them back into the first flap... but this is hardly ideal.

Does anyone else have this issue? Can anyone recommend a short girth that is actually fit for purpose? :D

I'm gutted, as it's beautiful!

Thanks!
 

Fiona

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I bought a beautiful shaped leather girth for my connie a couple of months ago, and it fits him beautifully, so I bought another for the welsh sec A.

However it rubbed her absolutely raw at her elbows, so she is back in her cotton girth, and I sold it on (at a loss).

Fiona
 

Squeak

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If I've understood what you mean I don't think I've ever known a short girth to have that (Devoucoux, Childeric, Albion or Fairfax).

Have you tried just tucking them through the first slot and seeing what happens when you ride? I just can't remember it ever causing an issue when I've done that. It might be that the girth was designed to be a lot shorter as I think post Fairfax people are fitting their short girths longer than they used to.
 

alexomahony

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I think it is just a bit too long (I've gone 2 inches shorter already!) but they are quite long and flappy!

@Leo good shout, I'll speak to Partick about that :)

Thanks!
 

ycbm

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Yep looking at photos, I think I'm just being a bit generous with the size!

Current biometric advice from Centaur is that the girth should reach as close to the bottom of the flap as feasible, because shorter girths with the girth straps pressing into the horse alters the stride. They said this at a BHS biometrics event I went to.


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milliepops

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Current biometric advice from Centaur is that the girth should reach as close to the bottom of the flap as feasible, because shorter girths with the girth straps pressing into the horse alters the stride. They said this at a BHS biometrics event I went to.


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Agreed.
My girths nearly reach the flaps. If the saddle has long girth straps then they go through the keepers and the excess just dangles but I can't say it's ever been a problem. If you were really bothered I suppose you could shorten the girth straps but I agree with lw it would be a small job to add extra keepers to the girth.
 

ycbm

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I really rate Heritage curved dressage girths sold on eBay, which are a direct copy of Jaguar/Harry Dabbs curved dressage girths. You can also buy it in a plastic waffle Harry Dabbs version, where the straps feed down the sleeve (though I cut a slit so they come back out again like the leather version, because I find it easier than feeding ten holes of strap into the sleeve).


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