Oh no!! Girth gall!!

sidesaddlegirl

sidesaddlegirl

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Sigh, went for a nice hack this morning (nothing fast, just walking and trotting down the lane) and when we got back to the stables, I noticed there was blood on Hattie's girth just behind her elbow. When I took off the girth, there was a rubbed patch. I put some purple spray on it but when I went to do the feeds tonight, I noticed it had swelled up.

I've never had a horse with a girth gall before as I always buy good quality tack (no cheap hard cardboard imported stuff for me) and keep it clean as well as always brushing before and after a ride. I always strecth the legs forward to untrap any skin as well.

It's an english made leather three fold girth that I use on my side saddle and I had just cleaned it last night as well. I checked the leather to see if there were any cracks there was were pinching her but there is nothing.
This is about the fifth time I've ridden her in this girth and now this has happened.

What do I do now? Obviously, I'm not going to ride her until it heals. Do I clean it with hibiscrub? The skin is not broken and there is still horse hair on her skin there but it's more "sparse" than normal and there is a lump now.

How do I prevent this from happening again? I thought I was doing all the right things as all the horses I've had, have never gotten one. Should I try a wider three fold girth? The one I have is 3" wide made form thick hide but I can get a soft leather 4" one from Laura Dempsey.
I've always ridden Hattie in leather and elastic atherstone girths without a problem but this week since I've gotten my side saddle back from the saddlers, has been the first time she's been ridden in a three fold girth.

Help!!
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Don't pull the leg forward as that pulls skin in front of the girth that would normally sit under the girth. by pulling it forward you end up with loads of loose skin in front. That can go nowhere so gets pinched against the girth.

Also check whether your saddle is going forwards, as the girth can be pushed forward by the stomach - its a mare so she will push the girth forward as they are wider behind than geldings, by pushing the girth forward she would be trapping the skin. Try moving to a Stubben cord Trevira girth as that will be about 4 inches wide and will prevent the girth slipping forward and skin being trapped. It will also flex with the horses movement
 
once it has healed you can use a alchol rub around the girth area to toughen the skin and prevent it happening again .
 
Thanks guys for the tips. I will defintely get a 4" wide girth for my side saddle. I used to have one but sold it last year when I had an xxxwide cob on loan as it didn't fit her!

That is so weird as I've always been taught that you always pull the legs forward agter you girth to prevent any trapped skin. I feel so bad as I thought I was being a good mum by doing this. Hattie was such a good girl today to for putting up with this out of my own ignorance
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It makes sense though as she does have a big mare ribcage and my saddles do slip forward (been the sotry of my life for the past month!!). I won't do it again.

I did consider a string girth for my astride saddle if I didn't have any luck with the special curved one I've ordered but I don't think I'd be able to use a string girth on a side saddle? I know they aren't correct for showing side saddle but I'm not doing that yet anyways, just hacking and local dressage shows (hopefully!) in the autumn.

The trouble is that a side saddle leather girth has a central keeper underneath to slide your balance girth and your over-girth through it to keep everything together. I don't see how you'd be able to do with with strings and the keeper is sewn onto the girth.

Does anyone have any experience with using a string girth with a side saddle?

I didn't know about the acohol tip! I will do that when she heals up!
 
for healing I use sudocreme or naf MSM cream, both seem to get the hair to grow back quite quick (have also had germolene suggested in CR)- should be fine in about 5 days I wouldn't hibiscrub more than once at the start.

I get worse rubs if I don't pull legs forwards (tried it) so I still do this.

Also found that if there are any residul lumps (Frank has a small one) the cord girth can pinch them and make them worse

Frank has a very forward girth groove meaning his elbows do get rubbed particularly if he is changing coat.- hence for him wider girths don't work, they make the problem worse. He last got a horrid bloody rub from one of those 'zig zag' leather girths. Find nuumed girth sleeves to be very good preventative too.
 
Use surgical spirit on the girth rub as that will toughen up the area. I wouldn;t use a cord girth with a side saddle as you cannot put the balance strap through anything and that will just cause rubbing. Also part of the problem with rubbing at this time of year is the sweat that forms under a wide all leather girth. The cord girth is only about £25 so is a cheap solution. In 10 years of using them on a variety of types I have never had a girth rub from one and i have used them on some seriously sensitive skinned horses.
 
Don't use a string girth on a side saddle - they slip too much and there's risk of pinching with the balance girth even if you can get a keeper loop stitched on. The soft leather girths seem to work very well - I was a bit sceptical but saw them used on Roger Philpot's horses and they never rubbed anything - if the girth slips forward it will just roll up a bit.
It's a shame wintec don't still do tubular neoprene girths - we use them on the western horses which are very thin skinned and they are great.
Once the gall has healed put surgical spirit on the whole girth area to toughen the skin up - old fashioned but works for side saddle horses.
 
Just got back from the stables and the swelling has gone and it doesn't look as bad as it did yesterday. Just to be safe though, I put on a dollop of sudocreme and she's on field rest now.

I'm going to order one of those soft and wide 3 fold girths off Laura Dempsey then. I should imagine they are the same ones Roger Philpot uses since she is at Pittern Hill.

Is surgical spirit the same as rubbing alcohol then? Can I get this from Boots or any chemist?
 
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