Girth rubbing :(

M

MagicMelon

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2004
Messages
16,386
Location
North East Scotland
Visit site
My mare has a very forward girth groove so I use a specific curved leather short girth on her. It's been fine all year except a couple of days ago when I noticed a mark right behind her shoulder on a bit of the skin where it folds naturally. Took her to an ODE yesterday and after the dressage it was rubbed raw - just a tiny patch but on the verge of bleeding. So I padded it out as best as I could for the rest of the day (gamgee with XC boot tape!) which worked. However, I'm rather concerned as to why its suddenly started doing this! And quite what I can do about it... I can't just use any old girth on her because it has to be decently curved, so its not a simple case of just getting a different girth. I'm considering getting a bit of wool sewed round the area? It seems to be at the point where the girth straps meet the leather that it's doing it, yet when I look the girth doesn't seem to touch the area, its like the girth is pushing the skin fold forward and that's whats doing it.
 
Last edited:
Have you considered a cord girth? I used one on my mare who had very sensitive skin and my friend is now using it on her mare who has a similar rub to the one you describe, it seems to work
 
I had an ancient Stubben cord girth that was very useful on thin skinned horses. I also used a skin hardening gel, cannot remember who makes it though. It seemed to be witch hazel and surgical spirit in a gel mix.
 
Yeah, I actually have a Stubben cord girth I used to use on my other sensitive skinned horse, but my worry is that it was hell to get a saddle to stay put on this mare - everything shot up her neck. We finally managed to anchor it down and a very curved girth was part of what helped. I worry a string girth (which isnt curved obviously) will cause big issues. I can't even try mine easily as my current Stubben is a long girth so wont fit on my WOW (which has long straps).

A skin hardening gel, did it really work? Mare is very pink skinned (she's a faded coloured so basically white) so is sensitive.
 
It did help. Horses in hunt service often had surgical spirit rubbed in when they came up from grass. Gold Label is the stuff I have used.
 
Coat change time of year can be tricky. Mum uses a nuumed girth sleeve cut in half to cover the elbow bits of her girth. I also find that clipping helps as there is no length of hair to snag.

I don't think you can use the string girth with long straps anyway as no buckle protection - fwiw it just bunched up in my chaps forward groove.

Also they do do curvy sheepskin to fit the fairfax girth and others.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LeMieux-M...-Cover-/161632904588?var=&hash=item25a212658c

https://nuumed.com/244-girth-sleeve-to-fit-fairfax-performance-girths-fairfax
 
Last edited:
MagicMelon said:
My mare has a very forward girth groove so I use a specific curved leather short girth on her. It's been fine all year except a couple of days ago when I noticed a mark right behind her shoulder on a bit of the skin where it folds naturally. Took her to an ODE yesterday and after the dressage it was rubbed raw - just a tiny patch but on the verge of bleeding. So I padded it out as best as I could for the rest of the day (gamgee with XC boot tape!) which worked. However, I'm rather concerned as to why its suddenly started doing this! And quite what I can do about it... I can't just use any old girth on her because it has to be decently curved, so its not a simple case of just getting a different girth. I'm considering getting a bit of wool sewed round the area? It seems to be at the point where the girth straps meet the leather that it's doing it, yet when I look the girth doesn't seem to touch the area, its like the girth is pushing the skin fold forward and that's whats doing it.
Click to expand...

My horses girth has suddenly started doing this so I'm riding (when I remember) in a girth sleeve. The first time I noticed fur missing and a little hole about the size of your little finger nail, but it was only the top layer of skin, it hadn't rubbed a lot and was still the same colour as the rest of his skin. I put sudocrem on it immediately and the hair grew back after about ten days of using a girth sleeve and sudocrem applications.

I guess a bit of baby oil over the area or on the girth would be sufficient to stop the friction. Has your horse lost muscle over his withers/trapezius/lasi dormus region?

Mines a Elevator girth, lovely and padded and soft leather. I couldn't understand why but I think its the lack of muscle possibly which is causing the saddle to move slightly.
 
Coat change may be why it's rubbing now. Best thing we found for a very thin skinned TB when she came back into work was to wrap the girth (and for her the martingale) in clingfilm. It's not so bulky as to affect the fit and stopped the rubbing completely - just looks a bit odd!
 
Lanky Loll said:
Coat change may be why it's rubbing now. Best thing we found for a very thin skinned TB when she came back into work was to wrap the girth (and for her the martingale) in clingfilm. It's not so bulky as to affect the fit and stopped the rubbing completely - just looks a bit odd!
Click to expand...

Wow, good idea!
 
Hi

My old Arab- who did zillions of endurance miles- had a similar problem which was particularly bad at coat changing time. I found a leather girth to be the best solution ( I tried loads) needless to say kept clean and supple. What really helped was slathering the offending area with Vaseline to reduce friction.
 
I had this problem with my hunter last year and ended up using a professionals choice smx ventech girth which worked perfectly.

I'm going to eBay it if you are interested. 52" brown. Have sold mare now so no need for it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top