ideas for making girth straps on dressage saddle more comfy 4 horse?

Kezza

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My horse is very sensitive, esp in the girth area. I have found a dressage girth for his dressage saddle which suits him but I would also like to make the area where the leather girth straps are against his skin kinder. Does anyone have any ideas? It’s the bit where the girth attaches to the straps.

My thoughts were: Get a girth a bit bigger so the buckles do up just under the flap but that would prob be uncomfortable as my leg would be putting pressure on and the flaps of my saddle would get ruined. Or I have seen those Velcro up girth sleeves, I could buy an oversize one of those perhaps? Or I have seen the nuumed girth sleeve which has wool one side and quilt the other and sits under the girth between it and the horse and has straps on the outside which hold it securely?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Thanks
 
I have just bought the Nuumed girth liner for my TB who is quite sensitive in this area. The girth goes through loops on the outside of the liner but the bit where the buckles do up is kept off his skin by the lovely fluffy bit. It is fab, does the job a treat and he seems much happier, although the first time I used it he kept looking round at it, I think he thought it was a fly or something tickling him. I tried a girth sleeve initially, bought a longer one as you suggested but it made doing the girth up really fiddly cos you had to try and slide the sleeve up afterwards if you see what I mean.
 
Are you using a dressage girth which has exposed buckles? If so just pop on some leather buckle guards from a gp saddle, the things that are normally hidden under the saddle flaps.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Are you using a dressage girth which has exposed buckles? If so just pop on some leather buckle guards from a gp saddle, the things that are normally hidden under the saddle flaps.

[/ QUOTE ]

no the buckles are covered, it's the leather girth straps which are against his skin, about 2 inches of them where they come out from under the flap and meet the girth.

thanks
 
Ah right.....I see your problem. Ive had issues with this in the past and eventually asked my saddler to shorten my straps so they were like gp ones and then used a longer girth. Slightly irritating on my leg at times but no pinching on the horse.

Could your saddler cut you a sheepskin and leather guard do you think?
 
I had some leather girth strap sleeves made for mine, they just slide over both straps and stop any pinching any good saddler should be able to make you up a pair to fit, it worked for my boy.
 
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