Switching Disciplines - Dressage Girth Suggestions

[lynz88]

We are switching disciplines and am needing help on a dressage girth for a sensitive horse.

We currently use a fluffy double ended elasticized girth on the CC saddle (literally one of the cheap Shires ones) as he seems to hate it less than other materials and takes on average, a 56" girth. I've found online that subtracting 20" will get you the dressage girth size but this seems quite large to me as most girths seem to be in the 20" range. We aren't talking about an overly large WB but rather a chunky TB.

He also seems to hate the padded neoprene (we have this on the roller and seems to irritate him more) so thinking another cheapie fluffy dressage girth might be the right answer here for him. Any guidance would be most helpful though as I'm out of my depth!

 

[Kaylum]

In what way does he hate it?

 

[Cragrat]

My TB's both take a 28" dressage girth 17hh and 16hh. My daughters 15.2 takes a 26". We do like them to be up close to ( but not on) the saddle flap when tightened.

ETA we don't use neoprene - its quite warm and sweaty, which can irritate. We have padded leather, sheepskin and string.

 

[sbloom]

36" is very large. Ignore any rules of thumb, can you borrow a 30"+ girth just to assess size? They're measured buckle end to buckle end but it's the overall length that also matters you want the buckles as high as possible without the padding interfering with your saddle pad.

 

[beatrice]

Le Mieux do a dressage version of what it sounds like you have already so may be a starting point.

My old boy takes a 56 long girth and a 32 short (only because it doesn't have padding extending beyond the buckle).

 

[lynz88]

In what way does he hate it?

he becomes quite agitated and bends around grabbing at the side of the girth as if he's got an itch. At first I thought it was an itch but he becomes adamant he can't move forward and must bend around and grab at the girth. If left too long, he will go from 0 to 100. I noticed he does it more often with the neoprene-y like girths than my cheap fuzzy one and he will also do it if the buckles sit on him instead of on the saddle pad if that makes sense. Perhaps Cragrat is onto something about the neoprene-like girths that get sweaty and perhaps its the sweaty itchiness that he doesn't like.

I don't have a girth I can borrow off-handedly but I think this gives me an inkling for sizing

 

[Roxylola]

56 is pretty long for a girth. Charlie is a chunky deep chested cob and only in a 50 at his fattest.
He takes a 30 dressage girth and that has adjustment space either way.
Is your current saddle pretty short flapped? I had to buy bon a longer girth when I changed saddle as the flaps were shorter if that makes sense?
I'd try a 30 or 32 to start

 

[lynz88]

yes sorry my mistake I just double checked and he's a 54 on average though I do have a 56 (as well as a 54....and a 52....he has fluctuated weight quite significantly in the past) as we did need it at one point. I only have the CC at the moment which has a standard forward flap to accommodate my leg but in thinking about it, I'm wondering now if the billets on that saddle are actually fairly short (I've had it for quite some time so don't really have much of a comparison). Based on the comments, I'm thinking a 28 might be a safe-ish choice

 

[Zoeypxo]

I use the lemieux gel tec girth
Mine would be 52-54 for a long girth for reference, and she is 30” in short girth

 

[lynz88]

oh thank you Zoeypxo! I was just looking at the lemieux integrated dressage girth as it looks like it has elastics on both sides (which is what we currently have on the long girth) so should have *some* room for accommodating a less than absolutely perfect size.

 

[Pinkvboots]

It's a bit of trial and error with dressage girths some horses like a longer one so the buckles are higher up as they find it more comfortable.

 

[lynz88]

I think it's similar with anything horse related but at least have had some guidance and have purchased the integrated girth for now. I recently switched mine out of a £350 bridle into one that was half the price and he definitely likes the one that was half the price better.

 

[sbloom]

It's a bit of trial and error with dressage girths some horses like a longer one so the buckles are higher up as they find it more comfortable.

I've yet to meet a horse that prefers shorter rather than longer, and longer is definitely better biomechanically.

There's a LeMieux one that is stabilised with metal mesh inside it, it looked a nice design but the mesh wrinkles on the inside when you bend it. It might have been a fault with the one I saw, but check carefully.

 

[GypsGal1718]

The fluffy girths are the best in my opinion as they don’t dig into them. I wouldn’t get stuck in the ‘anatomical’ marketing as it can actually not distribute pressure evenly

 

[Caol Ila]

The Stubben string girth changed my life for my sensitive, fussy horse. She stopped glaring at me when I did it up and her work improved immediately.

