Humane girths - opinions

Wagtail

Wagtail

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I am talking about those girths where the buckle straps slide through a metal loop. I have read a few posts where people say that they hate these girths and they are far from humane. I am neutral on this and have a couple of these girths that I haven't used since reading these comments a few years ago. But I am thinking of using one now that my old mare was very happy in. But I am keen to find out why those who say they are bad think they are bad before making a decision. Thanks.
 
First reason I don't use them is the safety aspect - if a girth strap breaks the whole girth will loosen. Don't know if it is still the case but they were banned at Pony Club for this reason. They also take some time to get balanced on the right holes as there is a deceptive amount of 'play' when doing up.

Secondly, the metal loop comes further down the girth and can pinch the horse - some physios dislike them because they can damage the muscles and nerves.

I use girths with split ends - if long balding or cord, if short shaped waffle with elastic both ends. This gives the adjustment to accommodate horse's shape.

PS I have large natives, so may be very different on different shaped horse.s
 
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I haven't got any 'Humane Girths', but I am always wary when something is labelled as 'Humane'. I tend to make my own decisions on these & in many cases I believe that The 'Humane' label is just a 'selling point'.
 
I think the concern is that the metal d-ring that the buckle strap slides through can cause a pressure point. I had one for my last horse, who was very clear in his communication to me when he regarded something as being in any way unsatisfactory, and he was always quite content with his. It was a well padded leather one that I sold to my friend when my boy was PTS, and her horse is very happy in it too.
 
Micropony said:
I think the concern is that the metal d-ring that the buckle strap slides through can cause a pressure point.
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^^ this
Just my personal experience, I have known several horses feel discomfort from buckles in short girths or the metal ring in a humane girth.
 
Following with interest.

I've been sold one of these by a saddler (didn't call it humane girth though) and at the time it seemed reasonable what they were saying. I feel bad now I haven't given it too much thought, as a novice owner I try and trust the professionals but am learning to question them too.

I can see the safety issue with them but J is normally pretty steady or normally quite predictable in his 'spooks' and I do inspect it before I ride. I haven't thought about pressure points though :( J really isn't a horse to complain bless him, so I'm now thinking I should have a closer look at this. I need to get his saddle fit checked soon anyway so I may question the girth with them (different one to the one who sold it to me) and perhaps try going back to his other girth that I still have in the cupboard and see if it makes any difference.
 
I also don't use them for safety reasons. My sadly is probably over 20 years old now - it's still in great shape and well looked after, including the girth straps but better safe than sorry, because you can guarantee that if one did snap, it would be mid gallop! Some are better designed than others - ie the metal ring won't come into contact with their skin. However I would think that there may still be pressure points. More so than other girths? I think so, but couldn't say for sure.
 
It's also disliked because it has the power to be overtightened a lot because of how you can pull on it easier and use a leverage system and get it up hope by hole. A lot of people still girth until it physically can't go any tighter and you can't get a finger under the girth.
 
equi said:
It's also disliked because it has the power to be overtightened a lot because of how you can pull on it easier and use a leverage system and get it up hope by hole. A lot of people still girth until it physically can't go any tighter and you can't get a finger under the girth.
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Oh god yeah, I used to help someone with their horses and they seemed to think the whole point of the humane girth was that you could crank it up really tight! :eek3: I am more inclined to have air between horse and girth, have to remind myself to do it up now and then. I like the neoprene lined girths for adding stability when needed without having to over tighten.
 
Thanks, everyone. The one I am planning to use is a leather padded one that has a good thickness of leather inder the metal ring. My old mare was completely happy in it. My current mare will let me know if even the slightest thing is wrong, so I guess I will soon know if she doesn't like it. I am very careful in tightening the girth as hate over tightened girths. The safety aspect is also something to think about. All very good points made. Thank you.
 
Some people/horses hate them but I got on very well with the wintec girth for my Welsh Sec D (non wintec saddle). It spread the pressure very evenly across the whole girth so he sweated up evenly and it was impossible to overtighten, which with a horse who hated a tight girth was quite useful. Even though he was a roly poly cob, it didn't slip on him either. Great girth for us, solved a lot of problems and he was very comfortable in it.
 
