Sores around the girth area

[LOZHUG]

Help.........

My new horse has started getting sores around his girth area. Is it the girth I have on him? (Which is a Thorowgood) I have also started putting a girth sleve on him not sure if its helping.

Im not sure if I should get him a leather girth or try a non gall girth but not sure if they work.

People at my yard says its because he is close around the elobw. (I think lol)

Anyone know best way to treat and help prevent them?

 

[Bossanova]

Use a proper wool girth sleeve, that should help (the cheap sheepskin ones are rubbish)
A shaped leather girth would probably help. Dont use a girth at all if the sores are open

 

[pocket]

Ditto as above

 

[0ldmare]

I wouldnt go for a leather girth, I have always found them more prone to rubbing. Would suggest a sheepskin girth sleeve would probably help (my hack was tight round the elbow and had this problem if I put a leather girth on her). The best thing for her was a bog standard cheapo girth once the sores had healed, nothing fancy at all!

 

[DreamerII]

Dreamer is tight round the elbow!

I use a girthsleve (it's a synthetic wool one) and it seems to have helps a lot!

Of course don't use a girth at all if the sores are open (you'll jsut have to not ride, they should heal up pretty fast).

Also found aloe vera gell helped when they were just small scabs and not so sore anymore!

Edited to say ~ I have a thorowgood girth too!

 

[Puppy]

[ QUOTE ]
Use a proper wool girth sleeve, that should help (the cheap sheepskin ones are rubbish)

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto that. This was a huge problem with my girl at one point. Maybe its just cause Star, the diva, has expensive taste but IME I found the cheap fake ones didn't prevent it, but a good quality one along with a stubben girth like this: https://www.stubbendirect.co.uk/stubben-trevira-cord-girth-p-195.html solved the problem. The other thing I was recommended that helped is to regularly apply surgical spirit to the area to toughen the skin.

 

[Bosworth]

the problem with the thorwgood girths - well synthetic girths in general is that they increase the amount of sweat produced. so that increases the chance of rubbing, Also check the girth is not too far forward behind the elbow. It should sit about a handspan back from the elbow. If it is sitting too close behind the skin will wrinkle up in front of it and get pinched every time the legs move. Pulling the leg forward just pulls the skin in front of the girth and causes more rubs.

You need to check where your saddle is when you tack up = ensure it is behind the shoulder. Check your girth is sat a hand span behind the elbow. Once you have ridden check where the girth is. If it has pulled forward you need to look at the fit of your saddle and change your girth.

I suggest you move to a jumbo cord girth which will spread the weight of the rider and also minimise the forward movement of the saddle. It is also very close fitting so you don't get the bulge of leather to rub on the skin. Also don't pull the leg forward when you girth up. That pulls too much skin in front of the girth. If you have the cord girths they will allow as much movement of the skin as it needed.

Also before you start riding him again - let the rub heal , they rub it with surgical spirit twice a day for a week which should toughen up the skin and make it less prone to rubs

 

[Donkeymad]

Like she ^^^^^^ said

 

[LOZHUG]

Thanks everyone.

A trip to the tack shop to get a new girth and proper girth sleve not a cheap one like I have been using.

Anything that can be applied while its healing? Dont think surgical spirit would be a good idea while its sore. I will defo use it when its healed more.

 

[ann-jen]

I'll give another thumbs up for a Stubben Trevira. I've just started using one on my mare. When she came back into work after a short period off through lameness she just never felt 100% but I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong until I noticed a tiny hair rub in her girth area. When I tacked her up it directly lay under the top corner of her girth (she had a shaped dressage style leather girth that was cut back at the elbow which I though fitted her well). She didn't have any open sores just a little bit of hair chafed off. I think she must of put a bit of weight on during her time off which was making the corner of the girth poke the skin in her armpit which it didn't used to do. Anyway I'm always on a mission to make Jenny's tack as comfortable as possible and so having read good reports about the Stubben Trevira on this website I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't expecting such a dramatic difference in the way Jenny went! She was back to her old self like she had been before the time off - so her old girth must of been making her pretty uncomfortable even though she wasn't obviously sore. I'll be sticking with the trevira now and am considering getting another one for when one is in the wash.