How do you fasten your girth?

[JennBags]

Haha, that comment was slightly tongue in cheek - it's one of those things that I just can't do... I was far too effectively trained

I can't do it either, it can't be good for either the girth or the saddle to be left like that! I also hate it when people leave the girth on the saddle instead of over the saddle cover.

Until your comment, I genuinely couldn't understand those first 2 options in the poll

 

[little_critter]

I can't do it either, it can't be good for either the girth or the saddle to be left like that! I also hate it when people leave the girth on the saddle instead of over the saddle cover.

Until your comment, I genuinely couldn't understand those first 2 options in the poll

Of course you could just know you ride on hole 3, so put the off side straight to hole 3 when putting the girth on....

Personally I attach girth to one hole below the ride hole on the off side, then do up near side to 2 holes below ride hole. Faff a bit, do up 1 hole on near side, faff some more, do up 1 hole on off side, stretch out front legs, get on, do up last hole.
If I started at the bottom hole the saddle would slide off! (dressage saddle with long billets)

 

[scats]

I'm another who fully removes the girth after each use and puts it on top of the saddlecover. I also have iron covers for my stirrups that I put on without fail.

Watched my friend tack up a few weeks ago, girth right up tight straight away- horse looked like he wanted to kill her!

 

[AFB]

Saddle on with girth on snug but not tight.

Bridle up. Then girth up a notch or two.

Walk horse down to the block, tighten up and get on.

This - not sure it fits in the poll options so haven't voted

 

[Merrymoles]

I usually leave girth attached after untacking unless it needs washing off so off side stays on the same holes. Girth folded over top of saddle but with numnah between the two to air out. I am aware this is not the "preferred" way but it saves time when tacking up my sometimes fidgety lad. Girth done up gradually on the left - tight enough to keep saddle in place while bridling and putting hi-vis leg wraps on, up again before mounting and then final adjustment if needed when on board. I like it to be equal on each side so will adjust on the off-side when on board if needed.

 

[atropa]

I take my girth off each time I ride, so when tacking up I start on bottom hole, then usually ease it up to the second hold before bridling, booting etc, walk out towards the school and put up to the third hole which is tight enough for me to get on, have a bit of a walk to warm up and pop it up to 4 which is my comfortably snug zone for most riding. If the horses are a bit fitter/slimmer during winter and spring I can sometimes get it up to 5 on each side without it being too tight.
Both my mares are pretty sensitive and tbh I'd rather pander to it and make sure they're comfy and happy than whack the girth straight up. I also ride them in girth covers, as one chafes behind her elbow quite easily and I just find it helps with the other's girthiness.

 

[milliepops]

I'm another who fully removes the girth after each use and puts it on top of the saddlecover. I also have iron covers for my stirrups that I put on without fail.

yup
I take my saddle home each day but leave the stirrups and girth at the yard (less muck in the car ) so it all comes off

 

[scats]

It's also occurred to me that I do the same when untacking. I drop the girth down to hole one or two and let it sit on the horse quite loose for a few moments while I remove boots.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I can't do it either, it can't be good for either the girth or the saddle to be left like that! I also hate it when people leave the girth on the saddle instead of over the saddle cover.

Until your comment, I genuinely couldn't understand those first 2 options in the poll

I started the poll because of something that was said on another thread about helping a horse which doesn't like to be tacked up. The poster suggested putting the girth up one hole at a time but gave the impression that the off-side buckles are never undone on her saddle.

It would never occur to me to leave the girth fastened like that. I always drop the girth down to the last hole on both sides when I dismount and start off with both sides on lowest hole when tacking up. I would have seriously got my head in my hands when I rode at RS, if I had done anything else. I would be seriously worried about the fit of a saddle, of any style, that slid off the horse without a girth, when the rider is not aboard. Neither do I always put the saddle on from the near side. I like to get horses used to having everything done from both sides.

It has been interesting to see that most people do pretty much what I do, including stretching the front legs to smooth out the skin. There have been one or two surprises, though.

