Girth recommendations - Forward girth groove

ester

ester

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That is true, Frank is a pretty easy shape to fit apart from his girth groove (I don't see the issue in calling it forwards, it is, everyone knows what it means - better than saying he has a wide comparatively long ribcage that only ends somewhere near his armpits? :p.

Mum's mare is quite special, she is a bum high, PBA with big arab ribcage and no shoulders ;). She has a M2M saddle with point straps, ideal affinity girth (shaped) and sometimes a gel pad ;).
 
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janinek1981

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Thanks everyone for your comments.
Sbloom - I had a second opinion on the saddle, just in case and they have confirmed a good fit.
I must admit I would have been very surprised if they found a problem with the saddle as it looks and feels a very good fit.
The saddle doesn't move, to my knowledge (by that I mean its in the same place when I get off as it was when I did the girth up) My worry was that a girth that sits forward of the billets on the saddle would maybe pull the saddle forwards onto the shoulders... not enough to physically move it but enough to impede movement or make it a bit uncomfortable if that makes sense??
My main issue though is that I can see that her girth does not lie flush to her sides. The billets hang vertical and the girth goes forwards, so the buckle furthest away from the horses head is always looser and there is uneven pressure on the front edge of the girth. I found Total Saddle Fit's Shoulder Relief Girth and this look like it may do the trick.. would have to try to get the sizing right though as its £40 postage (from USA) which is not refundable

This photo is from winter when she was broken. Had our Wintec one - wasn't a good fit but you can see the girth sitting forwards the same way it does now.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1225360285187.804962.749185186&type=1&theater
 
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JillA

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Open an account with Photobucket, (free) and upload your photos. Then copy and paste onto here the
 
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MagicMelon

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My mare has a very forward girth groove and I had hell getting a saddle to stay where it should on her. I now use a WOW saddle with a "FSS" curved short girth (I got mine off Ebay), its a leather one. Mare is still a bit girthy but I can't afford a Fairfax as much as I'd like one for her.
 
kzb

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I just ordered a prolite version of the fairfax for my very girthy mare. They are £89 RRP, so much better price than the real fairfax for trying the design out! You just need to check the space between the front legs to make sure you get the correct one - I never realised my horse was so narrow there and wonder now if that is part of the issue (she needs a narrow gauge in the fairfax..)

I have tried everything from different girths and covers all the way to ulcer treatment to no avail, so it will be interesting to see if this girth helps her! She gets very sore where the girth lies (no rubs though - muscular soreness) despite that I do not over girth and am very very careful how I do it up. I have owned her for 7 years and she's been girthy since day 1, so I've been trying to find a solution all this time.....
 
AnyChance

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I have a similar problem with my mare
She has huge shoulders and wide ribcage. So the saddle had to sit behind/off the shoulder and due to the wide ribs the girth needs to sit more forwards than the girths straps naturally fall...oh it could be described for ease as a forwards girth groove!! ;p

I like the look of the Harry Dabs and at an affordable price so may well give that a try
 
kzb

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I ordered from David Dyer saddlery. I've had the same issue finding one, but I've yet to receive anything saying they aren't in stock so fingers crossed...
I know that North Yorkshire Saddlers definitely have some in stock (they had them on their bramham stand) but their website wouldn't work for me and I didn't get an email back to my enquiry if they had the right size in stock. Might be worth ringing them though.
 
sbloom

sbloom

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Been away from here a few days but the photo you show is classic forward girth groove and like most horses I fit. In all honesty, and I say it all the time, if a saddle doesn't sit where it should, or moves in any other way when the horse is moving, it's not a perfect fit, no matter how many opinions that it is. It's the definition of a good fit, there is no other way to define it! It can look like a perfect fit "in the cross ties" and SHOULD fit but if it doesn't it doesn't. Now that's not to say that if you can get it to stay in the right place with a curved girth then it still doesn't fit, it may, but in my experience it doesn't always work and I can't remember the last time I recommended one. Elastic at both ends of the girth will mean any pressure is more or less equalised, pick the holes that end up with more even pressure rather than sticking to the same number holes. Anyway, good luck with whatever you do!

