Gahhh not again! Horse prone to girth galls

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showjump2003

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Title says it all. Before I tacked my horse up she was fine, n
sign of even a rub, 20 - 30 mins ride with clean, shaped leather girth and she has a nasty looking rub
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It happens whenever I try to ride her regularly. I spent a small fortune on one of those prolite girth pads which was pants, have tried different girths, I keep my girth clean and still she gets them.

At my wits end! How am I ment to get her fit when I can only ride her once a week due to the sores?! *won't ride her now until they heal*

Ideas please!
 
Oh no, how annoying
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Two things to try sheepskin girth sleeve and rubbing epsom salt in warm water (think thats right
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) on the girth area after riding each time, its supposed to be brilliant (friend swears by it), hardens the area up and prevents girth galls.
 
My cob got girth galls when i first got her, and it was because of the saddle. Everytime she moved the girth created a slight sawing action on her sides. Also, i found a gel filled girth cover was brill. Definatly try the epsom salts in warm water which _Claire_ mentioned, it helped alot!
xx

(ETS - My mare doesn't get them anymore! Just incase you were wondering. And the saddle was changed
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)
 
Pretty sure it isn't the saddle. She got girth galls with her old saddle. Got a new made to measure saddle last week and she gets a girth gall today.

Not seen gel filled pads?

Also, what are those really shaped girths called?
 
have you thought of trying a sheepskin girth cover? Is it the skin that is soft so causing the rubs, if so you could try rubing surgical spirits on as this will harden the skin up
 
I haven't tried a real sheepskin cover, but have tried the synthetic ones.

The problem is my horses shape, the saddle is in the correct place but the girth always sits right in her armpits.

Will look at the stubben one now!
 
It has to be something moving to create friction and the gall.
Either your saddle is moving or the girth. doesn't matter if it's made to measure or not, there is always a cause for girth galls.
I would use a real sheepskin girth cover then once it's healed try the gel girth mentioned, but get your saddler back, they should be able to adjust the stuffing to eliminate the movement causing the galls.
Hope they go down quickly and you sort the cause.
 
I had the same problem. Spent a fortune on really soft leather girths, shaped girths etc., etc.

Ive now got a Stephens sheepskin girth cover and no more problems. Its lovely and soft and washes up beautifully. Bit expensive but well worth it.
 
I'd try a proper sheep skin girth cover. My horse doesn't get girth galls, but when she molt her coat all goes at once before her new coat comes through leaving a lot of bald skin. We use one her with her bald patches and never has any sores.
 
There's loads of skin hardening ointments and gels. I've seen a good natural one around the yard, i'll try and find out what its called. Though surgical spirit works as well.

Natural sheepskin might be your best bet.

Do you mean an Atherstone girth by the 'really shaped one'?
 
I had the exact same problem pretty much stopping me from riding my girl all last summer; same situation as you, 10 minute walk, developed a sore, two weeks of waiting for it to heal. It was so upsetting
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I now have a very impressive girth collection from all the various types I tried with her.
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What is working for us now, is a stubben string girth like this one:


http://cgi.ebay.ie/STUBBEN-STRING-GIRTH-...7QQcmdZViewItem

And a REAL sheepskin girth sleeve. The fakes just do not work with my madam (princess and the pea syndrome or what
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) My farrier also suggested making one out of silk which he's known to work in the past.


Then the other thing I did was apply surgical spirit to the girth area every day, preferably twice a day. This will toughen up the skin - Star's is really tough there now
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but *touch wood* we have solved the problem. She's always been prone to girth sores in the years I've had her, mainly when changing coats. However, the reason I think we had such problems last year is because she'd been roughed off for so long (more than just the usual winter break) that the skin had really softened up. She's such a sensitive little sole
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I hope you get it sorted. I know how upsetting it is to get a sore ever time you have a little ride
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i find that the wintec girths are good as are prolite girth sleeves or nice thick real sheepskin, although i would agree with henryhorn that there must be movement to cause the gall - my mare used to get them with her previous saddle and they only really got better when i got her new saddle and dressage girths.

that said her wintec GP saddle sits brilliantly and rarely rubs - although in summer i used to use a sheepskin pad on long rides.
 
My friends warmblood was like htis, she thought she'd found the answer with a rather expensive shaped leather girth but it happened after a month or so again. I recommended the wintec elastic girth to her, not the shaped one as it has a rolled edge which rubs. Mare still has a sheepskin sleeve but no rubs since! Maybe worth a try and at £25 they are pretty cheap.
 
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