Girths - help and recommendations please!

Caramac71

Caramac71

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We have had some problems with saddle fit, not totally convinced previous saddler has given the best advice, so got a different saddle fitter out for a second opinion. She has refitted saddle (Thorowgood T8 GP) - confirmed today by my trusted physio that it's a good fit. Saddle fitter advised trying a different girth as we are using Thorowgood girth that is elasticated one side only. She recommended finding something that is elasticated both sides and suggested we see if anyone has anything we can try, to see if horse is more comfortable (she is very girthy at present which could be for a number of reasons).

So anyway, I've done a search and am now totally confused!

Can anyone explain to me how a humane girth works please and why they aren't recommended (as these seem to be the ones that are elasticated both ends).

And can anyone recommend a girth for under £50 (happy to buy second hand if I can find something suitable), ideally brown leather (46") but happy to consider anything, that our horse might be more comfortable in. We dont have any specific issues with saddle moving or anything, but she's definitely showing discomfort when having the girth done up so I'd like to see if there's anything we can do to help with that, and having had the disadvantages of one-side elastic explained I'm keen to find something better.
 
I swapped from a thorowgood to Professionals Choice neoprene girth. All the pros of a synthetic girth, elasticated both ends, neoprene adds stability so you don't need to do the girth up too tightly. I really rate them. My saddle fitter agreed that it was excellent.
Not leather,but they are tidy and understated. I started with one for my jumping saddle and found my horse jumped straighter immediately on swapping.
Here's one:

http://www.saddlery.biz/professiona...-gWCvm3d9GysFY1Hsy-nV_rbiDt_ecmRmyxoCSJ7w_wcB

re humane girths - I feel they are too easy to over tighten, and the D ring that the buckle straps run through is said to cause a pressure point.
 
Thank you, we were looking at the Aerborn one as it's much cheaper but seems to do the job. The Professionals Choice one looks very comfortable so we'll give it a bit of thought.

What has confused me is that all the humane girths I'd seen had looked similar. But then I came across this http://www.amazon.co.uk/GFS-Humane-...fkmr1&keywords=aerborn+atherstone+girth+brown and it didn't look like a humane girth, so I wondered what made it a humane girth and how it worked differently? The other humane girths I'd seen had a metal buckle with 2 straps/buckles coming off of it so I could understand how that could easily fail - but the GFS one looks like a normal girth to me.
 
yup I'd say that was normal!

My lad is particularly sensitive as he has a forwards girth groove so he does need something shaped and he seems to get on with the aerborn one better than any leather one.
 
Sometimes they use the term 'humane' to mean squishy or shaped as well as the more accepted ringed type.

I like the ringed humane girths for horses that are between holes on a normal girth (i.e. you feel you want it up a hole but can't without making it too tight)
 
I recently had my saddle refitted for my new-ish pony who has lost a lot of weight. I had a problem with saddle stability which isn't surprising as she had lost so much she went down 2 gullet sizes on a Thorowgood T8 cob dressage saddle. (From xxw to xw) It was much better once changed and reflocked but still a bit wobbly.

So we tried a non elasticacted girth instead of the thorowgood elasticacted girth and the difference in stability was really noticeable. I think it was a professionals choice one with a neoprene backing. I then tried a fairfax girth (I know :0 at the price) as she has a forward girth groove and big shoulders with big movement and the shape of the girth made the most amazing difference.

No I didn't spend £250 on a new girth, but prolite (same group as fairfax and thorowgood) are bringing out a synthetic version which I've pre-ordered through my saddler. I'm having to use my old girth whilst I wait for it which is so annoying as the difference is astounding!!!

Not sure if that helps. Pony is a quite round low withered connemara!!
 
I've just bought a Dever girth which has a neoprene sleeve and elastic both ends. Lots of people love them, but for my forward-girthed, big-shouldered mare I actually prefer my old Thorowgood girth with no elastic, so I've gone back to that. Will definitely look at the Prolite though atlantis, you could have been describing my mare!
 
I think it's much kinder to use elastic and worry when a fixed girth is needed to keep a saddle in place, the ones I see tend to be very tight. The way I fit a good saddle fit works best with elastic both ends. I'm not a fan of humane girths, and can't see that with weight fluctuations a horse will often be between holes on a girth, again elastic at both ends leads to much more even tension than a fixed girth. Also the humane girths are often narrow too, you need as wide as the horse can take as it gives grip, when dealing with wide tricky to fit types that I specialise in.
 
Another vite for the professionals choice, fabulous girths. I got mine from an american site as even with postage it was cheaper than buying from UK. A much cheaper option are the Hy neoprene girths. I have some of these as my spares and they are pretty good as a cheaper alternative.
 
I really like the shires atherstone leather girth which is elasticated both ends but the elastic seems a lot firmer than elastic on other brands (if that makes sense)
Horse approves and I've noticed far less sweaty under his girth now than the previous neoprene one.
ETA i also found the humane girths very narrow and didn't sit right for me
 
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