Girth gall

MissTyc

MissTyc

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Rode out my gelding in the rain this morning. We were out for about 3 hours, mostly walking.

Came home and untacked to find a grape-sized girth gall on his right side and a small scuffed area on his left side. He's never had a girth gall before, I haven't changed my tack or my riding style/hacking grounds.

Could it just be the rain that perhaps made the girth area more more wet and slippery leading to a different type of friction. The galls are lumps, not pinches or open wounds.

As it's not an open wound, I've put on a rainsheet so he can't roll on it and cut it open. He's not normally rugged so he thinks Christmas has come early! He needs daily exercise as is a very good doer and the grazing is growing fast and furious in these conditions, so I'm a bit worried :(
 
Panic not!!!
If it is a gall...ce la vie...you obviously know how to treat one.
To continue riding, get some fat foam and cut a 'gall' size hole out of it and place under the girth and over tha gall. The girth won't rub and will allow the gall to heal and you can keep riding.

Bryndy:)
 
teddyt said:
Did you ride for much longer than usual or is he used to 3 hour rides?
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That's pretty standard (2-3 times a week. 1-2 hours the other days), though we don't normally do it in the rain!

...
Bryndu, great tip! Will definitely try that out. I don't mind riding bareback, but obviously can't do as much. Got no school so can't lunge, etc, when it's raining ... need to keep this chap mobile!
 
Most recent horse had this happen a couple of times - disappeared after a couple of days - this was with an aerbourne humane girth.
He now has a leather atherstone girth & its not happened since.
 
TBH the only way to avoid them is to ensure that the area of the girth and around is immaculately clean before riding and the girth its self is kept clean ; occasionally they are caused through poor fitting girths, so girths need checking on a regular basis, just as you would check saddle etc.

They should be treated as a minor wound and once healed the skin can be hardened by dissolving 2 heaped teaspoonfuls of salt in a pint of warm water and applying this to the skin.

Whilst a horse is suffering with girth galls the horse should not be tacked up as this will aggravate the condition.

Prevent girth galls by making sure you thoroughly groom the horse before tacking up and using a soft,clean girth will help prevent the formation of girth galls. Neoprene girths or a protective fleece over the girth will also help to avoid girth galls.

Sorry but in my honest opinion there is no excuse for girth galls, they are totally preventable and can be very painful for a horse. I would be furious if my daughter allowed my lad or lass to get girth galls, simply hurting the horse through lack of care.
FDC
 
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Had a nightmare time with girth galls last summer with my TB and he was off for 3 months with them. I am obsessive about making sure that the girth and girth area is clean. I wouldn't dream of tacking up without giving a brush even if he appeared clean.

I would say your problem is something to do with rain as if my boy got really sweaty when he was working the girth gall would open up. We tried methalated spirits on it to try and harden up his skin. It would heal up and then on a hot day it would all open up again. His dressage girth he had been using it for for over a year and the previous summer with no problems. When I rode him in the jumping saddle he didn't get any girth galls so we came to the conclusion it must be the dressage girth (which was synthetic anti rub one) and I ended up buying him a contour girth instead.

Hopefully in your case it is only the rain and give your horse a few weeks to heal. If it is reoccuring have a look at the fit of the girth.
 
I have a v soft leather girth - same girth on this horse since he was backed and never a problem (and thanks fdc, but my girth is impeccably clean and my horse is impeccably groomed and both are washed off after every ride).

I'm pretty sure now the long ride in the rain must be somehow involved as it's the only different factor I can think of today (we were out for 2 hours yesterday, 2 hours Friday, jumping Thursday, 2 hours Wednesday, etc ... so would be a very sudden change of fit, indeed!). Will obviously keep an eye and decide how to progress - boooooo. The rain is keeping on coming and the grass is keeping on growing :(
 
My fine-skinned mare needs to have a sheepskin cover on her girths. I do have more than one cover, so she always has a clean one on. She does rub very easily. This is what a very short ride in my new Ariat boots did to her, if I'd ridden for any longer her skin would have become sore. :(
Carriethirtyone.jpg

I had to go back to my old boots to ride in and my lovely Ariats (which I saved for ages to buy) are now yard boots.

I'm often rained on and the sheepskin cover hasn't let me down in wet weather.
 
MissTyc said:
(and thanks fdc, but my girth is impeccably clean and my horse is impeccably groomed and both are washed off after every ride).
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If you don't want opinions, don't ask for them.
Personally I have never heard of horses getting girth galls because it is wet however there is always a first time for everything and we live and learn.
FDC
 
MissTyc said:
I have a v soft leather girth - same girth on this horse since he was backed and never a problem (and thanks fdc, but my girth is impeccably clean and my horse is impeccably groomed and both are washed off after every ride).

I'm pretty sure now the long ride in the rain must be somehow involved as it's the only different factor I can think of today (we were out for 2 hours yesterday, 2 hours Friday, jumping Thursday, 2 hours Wednesday, etc ... so would be a very sudden change of fit, indeed!). Will obviously keep an eye and decide how to progress - boooooo. The rain is keeping on coming and the grass is keeping on growing :(
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That's why we didn't consider the fit of the girth at the start as he had always been ridden it. I wouldn't consider it now but if you find it reoccuring it is something to considered. But more than likely it is the rain that caused it.

When I was trying out my new saddle (this year) I used the original girth instead of the contour girth as my contour girth is full instead of dressage length. The same gall in the same place opened up again. Now using a different girth so fingers crossed it will work!!
 
Fany Du Champ said:
If you don't want opinions, don't ask for them.
Personally I have never heard of horses getting girth galls because it is wet however there is always a first time for everything and we live and learn.
FDC
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I'm definitely up for opinions and advice and I've had plenty of useful opinions and advice on this thread (including yours - which may well have been relevant in a different situation). I just wasn't after judgmental snarkism.

I'd never had a girth gall before on any horse (hence posting here), but reading this thread has made me see they can occur for a variety of reasons, all of which I shall consider for my gelding as I obviously will do everything in my power to prevent it happening again. I just can't see what else it could be, esp as it's on both sides (well, gall on one and scuff on the other) at about the same height, right along the side of the where the girth lies. I am not alleviating myself of guilt, btw; it's quite possible I did something different/wrong while tacking, I just can't pinpoint it.
 
MissTyc said:
I'm definitely up for opinions and advice and I've had plenty of useful opinions and advice on this thread (including yours - which may well have been relevant in a different situation). I just wasn't after judgmental snarkism.

I'd never had a girth gall before on any horse (hence posting here), but reading this thread has made me see they can occur for a variety of reasons, all of which I shall consider for my gelding as I obviously will do everything in my power to prevent it happening again. I just can't see what else it could be, esp as it's on both sides (well, gall on one and scuff on the other) at about the same height, right along the side of the where the girth lies. I am not alleviating myself of guilt, btw; it's quite possible I did something different/wrong while tacking, I just can't pinpoint it.
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I wasn't being judgemental just honest! I have no idea what "snarkism" is
FDC
 
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