Sore Girth Area - muscular

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Ringside

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Hi all - I have an ex racehorse who when you tack him up he is very sensitive around the girth area, I have had chiropractor out and saddle checked but definately girth is where he feels it. Any advice ?? There is no visible sore area or hair loss etc, just his reaction when brushed or tacked up.
Help !!!!
 
Mine too! I posted on here about it about two months ago but no-one came up with anything.

My TB mare is s fine about being girthed up but detests being groomed or touched on her belly just behind her front legs and in between her front legs.

She tenses the muscle up and it goes rigid and she tries to bite you.

She also gets strained shoulder muscles very easily so I have to basically stick to slow work with her in the winter (shame: we hunt!) as tramming through mud and heavy going makes it worse and just keep and eye on her performance and work load.

I also slather her up with Lincoln Arnica and Witch Hazel Gel post ride and massage the shoulder area.
 
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oh and I use a Prolite girth guard or thick sheepskin girth guard for her. Its the horse lying down with the blue rug on in my sig.

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Bugly, where did you get the sheep skin girth guard from? Mine hates being girthed (he is currently dosed up on bute as part of spavin treatment so I know it isn't hurting him, but he still dislikes the girth being done up..just habit now I think) and was thinking about getting a nice girth cover.

Can you get them for DR saddles too?!
 
have you thought about an anatomical girth?
my girl has big shoulders and a forward girth groove and her back lady often picks up a bit of tension there - with saddle fit all fine - i've been suggested an anotomical girth as this will allow the saddle to sit properly back from the shoulders without the girth causing pressure by trying to pull the saddle further forward if that makes sense?!...
 
Just out of interest does your horse display any undesirable behaviour when ridden, ie. racing around, disunited canter, walking off when mounting, unwillingness to go forward, and has he ever had problems with his back legs, ie. spavin, tendons, etc?
 
chestnut cob

I think its a Cottage Craft one: I just got it ordered in from the local tack shop. The problem I have is washing and drying it: in the winter I have to wash it every time and drying it off made the backing (i.e the proper sheep's skin) go dry and gave it an edge: so I would go Prolite: they are so easy to wash.

I did try my mare in a padded Atherstone leather girth and she went mental so I have to use an Aerborn cushion web one on her.
 
this is going to sound daft, but it happened to me. Horse turned out to be bruising itself with front feet when lying down at night. She was extremely girthy, because of the amount of bruising. Sausage boots (big padded ones) on front legs sorted it.
 
Ringside, if people take the time to reply to your post and ask you a question relative to your OP then it would be courteous if you would reply to them, but seeing as you haven't I will say this: if your horse has any of the other symptoms I wrote of on my previous reply then it could be a possibility your horse has a back problem but worse case scanario kissing spine as girthiness is a classic sign of kissing spine due to the muscles leading down from the spinal area becoming sore and overused. The other symptoms are classic of KS.
 
there are lots of sensitive muscles around this area, not least the serratus group, try gently massaging the area with finger tips for a couple of minutes before you try girthing up. start very gently as it can be quite sore.
 
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