How long is your dressage girth?

[Orangehorse]

Having been told to make sure the buckle is above the elbow, I carefully attached some string to the girth strap where I would do it up to measure the length, which is 36 inches. This seems very long for a dressage girth, but if it is any shorter he might catch his elbow on it.

My horse isn't that big, so I am a bit puzzled.

So how long are yours?

 

[monkeymad]

That does sound long! Mine is 26' for a 16.2 TB.

 

[kirstyl]

I bought one for our donkeys for our new Barefoot Saddle - it's 12''!

 

[Goldenstar]

26 inches for mine too.

 

[ThePony]

26 for mine too - must admit that I am wishing that I got a 24 though as when it's done up it comes just over the bottom of my longer saddle cloths (she is a mid weight 15.3)

 

[Orangehorse]

Thanks, better go and check again.

 

[Thistle]

It's usually about half the long girth length, then rounded up to the next even number

eg, long girth is 54, half is 27, round up, 28 dressage girth

However if you are using it on a jump saddle you may need a slightly longer girth as the flaps/straps are shorter

 

[applestroodle]

size 28 and normal girth is a 54, on a 16h!

 

[domane]

Someone told me the rule of thumb is to take 20" off your normal girth.

 

[jess_asterix]

I have a 24 on my boy but wishing I had got a 22 as it can come to high on once he has breathed in.

He is a 48/50 in normal girths.

 

[Sneedy]

My chunkster is currently sporting a 32" dressage girth!!! You may want to take into account some stretch eg Wintec girths have a degree of stretch in them.

Could you not borrow one before you buy, or ask the shop if you can exchange if wrong?

 

[imr]

22 inch for my 16.1 chunky gelding, the mare's is a little bigger - 26 inch I think. You want quite a lot of strap and not a lot of girth, it should not be touching the bottom of your saddlecloth! Can you borrow anyone's for sizing ?

 

[elsiex]

Mines 26inch aswell, for a 16.1h tb type x

 

[Happy Hunter]

I was thinking this too
With a bit of string i thought 34 inches - but my girl is not on the chubby side!!!
Trouble is -its hard to 'pull' the string as tight as a girth is going to be...

I have just bought a 28 - ill try it tomorrow and let you know!

 

[Sneedy]

Also bear in mind different dressage saddles have different length girth straps. In the Albion my chap was in a 28" girth, but the Bates that I now use has meant using the larger girth. So don't get too hung up on the inches!!!!!

 

[Happy Hunter]

Update!

My 16.3 ish Cleveland Bay with girth circumfrence of 210cm (I thinkkkk cant quite remember i have it written down in the tack room!) - Who usually has a 48Inch girth on an Albion Ledgend K2 GP.

With a Tekna Dressage saddle (Yep its a bargain!) - Takes a 28 inch Albion dressage girth.

hope it helps someone!

 

[Orangehorse]

Well, I had another go today with an old girth that I know is too short. It still came out to
a minimum 32" and normal girth is 48". See what I can find tomorrow.

 

[cptrayes]

You want quite a lot of strap and not a lot of girth, it should not be touching the bottom of your saddlecloth! Can you borrow anyone's for sizing ?

Why should it not touch the saddlecloth? I think this is just a fashion that has been set recently by some top riders who want the buckles out of the way of their own legs, so they set them below the elbow with a very short girth instead of above the elbow as we used to be taught years ago.

I have to say I hate seeing short dressage girths with two straps squeezing a piece of flesh between them when the girth comes nowhere near the saddle flap. It can't be comfortable for the horse, can it?

I buy girths that come right up to the flap when done up tight. 34 inches on my 17 hand middleweight. 32 inches on my 16.3 medium weight and my 17 hand lightweight. All with dressage flaps.