 

[rara007]

I would be seriously worried about the fit of a saddle, of any style, that slid off the horse without a girth, when the rider is not aboard.

Anything over a wide fit (especially a LW synthetic Saddle) on a round backed Horse will slip off ungirthed with a bit of a fidget IME. None of my 3 (4 that I ride) have withers so the wider ones (4x XW in one case, bespoke), they’re not far off barrels

 

[JFTDWS]

Anything over a wide fit (especially a LW synthetic Saddle) on a round backed Horse will slip off ungirthed with a bit of a fidget IME. None of my 3 (4 that I ride) have withers so the wider ones (4x XW in one case, bespoke), they’re not far off barrels

Yep - one side step and a wide saddle on a round backed horse will slip.

I leave the girth on one saddle - it's a long, boring, cheap girth which has no shape to be altered by flipping it over the saddle. It goes over the saddle cover though, not the saddle. Because it's so flexible, it doesn't have any effect on the saddle. The other two saddles have short girths so definitely have to be taken off. Similarly leather girths which don't bend back over the saddle easily come off. I do let it down on both sides before untacking though.

When I'm tacking up, I put the girth on loosely, then tighten it on both sides at some point before I mount, and check it once I'm up, and after warming up.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

String and duct tape. Can’t go wrong with a bit of duct tape.

 

[fburton]

What does The Manual of Horsemanship say?

 

[cold_feet]

I clearly was never trained. I don’t undo girth both sides unless it needs washing off. I use girth covers and change/wash it regularly. I girth up gradually like most but only one side. A serious question - why take it off? What is the benefit?

 

[fburton]

I clearly was never trained. I don’t undo girth both sides unless it needs washing off. I use girth covers and change/wash it regularly. I girth up gradually like most but only one side. A serious question - why take it off? What is the benefit?

This is how I was taught, way back, by my riding instructors (a BHSI and a BHSII). Maybe correct practice has changed since then.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Anything over a wide fit (especially a LW synthetic Saddle) on a round backed Horse will slip off ungirthed with a bit of a fidget IME. None of my 3 (4 that I ride) have withers so the wider ones (4x XW in one case, bespoke), they’re not far off barrels

Really?
I have had the widest ever Westphalian Kaltblut with a truly enormous barrel and unless she decided to spin in the stable (not something that happened often), her saddle wouldn't slip off even without a girth.

 

[Equi]

My horse is a great one for shrinking dramatically, so i have to have a shortish girth but when initially girthing it will only go to the 1st holes. I then walk down to the arena and one side gets put to maybe 2nd 3rd hole, then the other side, then i faff about with my stirrups and by that time hes usually ready to get it up to 4th hole each side, which is enough for me to get on, then after a 5min walk on each rein its usually up one more hole to go into trot/canter.

 

[rara007]

Really?
I have had the widest ever Westphalian Kaltblut with a truly enormous barrel and unless she decided to spin in the stable (not something that happened often), her saddle wouldn't slip off even without a girth.

yup!! It's like mutton withers are part of my selection criteria...

By the time you have a polypad on, a light breeze without the girth on and the saddle is on the floor Does wonders for your balance as the slightest bit off round a jump off turn and you notice! If any of them needed the girth doing up from the bottom of the straps a hole at a time, for these guys, I'd be jolly worried about saddle fit, (or back issues) far more than it slipping when not girthed. Being so round does serve as a good warning for any slight hind limb lameness at least! Just shows how important it is to know your horses and equipment.

 

[rara007]

What does The Manual of Horsemanship say?

I can't find my copy ! I passed my lower level PC tests in the mid 90s without removing girths.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Gradually. I absolutely hate watching people pull girths up tight straight away. I put it on the bottom hole on both sides then I put bridle on, then go up a hole or two, then put boots on, then lead out to get on.

agree so do I it actually makes me wince to watch some people girth up there horses and then they wonder why the horse is grumpy.

 

[cold_feet]

This is how I was taught, way back, by my riding instructors (a BHSI and a BHSII). Maybe correct practice has changed since then.