I had one for my Welsh D mare. Got on OK with it, until one day out hacking (only in walk thank goodness) I suddenly felt very insecure and everything was slipping around.

Got off, saw the dang girth hanging loose. It had somehow - without actually DOING anything - and I mean we were just in walk, pottering along gently, managed to come undone. That put me straight off them. The consequences if we had been out hunting, X-country, or anything, could have been horrendous.

As for the "humane" aspect. Agree it is easy to over-tighten these girths. But this is possible with ANY girth. I've been to view horses and seen way too much over-tight girths on horses; often the saddle doesn't fit correctly and this is why the girth is too tight. I remember the old-fashioned nylon girths of yester years, as some on here may remember; that's all we used when I was a kid, and unfortunately a lot of them were in those days done up way too tight - must have been like cheese-wire to our poor unfortunate mounts!

I'm not overkeen on girths with elastic in them either, for the same reason(s).
 
I'm not a fan of many of them due to the pressure from the metal d ring, especially on the thinner webbing girths as they don't look comfortable.

I do however use the Albion humane dressage girth which is so thick and padded that this doesn't seem to be an issue (plus obviously sits lower) - mine have been very comfortable in this one and I'm happy with it. I also don't over tighten girths.
 
I think I am going to try it if my saddler thinks it's the right girth for the saddle and my girl. I have used it a lot on my previous mare including long hacks and cross country without issue. However, after reading these posts, I will be extra vigilant. Thank you.
 
I always used to use the aerborne humane girths, and I thought they worked well. Even the late chesnut git seemed to approve of his, ok so he'd bronk me off once a year, but he'd have bronked me off every day if he's disapproved of his girthing arrangement :D.

I never overtighten girths, but I don't see why you'd overtighten a humane girth more than a regular one?
 
Wagtail said:
I am talking about those girths where the buckle straps slide through a metal loop. I have read a few posts where people say that they hate these girths and they are far from humane. I am neutral on this and have a couple of these girths that I haven't used since reading these comments a few years ago. But I am thinking of using one now that my old mare was very happy in. But I am keen to find out why those who say they are bad think they are bad before making a decision. Thanks.
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I much prefer them to normal ones, specially when my big ID girl puffs out.
 
As above, there have been accidents. If one strap breaks your girth immediately becomes very loose. With all other girths if one strap breaks, or you simply miss getting it in in the right hole on the saddle, the second buckle remains done up.

I seem to remember that one incident was on a young horse which was not standing still and the rider was trying to tighten the girth, missed the strap and the saddle immediately slipped off sideways. I don't know what the consequences were but probably not pleasant.

Also don't like the leverage thing either.
 
The safety thing is a fair point.

However, I use them on most of my ponies. The ease of tightening, especially for child riders who would otherwise struggle to tack up themselves, on fat, flat little ponies is a major bonus.

None of the ponies seem to have a problem with them, and I've never had one rub.
 
I quite like them for my allrounders :) never had a rubbing issues even for sensitive ones and touch wood never had a girth strap break (regardless of girth!).
 
I'm not a massive fan. I think, especially with kids/novices they have the potential to be fastened pretty horrendously. Not through anyone's fault, they're just so easy to fasten badly! I much prefer a standard girth fastening and so long as it's done correctly, think they're just as 'humane' as anything explicitly labelled as such :)
 
Unsafe, really easy to massively overtighten (though that is user error like so many things, education!) and the pressure on the ribcage from the dee. I always advise against them.
 
rara007 said:
I quite like them for my allrounders :) never had a rubbing issues even for sensitive ones and touch wood never had a girth strap break (regardless of girth!).
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Don't you worry about being on board, needing to tighten a girth strap, losing grip of it because your hands are slippy or the horse jinks, and then finding yourself on the floor? It's that reason I don't use them for, not because a strap might break. It simply isn't safe to tighten your girth while on board.
 
Well as it happens, it's a bit of a redundant question for now because my lovely Harry Dabbs jump saddle slipped forward on her so I won't be using a long girth for a while. ycbm, I absolutely get what you mean about tightening whilst on board. My mare is a fidget standing still and the wind was wild this morning and I must admit I even worried about it whilst the saddler was tightening the girth. I bought a prolite short girth for my dressage saddle, so that may be the best way to go when/if I finally find a forward cut saddle she likes.
 
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