Opinions , fairfax girths, please

[Sukistokes2]

My Chiro vet has suggested that a fairfax or similar girth might be beneficial for Kevin. I am not au fair with them. I am aware that they cost a lot!!! Are the worth it and do the following what it says on the tin!?

 

[Shooting Star]

Don't have the fairfax but have the prolite girths which are under liscence to fairfax, the same design and much cheaper

My currently semi retired lad has one and the difference was instant and totally phenomenal, he was so smug strutting his stuff for the saddler when we tried one having shuffled round the school a few minutes earlier in a regular girth. Nice to that the saddler just sold us a girth and not a new saddle as a girth was all that was needed

 

[Sukistokes2]

Thank you, I will have a look

 

[doodle]

My boss got one to go with the fairfax saddle she bought. I can't say I notice any difference in it to other girths we have used! Also got the pro lite copy for another of her horses. Only used that girth on that horse (new horse) so no idea if there is much difference.

 

[canteron]

I am a convert.

The fairfax spreads the pressure very well ..... I have always used (quite expensive) leather girths. However, if you tighten the saddle with my 'normal' girth and feel how the pressure is distributed and then do the same with a fairfax, you can feel the difference. They are also good for horses with a forward girth groove. And mine have lasted very well, so I guess whether you buy the fairfax or the prolite depends how many years you imagine keeping your horse?

 

[Goldenstar]

I have both the Fairfax and the prolite version if these girths .
I really rate them .
The leather one is expensive but the £89 prolite version is not so scary .

 

[ycbm]

I have always used truly curved girths, where the buckles point forwards if you lay the girth flat on the floor. They are quite difficult to find, and I think this may be the biggest difference in the Fairfax compared with other 'curved' girths, which are basically straight with a wiggle in them. And of course there is an enormous difference in elbow room from straight girth. So your horse's reaction to it will depend on what you swap from.

The other thing I do is use them long on a short-girth saddle, so they almost meet the flap Fairfax now recommend that too.

I bought prolite one for one of my horses. I hated it. It slipped like hell, it was plastic feeling and hard, the martingale attachment was terrible. It's in the local landfill.

I have a friend who recently bought the leather one for her horse and I can't see any difference in how he is moving.

I recommend Heritage anatomic girths sold on eBay for about the price of the prolite, English made in high quality leather.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Thank you ycbm I will have a look at those

 

[ycbm]

Thank you ycbm I will have a look at those

They are a direct copy of the Jaguar Harry Dabbs which sells at £140 . I have no idea how he gets away with it! made in Walsall, English leather.


I have a mostly Clyde, smaller than Kevin. I have to use an H girth on him or his saddle goes up his neck.

 

[tallyho!]

They are a direct copy of the Jaguar Harry Dabbs which sells at £140 . I have no idea how he gets away with it! made in Walsall, English leather.

have two - would recommend if your budget is tight - please DO get them longer though for a short girth saddle as recommended. Makes a huge difference. Now trying to source a 50" Jaguar - if you see any, please PM me....

 

[fairyclare]

My mare hated it, it went straight back to the saddlers.
She is normally very willing, she threw a right wobbler in the Fairfax and would not settle - back in her 20 quid waffle girth, back to princess pony again.

I did splash out on a stubben equi soft, the old girl loves it and has made quite a difference, the one it was bought for (as mentioned above) doest feel any different in it.

 

[milliepops]

I have one in a fairfax (noticeable difference in way of going) and one in a prolite which I think is a really decent compromise. Mine is in daily use.
I haven't found another synthetic girth that is so padded underneath the buckles. With the thorowgood etc type you can clearly feel the buckles on the short girths and my cob found that v uncomfortable. Not an issue with the long girth obv :wink3:

 

[ycbm]

Could people who are finding a big difference with Fairfax girths tell us whether they changed from a straight girth, a kinked girth, or a true curved girth where the buckles don't point straight out sideways when the girth is laid flat? I'm very interested to know what is the base cause of the improvement you find.

 

[Flame_]

My horse has a really broad rib cage, narrow shoulders and a forward girth groove. I tried the pro-lite girth to try to help keep my saddle slipping forwards. All that happened is the saddle shifted forwards and the girth rubbed poor horse's elbows to bits. Glad I got mine second hand as for me it was a total waste of money. I ended up getting a second hand saddle for only £25 more than the girth(!) which pretty much solved the issue. They might do what they're meant to better for broader chested horses with more room between the front legs for the forward bit, but even the narrow one sat all wrong on my horse.

 

[milliepops]

Could people who are finding a big difference with Fairfax girths tell us whether they changed from a straight girth, a kinked girth, or a true curved girth where the buckles don't point straight out sideways when the girth is laid flat? I'm very interested to know what is the base cause of the improvement you find.

Swapped between an albion legend girth, thorowgood and professionals choice. When I did the comparison it was between Fairfax and the pro choice which had been the best so far to that point

Little Welsh didn't like feeling the buckles through the pro choice which she inherited as a hand down. She has a forward girth groove so I thought I could do worse than the prolite. She needed narrow gauge otherwise they could have shared.

 

[sbloom]

I have found that of my customers some have got on well with them, others not so much, some horses really hate them and I've yet to have any issues with them being needed to keep a saddle back, so no evidence they do that. I find that on larger bellied horses there is pressure on the back edge whereas a straight girth would have more even pressure.