Girth for forward saddle groove/to stop saddle slipping forwards

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Haffie

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hi,
please can you suggest the best girths for a horse with a forward saddle groove? as the girth is tightened the saddle goes further and further forwards onto her shoulders because the billet straps point straight down and the girth follows the curve of her fat belly from high pressure to further forwards low pressure bringing the saddle forwards with it.
i cant add a frontal billet strap to the saddle. also i need a full length girth not a short dressage one. it's for an english saddle.
a total saddle fit girth looks great but not an option for us right now.
there is a curved, sheepskin lined Mattes girth, any experience with this? or is this only to stop the saddle sliding back rather than sliding forwards?
thanks in advance!
 
Mine has a forward groove and big ribs but the saddle doesn't move for him (and because we are length restricted) pro choice has worked well for us, prolite just didn't suit him, Harry dabbed waffle worked well too though not really enough curve for us. I was surprised at the pro choice as it is straight but sticky so it stays back.

The other one has a forward groove, Arab ribs, bum high, and no shoulders so hers does move. She has a m2m saddle, an ideal affinity girth, point strap and gel pad combo to stop it shifting and if she puts a dirty stop in it still will.
 
I've had success with both prolite and professional choice when I needed a long girth. I think professional choice was the best for me.
I now have a dressage saddle and fair fax and saddle never slips forward.
 
The prolite works on ours, also look at the Stubben string girth.

The other thing to try is different pads under the saddle to help with this. Avacallo/Impact Pad/Ecogold secure fit pad are all great.
 
ok great, i'll have a look. i'm hoping to not change her numnah because it's a really good one, but i'll try these other numnah options if the new girth does not succeed
 
My Highland has a forward girth groove and I tried everything - Stübben string girth, banana shaped girth, as well as other more normal choices but the only one that has ever worked is a Pro Choice with the neoprene. I would never use anything else now.
 
thank you the link was really helpful. it looks like a short girth though? i need a long one as i have short billet straps and not a dressage saddle.
 
famtastic, my horse is highland pony build so sounds hopeful. ill check out the girths tomorrow. i know mattes does a flece lined curved girth (im assuming this is what you mean by banana shape lol) but was worried that was to stop saddles going backwards and not forwards? ill check them all out tomorrow :-)
 
Haffie said:
famtastic, my horse is highland pony build so sounds hopeful. ill check out the girths tomorrow. i know mattes does a flece lined curved girth (im assuming this is what you mean by banana shape lol) but was worried that was to stop saddles going backwards and not forwards? ill check them all out tomorrow :-)
Click to expand...

Sorry, yes, I just used to call it her 'banana girth' :o It didn't last long before I chucked it in a box in the tack room as it was useless!
 
oh thats great (i operate in centimetres lol). ill deffo check it out properly tomorrow. would be amazing if it worked as i was thinking id have to spend around 150 and we do not have that much money :-)
 
I did resist the pro choice one for oh a good 5 years after it was first suggested to me on here because it isnt shaped I was convinced it would rub Frank's elbows. I got the old version cheap off ebay to try and was really surprised, so much that I did treat him to the newer ventech version. As as sweaty beast it is super easy to keep clean too as the lining just pulls off.
 
if it is not shaped then how does it stop the saddle being pulled forwards? the girth doesnt rub her elbows, it's just that the saddle billet straps ppint straight downwards amd a straight girth would naturally follow this line but because she has a fat belly / forward girth groove, a straight girth pulls the saddle forwards (from high pressure of curving fat belly) to her thinnest part which is behind her elbows. when the girth moves there as i tighten it, it takes the saddle with it, up onto her shoulders.
im reallly looking for a girth that essentially realigns the placement of the billlet straps because i am not able to attach a frontal billet strap on her saddle. thanks :-)
 
because it is super grippy so it actually sits a bit further back than the girth groove/doesn't rely on it and doesn't slide forwards itself and then holds the saddle a bit further back too. The harry dabbs for him was not curvy enough to get the billets straight, the prolite should have been and was when we first put it on but he pulled it even further forwards, we had a lot of pressure on the back edge between front legs and no pressure on the curve going up the sides so although it kept it well back form his elbows (they are baggy!) I don't think it would have been comfortable long term- a grippy/softer prolite would have been ideal, essentially the love child of the prolite and pro choice!

I have a few pics from when I was deciding what to do/deciding whether to get one made/discussing with saddlers though he has always struggled with leather, in part the issue with him being that he actually takes a really short girth and anything with elastic would often mean a join below his saddle flaps which was a definite no.

12998759_10156971393425438_3876102335431473219_n.jpg



as you can see billets not straight
13007130_10156971393465438_7184240689388376638_n.jpg


overall shape, fit here, ribs visible so is just shape!
11046263_10156173196040438_6531038461371867636_n.jpg


You can just about see the prolite in this one, billets were straight to start but I think the uneven pressure meant it pulled forwards
13512143_10157020235045648_2953850483230414491_n.jpg


I must get a proper confo shot of mum's where she doesn't looks so dejected! this is the one that combines an ideal affinity F2 and a stephens gel pad to stop saddle movement but if she stops at a jump it still shifts due to the lack of shoulders.
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I just think that given that you can usually get the pro choice for sub £20 off ebay it would be worth you trying before anything more expensive :).
 
thanks a million for your response and the photos too, it really helps loads :-)
it's so stressful trying to choose the right equipment on a limited budget!!!!!
 
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