Humane/equaliser girths

Jo1987

Jo1987

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Hi all
I have always used humane girths on my horses as I like the versatility of being able to tighten the girth 'half' a hole and not having to worry if one girth strap stretches more than another as the girth with equalise the difference, however my sister has recently been told by the physio she uses for my niece's pony that these girths cause terrible pain and pressure points on the horse's sides because of the metal ring that the buckles slide on?
Just wondered if anyone else has found this as I've never had a problem with them and have use them on 5/6 horses over 10 years or so?
I've just had a new saddle and need a longer girth than my current one (a Shires 'waffle' humane girth) - now I'm worrying I should get a normal girth with fixed buckles or not!
 
I'm not sure about terrible pain but some physios do not like them due to the pressure points they can cause, I know one physio who resorted to burning some when the yard kept using them and she kept having to fix the horses due to the soreness they caused, they were replaced with different girths and she didn't have to visit so frequently.
 
I just don't like them from a safety point of view - if one buckle or billet fails you suddenly have a very very loose girth which is held on by one single billet. Why not get elasticated - either throughout the length, as the Wintec one, or in the middle or at both ends ideally so as not to risk twisting the saddle?
 
i had heard this too and wondered so i got the Wintec which i like and thought i'd try the Flexi Girth for OH's horse, i,m not sure what others think of this girth but i have found it does exactly what the gumph on it says it does and the saddle never slips and the girth is done up lightly.
 
I have used them over the years on several horses with no ill effects at all. My Draft horse was very unhappy about being girthed when I bought her (she brought her own tack). I changed her tack and introduced an Aerborne humane girth, her behaviour changed over time and she has never appeared to be sore but rather more comfortable now than previously - and she is now on her 3rd saddle in 4 yrs but always with a humane girth. My girths always come well up the saddle flaps, so no direct contact between the end/buckles and the horse's side.
 
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