Girth ideas for horse with no girth groove

[Sianio]

I have a mare who has no girth groove, and as she’s gained a lot of topline over the last couple of years she is now basically round! She also has a big shoulder action. Due to this, her saddle is slipping back while I’m riding, particularly in canter, and sometimes I’m having to get off mid-ride to adjust. Saddle is checked and adjusted every 3 months and seems to fit well. I’d be open to trying other brands but mine fits really well other than the aforementioned issue! I’ve tried shoulder relief type girths but she hates all of them. I’m now thinking of trying the Stubben girth with the elastic rings as she is also quite sensitive on the sternum and most anatomical girths seem to put more pressure there, but the idea of having it looser than a normal girth is slightly petrifying! Any ideas?

 

[Widgeon]

Mine has no girth groove and big shoulders, and after quite a lot of trial and error, someone on here recommended a Le Tixerant girth. I found one second hand for slightly over £100 (ouch! But I was desperate) and it works a treat. I've had it a couple of years now and really rate it.

 

[sbloom]

I would ask your fitter for advice. To me no girth groove is more usual on a herring gut type shape, so a lean eventer for example. For saddles slipping back I'd be double checking that the saddle isn't too wide in front, pad appropriately to make sure it's not sitting low, choose your girth straps carefully (if you have something other than the usual 3 in the middle of the flap) and then use a wide girth that has a good sternum plate, Le Tixerant is one example and is a good one.

 

[AutumnDays]

Good shout from @sbloom above. When I asked my fitter, they recommended a stubben string girth for one of my old horses years back, and I've used them in various sizes on various shaped horses since without issue

 

[Sianio]

I might try the le tixerant, it’s come up in a couple of my searches. Thank you for the recommendations! My challenge is my saddles can’t be any narrower in front as she then becomes incredibly stuffy. When I was trying saddles she completely refused to even walk in several of them. I’ve got a Monarch dressage and a Bates VSD which were the only two she liked. I use the Bates for hacking as I sometimes have issues with the Monarch slipping back up hills as well, but I find with the Cair panels I don’t feel I can sit in it well enough for schooling.

The ‘sticky’ nature of the le tix might help with keeping the saddle forward without narrowing it. I don’t know why she is the shape she is, the more muscle she puts on the flatter and broader her already broad back becomes! She had much more of a ‘normal’ shape when she was unfit,
Great for saddles but not so good for her fitness

 

[sbloom]

My challenge is my saddles can’t be any narrower in front as she then becomes incredibly stuffy.

That's not the only way to lift the front, the arch/headplate should be roughly parallel to the horse's ribcage, then flocking/air or shims are used to balance the saddle so that you sit correctly and it doesn't slide back. I would suspect it's a little low in front, though putting it in balance may not be enough as it's rather multifactoral! She is getting wider in the middle of the saddle by the sound of it, but I don't personally find that makes saddles slip back, it's an odd one.

 

[Sianio]

Thank you for your advice, I have my saddle fitter coming out so we will go through the suggested options. I’m hoping to avoid a new saddle but aware that it might be necessary! So we’ll see what we can do with adjustments. My horse’s muscle gain is all in the trapezius so it might be that a different shaped tree is needed but knowing her she’ll be a different shape again by next year so it’s an expensive game.