Doh!! Girth advice please.....

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tye_bo

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My saddler recommended I try the Thorogood Airofrom girth for my mare as she thinks it would be more comfortable having a bit of give in it. I looked on line found it, saw they did a cob version and ordered that one. It came yesterday as I was on my way out of the door to go riding so I rushed up, used said girth and went riding. It was only was only when I was untacking her that I realised that the cob girth ISN'T elasticated which was the whole point of me buying one in the first place.......Doh!

I can't send it back as I'd used it already. I am wondering if the saddle would slip though on a round cob with an elasticated girth? Just wondering if I should keep it or flog it on ebay and get an elasticated one.
 
You didn't say whether this particular girth was successful when you used it. If it does the job then keep it and use it, if it doesn't then it will have to go to ebay.

Aren't they supposed to have some stretch and give throughout the length of the girth, rather than an elasticated section?

Anyway, for tubbies I prefer the humane girth, it does move with the horse and give a bit because of how it is connected to the saddle.
 
I can't really tell if it's sucessful as such as I can't ask if she prefers this one to her old cottage craft one!! It did the job but I guess the old one did the job - I just want her to be comfortable if you see what I mean.

Maybe they are supposed to give on the length I'm not sure.

Thanks - off to look for the humane girth :-)
 
Humane girths encourage saddle movement, they are not recommended for rounder types!! I will personally only use a girth with elastic on both sides. the wintec ones are good as they stretch throughout but not excessively so.
 
My understanding is they design the cob girths specifically without the elastic to "hold" the saddle on horses with very round conformation. I don't know if there is proof of this or not but I would assume it's something customers have asked for. Their standard girths have elastic ends.

Some of the other synthetic girths - Wintec, for instance - are elasticised all the way through or have multiple elastic sections. There was actually a study done of the most effective and comfortable types of girths (sorry, can't find the link but will keep looking) and it was found elastic on one end was actually the WORST construction - the saddle and the girth on the elastic side move, creating friction and heat; the saddle tends to pull to one side; the elastic can cause a pressure point on the horse's side etc. Elastic both ends was a much better option. Best was to have the elastic central (hard to do without creating pressure points on the chest though)/throughout.

I find many of the elastic girths have ridged ends that are hard to get lie flat, especially if the girth splits to the buckles below the level it passes over the end of the flap. It's very easy to wrinkle the girth when pulling it up and cause a big lump.

The humane girths (the ones with Y-shaped sliding attachments to the girth) seem a very good option - many horses really do seem to be freer in them - but they're hardly cheap and I suspect in many cases they don't make enough difference to be noticeable. Besides, their "mandate" - allowing some movement in the saddle attachment - would seem a bad idea for a cob-type horse, since saddles often tend to move too much on the round bodied beasties anyway and cause problems that way.

Are there synthetic humane girths? I've only seen leather.

You haven't really done what you set out to do with the new girth but if your horse is okay with it it's really your decision to keep it or sell it. An extra girth is not a bad thing to have kicking around anyway. If you do replace it try one of the ones with elastic all the way through - some of them even have a big of "grip" in the material to help with stability.
 
Thanks again everyone, really interesting reading.

I think I will keep this one, if nothing else it's supposed to be more breathable and is shaped for a more comfortable fit. I'll see how I get on with it for a while.
 
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The humane girths (the ones with Y-shaped sliding attachments to the girth) seem a very good option - many horses really do seem to be freer in them - but they're hardly cheap and I suspect in many cases they don't make enough difference to be noticeable. Are there synthetic humane girths? I've only seen leather.



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Webbing humane girths are widely available, and this was the option recommended to me by two saddlers for round horses. It IS possible to over tighten them of course, and this should be remembered.
 
I used to have a humane girth and found that after a while it started to kind of crumple nstead of lie flat on the horse and was causing discomfort, so I wouldn't recommend them. I now use a leather atherstone girth with elastic at both ends, which I love
smile.gif


Like this one...
http://www.falpro.com/leatherwork/original_atherstone_girth_finest_italian_leather/
 
I have the Thorogood one with elastic on the end and, while I wouldn't say it 'causes' my saddle to slip, it certainly doesn't help, if your saddle & horse are that way inclined, so I should stick with the one you've got! I've gone back to using a non elastic one.
 
Hi
I highly recommend the Stubben Trevira Cord Girth, they arent cheap but they are excellent for cobs and cob xs (or anything that doesnt have withers!) at keeping the saddle in place. I got mine off ebay.
 
I use a thorowgood one with eleastic on all our cobs and have not ever had a problem with the saddle slipping.
 
I would say the Stubben cord girth - it is what I recommend to all of my clients unless you are after a big padded dressage girth
 
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