Having a BIG issue with Girths.. Help me please before i go crazy!

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Uber Sensitive horse- so far i have tried:

100% cotton girth with no stretch
Wintec Chafless
Throwogood stretch
Frank Baines Leather and Sheepskin

None of these are solving my problem with my horse being very unhappy girthed up.

Saddle, teeth and back were all checked this week and all have been ruled out- the only thing that the vet and saddler seem to think it may be is his girth.

I thought i had solved it but obviously not.. he gets very unhappy when being tacked up, tries to bite, swishes his tail, WONT stand still (even when tied up) etc.

We did some tests today and it became apparent that the placing of the saddle on his back isnt the issue UNTIL you start to girth him up...

So.. where do i go from here with girth options?!
confused.gif
 
Was reading an article on gastric ulcers, and one of the symptoms is having an issue girthing up. Source: Horse and Hound, 7th May, 'Veterinary Clinic' (p. 22-23).

If that's not the issue, try an H girth. I saw them a few months ago, but not anything recently. They are said to spread out the pressure and some horses much prefer them.
 
Sometimes it's a learnt habit. Pickle's old saddle used to be a really bad fit. He has had a correctly fitting saddle for 2 years now but still gets angry when being girthed, nothing major and not as bad as before, but he still has a learnt response.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Was reading an article on gastric ulcers, and one of the symptoms is having an issue girthing up. Source: Horse and Hound, 7th May, 'Veterinary Clinic' (p. 22-23).

If that's not the issue, try an H girth. I saw them a few months ago, but not anything recently. They are said to spread out the pressure and some horses much prefer them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats interesting, having read it they say that there are many symptons but he only has that one girthing issue- however i wont rule it out. Can horses have anything bought off the shelf for ulcers as it seems that vets dont perscribe anything for it?
 
As wide a girth as possble to spread the pressure. Elastic at both ends or not at all.
Possibilities: stubben cotton string girth, wow H girth (fab but only for long stap saddles), shires do a blenheim leather girth that is quite wide in the middle.
Definatey not a 'human' girth, far too narrow.

Have the horses sternum and pectoral muscles been checked?
 
This shires girth is similar to my frank baines one.. i may try the stubben string girth as i had forgotten about that one!

Yes the vet checked him all over and found no sensitivity UNTIL the actual girth was put on and then he got upset.
Its all rather odd.
 
if you want to try an h girth i have one i'm not using at the moment, just pm me. alternatively it does sound very similar to my boy who had ulcer problems, sorted him out initially with u-guard from equine america, but now find herbs from silver lining uk keeps everything sorted.
 
I went through a similar problem, buying every girth out there (if you're looking for dressage girths PM me, I have every girth under the sun!) and finally ended with an Albion leather girth - the only one he likes! Like yours, my chap only seems to have the girth problem, no other gastric ulcer related problems and lives out 24/7.
 
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