But why were you taught that? Surely you were told why?

 

[fburton]

But why were you taught that? Surely you were told why?

I may have been told but have forgotten. As I said, it was a long time ago. However, I do remember that not everything was explained when presented as 'the way things are done'.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

But why were you taught that? Surely you were told why?

I was certainly told why, "to avoid causing the horses discomfort, which could lead to them disliking being tacked up, and so fidgeting or worse".
My then RI (50+ yrs ago) was an absolute stickler for considering the horses. She expected excellent manners from them and set them up to be able to be well-mannered. If she saw anyone being rough in any way, there was hell to pay!

ETA, it is interesting that some posters girth up quickly because their horses are fidgety etc. Mrs B (RI) would have said that was a vicious circle.

 

[Merrymoles]

ETA, it is interesting that some posters girth up quickly because their horses are fidgety etc. Mrs B (RI) would have said that was a vicious circle.

I mentioned that my horse can sometimes fidget but it's certainly nothing to do with girthing him up too quickly. He is very reactive to noise so something like the icecream van or the scrap man beeping their horns, which happens nearly every Sunday, will make him swing round while something like a flurry of gunfire will make him take his front feet off the ground. As he has no withers, if his girth was on the first hole on both sides, his saddle would end up slipping sideways or backwards and make the whole situation far worse. As it is, it is done up sufficiently to keep it in place and no more. I don't think girthing quickly equates to girthing tightly all in one go.

 

[rara007]

No fidgeting here, you can’t drive (or show) a fidgety Horse Cheeri stared off a bit fresh when first arrived at a new venue but I’d also travel him tacked up so not sure that’s related Its amazing at ridden Shows what people tolerate or even expect

 

[little_critter]

I was certainly told why, "to avoid causing the horses discomfort, which could lead to them disliking being tacked up, and so fidgeting or worse".
My then RI (50+ yrs ago) was an absolute stickler for considering the horses. She expected excellent manners from them and set them up to be able to be well-mannered. If she saw anyone being rough in any way, there was hell to pay!

ETA, it is interesting that some posters girth up quickly because their horses are fidgety etc. Mrs B (RI) would have said that was a vicious circle.

The question you are responding to is "why remove the girth altogether?", not "why girth up slowly?"
I agree that girthing should be done slowly to prevent discomfort, and at the moment I do remove my girth because I have a short girth that won't flip over the saddle. However when I had a saddle with a long girth I left it attached (I had dropped a hole on the off side when I got off before untacking).

So...why is it drummed into some people that girths must be removed?

 

[nikkimariet]

Gradually.

Last hole both sides, then work my way up to 3 both sides. Nova is 4 both sides.

I also stretch the foreleg out in case any folds of skin are trapped.

 

[ester]

I've only ever removed girths that don't easily flip over, so short ones. It's not damaging anything being attached.
I generally would leave the girth on the hole I left it on the offside, but our current job is quite elastic (prochoice) so it is tricky to get it to reach without letting it down so it gets let down. Definitely no fidgeting though.
Dressage saddle on last hole on each side it would be swinging so that's rather pointless for securing it!

 

[Leo Walker]

Anything over a wide fit (especially a LW synthetic Saddle) on a round backed Horse will slip off ungirthed with a bit of a fidget IME. None of my 3 (4 that I ride) have withers so the wider ones (4x XW in one case, bespoke), they’re not far off barrels

Yup, saddles definitely fit and dont move when ridden, but will slide off if the horse moves over quickly. Drives me mad!

I never undo both sides of the girth for this reason, although I do drop both sides down as I untack, and then very slowly up them as I tack up so no real difference to the horse.

 

[Kat]

Gradually in stages, as above.

My pet hate is to be presented with a girth which is a bit short, and to be ordered to just yank it up, grrr. No I bleddy won't. Go and fetch a girth that fits.

That said the pony I occasionally borrow has a girth that can be a struggle to get on the first gole when you tack up but by the time you are on it is high enough you would probably want a size smaller in an ideal world!