 

[lynz88]

I found the same regarding an anatomical bridle and pressure points. I've now got just a standard flash bridle and he seems super happy. I always attributed him leaning on the left rein as pain somewhere else as everytime I treat something he would stop leaning. Changed bridle and he no longer leans and seems to be walking out and moving better all round.

Ohh you know....I wonder if he would be happy in a string girth just in general. Got me thinking now!

 

[Caol Ila]

I'd tried a couple "anatomical" ones and was never happy with the results. I went for the string girth based on the recommendations of this forum. Unlike some girths, they don't cost an arm and a leg, so I figured it was worth a wee shot.

I was kind of going down a rabbit hole of the weird-shaped ones like the WOW girth, which cost over £200, but the reviews I was reading were all very mixed, and it's a lot of money.

 

[catkin]

Is there a dressage version of your long girth? If so it may be worth trying as he likes the one you're using, though each saddle/girth combo is likely to feel a bit different.
I would try a 30/32/34 inch as you want the buckles to be up by the flaps not down low where they can interfere with elbows.

 

[Fieldlife]

36" is very large. Ignore any rules of thumb, can you borrow a 30"+ girth just to assess size? They're measured buckle end to buckle end but it's the overall length that also matters you want the buckles as high as possible without the padding interfering with your saddle pad.

Agree. F is 32” he’s not bigger than him?

 

[lynz88]

I would be very surprised if J was bigger than F. I am going to give a 28 a try with elastics (similar to the CC girth) and will go from there. I'm starting to think the billets on the CC are fairly short. So will see.

I'd tried a couple "anatomical" ones and was never happy with the results. I went for the string girth based on the recommendations of this forum. Unlike some girths, they don't cost an arm and a leg, so I figured it was worth a wee shot.

I was kind of going down a rabbit hole of the weird-shaped ones like the WOW girth, which cost over £200, but the reviews I was reading were all very mixed, and it's a lot of money.

I've noticed mine tends to like cheaper stuff so is on the radar! I was tempted by the WOW girth as well but wasn't willing to shell out the £££ to find out he hated it

 

[little_critter]

I use one of these and my horse seems to like it. The surface against the horse is fabric like so not clingy or sweaty like neoprene. The memory foam is soft and mouldable.

Memory Foam Dressage Girth Black

Memory Foam Dressage Girth Black

www.kmeliteproducts.co.uk

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I have had mine in the Dever short girths, he hated the prolite and others like it.

If you can afford it look at the Ideal girths, expensive but oh so lovely, soft padded leather and really thick three layered elastic on each ends. My sensitive appy was fab in his long affinity F2

 

[whizzer]

My mare is very picky with girths. She has a stubben string girth & thick sheepskin cover on one saddle, I bought her a dressage saddle last year,got her a leather girth along with it but she wasn't keen even with a sheepskin cover in it. I managed to pick up a tapestry girth(comfy horse company) fairly cheaply on ebay & it made such a difference. She seems to really like it,still has a big fluffy cover on it & it's longer than the one I had so the buckles are well away from elbows.

 

[Britestar]

Our RC recently ran a girthing clinic.

Really fascinating how different horses reacted to various girths.
My friends horses liloved the Jeremy Rudge, disliked the scharff and wow, was ambivalent to the prolite. His movement in the JR was remarkable. We discovered he prefers a non elasticated girth.

Conversely, neighbours horse hated everything except the sharff, and was very 'vocal' about it.

Defo worth finding out if there is a saddler near you who does these try days.

 

[lynz88]

I use one of these and my horse seems to like it. The surface against the horse is fabric like so not clingy or sweaty like neoprene. The memory foam is soft and mouldable.

Memory Foam Dressage Girth Black

Memory Foam Dressage Girth Black

www.kmeliteproducts.co.uk

I would think that memory foam would be really hot? It's what I associate with it anyways as I can't sleep on memory foam mattresses - far too hot!

Our RC recently ran a girthing clinic.

Really fascinating how different horses reacted to various girths.
My friends horses liloved the Jeremy Rudge, disliked the scharff and wow, was ambivalent to the prolite. His movement in the JR was remarkable. We discovered he prefers a non elasticated girth.

Conversely, neighbours horse hated everything except the sharff, and was very 'vocal' about it.

Defo worth finding out if there is a saddler near you who does these try days.

I just Googled the Jeremy rudge. It's the Advantage? That's the only one that has come up and given how irritated he gets with the roller girth at his sides, I'm quite certain he would hate that one.

I'm really quite tempted to give the stubben string girth a try if he's not happy in the LeMieux