On a general note, girth straps generally hang straight down because of the way they're attahced, so the more forwards the girth strap is attached, the better it places the girth into a forward girth groove. If you have a proper balance strap, near the cantle, attaching the girth to that will pull the saddle forwards, just look at the angle it forms. If your saddle gets pulled down or otherwise places incorrect pressure down the ribcage at the front of the saddle then the fit isn't right, and likely the tree is too curvy, it's SO common. I have even seen a curved girth sit in the right place at the girth groove, but because it sits so upright at the saddle, the girth came off the bottom of the flaps in the middle and just didn't do a darned thing to keep the saddle back. A regular shaped padded Atherstone, coming diagonally down off the point and third straps, did a better job.
 
U

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gryff said:
Kzb - where did you find one of those? Everywhere I've seen is saying 'coming soon '
Click to expand...

I have just ordered one from here:

http://www.randrcountry.co.uk/proli...quine-care-horse-products-saddlery-items.html

I ordered a couple of weeks ago, they told me they were waiting for stock, and the girth was delivered to me within a week. This is the first batch of girths made, hence the slight delay. If you contact R & R Country though, they were super helpful with all my many many questions!!
 
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janinek1981

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kzb said:
I just ordered a prolite version of the fairfax for my very girthy mare. They are £89 RRP, so much better price than the real fairfax for trying the design out! You just need to check the space between the front legs to make sure you get the correct one - I never realised my horse was so narrow there and wonder now if that is part of the issue (she needs a narrow gauge in the fairfax..)

I have tried everything from different girths and covers all the way to ulcer treatment to no avail, so it will be interesting to see if this girth helps her! She gets very sore where the girth lies (no rubs though - muscular soreness) despite that I do not over girth and am very very careful how I do it up. I have owned her for 7 years and she's been girthy since day 1, so I've been trying to find a solution all this time.....
Click to expand...

Will be interesting to hear how shes getting on the the new girth. Hope it helps!
x
 
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janinek1981

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AnyChance said:
I have a similar problem with my mare
She has huge shoulders and wide ribcage. So the saddle had to sit behind/off the shoulder and due to the wide ribs the girth needs to sit more forwards than the girths straps naturally fall...oh it could be described for ease as a forwards girth groove!! ;p

I like the look of the Harry Dabs and at an affordable price so may well give that a try
Click to expand...

Yeah ive gone with "forward girth groove" - cant be bothered explaining anymore ;)
 
J

janinek1981

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sbloom said:
Been away from here a few days but the photo you show is classic forward girth groove and like most horses I fit. In all honesty, and I say it all the time, if a saddle doesn't sit where it should, or moves in any other way when the horse is moving, it's not a perfect fit, no matter how many opinions that it is. It's the definition of a good fit, there is no other way to define it! It can look like a perfect fit "in the cross ties" and SHOULD fit but if it doesn't it doesn't. Now that's not to say that if you can get it to stay in the right place with a curved girth then it still doesn't fit, it may, but in my experience it doesn't always work and I can't remember the last time I recommended one. Elastic at both ends of the girth will mean any pressure is more or less equalised, pick the holes that end up with more even pressure rather than sticking to the same number holes. Anyway, good luck with whatever you do!

On a general note, girth straps generally hang straight down because of the way they're attahced, so the more forwards the girth strap is attached, the better it places the girth into a forward girth groove. If you have a proper balance strap, near the cantle, attaching the girth to that will pull the saddle forwards, just look at the angle it forms. If your saddle gets pulled down or otherwise places incorrect pressure down the ribcage at the front of the saddle then the fit isn't right, and likely the tree is too curvy, it's SO common. I have even seen a curved girth sit in the right place at the girth groove, but because it sits so upright at the saddle, the girth came off the bottom of the flaps in the middle and just didn't do a darned thing to keep the saddle back. A regular shaped padded Atherstone, coming diagonally down off the point and third straps, did a better job.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this! Really helpful.
That is what I am using at the moment - An atherstone girth using the point and third strap.. I only changed to using those straps this week. Have had my girth for years, its a lovely leather one but it does have elastic on only one side so I think ill change it.. never knew all of this could be so complicated!!
Have decided that im pretty happy with the fit of my new saddle (ill stick a photo up when I have my lesson tomorrow) I actually schooled her in my paddock yesterday and afterwards realised she had done her usual puffa fish impression before breathing in and I had left the girth VERY loose. The saddle did not move at all dispite us cantering in a circle a little unbalanced as shes a baby.. which means either I have superhuman balance ;) or more likely the saddle is balanced. Ill post a photo :)
I did, however.. get it the wrong way round.. Its the side of the girth nearest her head which gets tighter not the side that's nearer the tail.
Thanks so much for your comment :)
 
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