Reviews of Wow Free Space girth?

heinz_horse said:
I love the idea of this girth and it seems to work- but just wondering if anyone has used it on a sensitive horse? Mine requires sheepskin everything all year round and I’m not sure if there is a cover that would fit on the girth
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I think the wow adverts say sheepskin cover available
 
First 11 pages of this thread had me almost ordering one for sensitive girthy chestnut mare - then I reached the posts about rubbing :rolleyes:

What are they like for elbow clearance - as in does the "space" make the girth straps stick out from the body enough to catch elbow skin more? My mare rubs the skin on her elbows when the wrinkly bits roll back over the outside of her girth, so everything is covered in sheepskin. Nothing on the underside of girth or saddle rubs her at all, just the skin on the back of her elbows. She's in a Wow saddle with shaped Wintec dressage girth & Lemieux cover currently.
 
In theory, the skin will slide back under the gap instead of bunching up over the girth, but I'd definitely want to try one out before buying in that scenario.
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Can now confirm the straps aren’t too much of a PITA to change from short to long, probably takes less than 5mins.

plus I was distinctly happy about the fake-leatherness this morning as I merrily hosed all the sand off it from our beach ride!
 
I'm sure @ycbm and i should be brand ambassadors ?

I ended up biting the bullet and buying a second (long) girth rather than mess on changing straps. I had no issues with my other long girth but had felt after such a great result with the short it was worth the try.

I certainly haven't been disappointed! Cantering out and about, he now has a much longer stride and is lowering his neck (previously very Araby with head and neck very high) which makes it much easier to get up off his back.

Last night i took him showjumping training. The last time we went to a jumping clinic the instructor suggested a martingale as he was throwing his head up before jumps. Last night we had none of that and we were jumping 85cm whereas previously we jumped max 70cm (he had potential obviously but last night he was just going so well)

As YCBM has observed, I'm sure his sides are filling out where the gap is and he is so consistent in his outline now.

I realise this, like everything else, is down to horse's confo and preference but I'm so pleased i found these girths
 
Tried mine for the first time today. He was definitely more willing to stretch down, was really offering that. And a definite feeling of more shoulder freedom. He just felt....quieter and softer to ride.
I really struggled with how tight to have it though. With the holes the same as on my previous normal girth I felt like it was maybe too loose to get my hand in just under the saddle flap where wow say to feel. But I don't want to overtighten it or have it higher one side than the other
 
Can anyone please tell me if these are at all elasticated? My boy is in a 52" Prolite but it has elastic both ends, and can be a stretch to fasten when he's excited and balloons, but then goes up to about hole 4 either side when he exhales. I don't know whether to try the 52" Free Space or a 54" >.<
 
So, a few weeks on, I've also jumped in it...and I don't think he likes it! He seems uncomfortable jumping in it, on the flat he does seem to be going better than his other girth, but every time when I get on I have a moment or two of unhappy/backwards/napping which I dont get in his other girth.
I guess it's horses for courses!
 
After lots of research I’ve bought a Freespace girth. It only arrived yesterday so I’ve only used it once for lunging. My question to those of you who have been using it for sometime, is how do you know when its tight enough? I went by being able to comfortably slide my hand between the girth buckles and the horses side. Thanks
 
lizziebell said:
After lots of research I’ve bought a Freespace girth. It only arrived yesterday so I’ve only used it once for lunging. My question to those of you who have been using it for sometime, is how do you know when its tight enough? I went by being able to comfortably slide my hand between the girth buckles and the horses side. Thanks
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check tightness at very bottom not at sides. Stays looser at sides.
 
lizziebell said:
After lots of research I’ve bought a Freespace girth. It only arrived yesterday so I’ve only used it once for lunging. My question to those of you who have been using it for sometime, is how do you know when its tight enough? I went by being able to comfortably slide my hand between the girth buckles and the horses side. Thanks
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I check it just at the bottom of the saddle flap but I've never done my girth up as tight as others like it.

I'm glad you brought the thread back, it saves me searching to update it.
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Nearly 5 months review.

Ludo has changed shape completely in his barrel. Instead of a big gap at the side I can now only just get my flat hand into it. He also has the best topline on his neck, which is long and weedy, frankly :), in his life. That has carried back behind his wither and he has better arch clearance on the saddle without it having been adjusted. Now mud is here I love it being plastic and it still doesn't show the slightest sign of wear, so it's tough.
 
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Good to hear how its gone ycbm. I just find it such a shame that they're so expensive, means a lot us poor folk cant afford one which is a shame if ultimately they are kinder and comfier for the horse which all of us want obviously. They cant cost much to make considering they're not even leather...
 
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