Elastic girths

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Vodkagirly

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What side should the elastic on a girth with elastic at one side be on?
I've always had it on the right as that is the side I tighten but was told it should be the other.
 
I was told it should be the side that is already done up so you are tightening the non elastic side, but I always did it the other way before.
 
I read somewhere that the elastic side should be at the side that is already done up. I actually wondered if elastic at one side is ok - I worry that it's un even and nipping at one side? Any thoughts on elasticated girths folks?
 
I prefer girths that have elastic both ends or through the middle rather than at one end. No elastic at all is my favourite as no risk of over tightening.
 
None elastic girths are best as you can overtighten elastic ones and put the breastbone out of place over time!
 
Pony club says the fixed side on the horse's right and the elastic side on the horse's left. Do the fixed side up as far as you expect it to be when you first put the saddle on, and then tighten the elastic side gradually as the pony relaxes.

Not the be all and end all - but a start point!
 
Shay said:
Pony club says the fixed side on the horse's right and the elastic side on the horse's left. Do the fixed side up as far as you expect it to be when you first put the saddle on, and then tighten the elastic side gradually as the pony relaxes.

Not the be all and end all - but a start point!
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How I learned also. I prefer elastic on both sides or non at all.
 
I have grown to hate elastic girths, I think a nice leather one with elastic both ends would be good, but I have one of the wintec with the elastic through the middle and I have to do it up all the time, I bought a temporary cotton and webbing girth as horse has got slimmer, it is much more secure and horse is less girthy when I do it up, she probably got fed up as I had to do it up about ten times! I have a round horse though I think that is the problem!
 
Lisa_Reid said:
I read somewhere that the elastic side should be at the side that is already done up. I actually wondered if elastic at one side is ok - I worry that it's un even and nipping at one side? Any thoughts on elasticated girths folks?
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The trouble is that the girth should do up to the same or almost the same height both sides so the theory that you only tighten one side doesn't help that one bit. They do indeed cause issues with their one sidedness, nipping is one possibility, one is a lack of lateral stability.

TiaPony said:
I prefer girths that have elastic both ends or through the middle rather than at one end. No elastic at all is my favourite as no risk of over tightening.
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JBP said:
None elastic girths are best as you can overtighten elastic ones and put the breastbone out of place over time!
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Not in my opinion and experience. Non-elasticated girths aren't as kind, don't allow the ribcage to move, and can indeed be massively overtightened, at least elastic allows some expansion. Operator error is no reason to not use a good piece of kit, we have to learn how to use other items of tack etc properly so why not learn how to tighten a girth?

Dead simple, lean further down and put your hand under the girth to actually check how tight it is, before and after adjusting. NEVER simply haul on the girth straps and see if you CAN tighten it.

I believe that if there is expansino in the ribcage there is also contraction and with no elastic that can leave a moment of slack in a non-elasticated girth and cause instability. Hence these girths do end up overtightened to try and hold the saddle on, and you eventually see damage - a dent right around the horse from one stirrup bar, under the belly, right round to the other bar. Not nice and I see it occasionally.

mandwhy said:
I have grown to hate elastic girths, I think a nice leather one with elastic both ends would be good, but I have one of the wintec with the elastic through the middle and I have to do it up all the time, I bought a temporary cotton and webbing girth as horse has got slimmer, it is much more secure and horse is less girthy when I do it up, she probably got fed up as I had to do it up about ten times! I have a round horse though I think that is the problem!
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There are plenty of nice double ended elasticated leather girths around, the only type I recommended - they are the single girth type that suits the biggest number of horses in my fitting experience.

JulesRules said:
I replaced my Elastic girth with one of the Humane type ones.

It took a bit of getting used to but I love it now
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Not totally safe (if ons strap breaks you have nothing securing the girth) and they don't allow you to really use differential girthing - needing a different effect from using different girth straps, as the pressure is always equalised. Most, though not all, are also much too narrow and they place a lot of pressure on sensitive muscles under that big D ring.
 
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