What type of girth do you prefer.

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lamlyn2012

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I normally go for a leather girth with elastic both ends.
However I recently used a different saddle fitter ( who highly recommends the prolite girth) but really doesn't like elasticated girths. Just looking for your views on this. Thanks
 
prolite suits all of mine well. Currently i have 2 in a narrow gauge. I had a fairfax for one of my now retired horses but prefer the synthetic for ease of care.

I used to have a professionals choice which is elasticated both ends and the horse I had that for went well in it. But all of my saddles now take short girths, and I have found that the horses prefer not to be able to feel the buckles through the girth. Most soft girths you can feel the buckles through. not such an issue if you use a long girth. the prolite is more robust and padded in the buckle area.

I haven't felt like losing the elastic was a negative tbh, I tend to not do the girth up terribly tight anyway so they have breathing room ;)
 
Lots of saddle fitters don't like elasticated girths on rounder horses, it all depends how your saddle fits IMO because with over 60 years of collective experience with wide horses my colleagues and I find that strong elastic (Pro Choice is too stretchy in most cases) works the best. It annoys and saddens me that so many seem to be against elasticated girths for any horse, any saddle, due mainly to a certain piece of research that have been done on tiny sample sizes of elite horses!

It may be that the way others fit saddles means that stability does suffer with elastic, but with ours we certainly have stories of it transforming stability to the extent that they can now get on from the ground, if needed, even on XXXW horses where they couldn't with their fixed girths. What we don't do, unlike the people who did the research, is try and tell everyone to use elastic because of our experience. All situations are different.

A nice, wide-shaped-centre-band Atherstone, with soft padding behind and strong elastic is our in-house design and preference but I also like the Dabbs shaped synthetic elasticated long girth and the Stubben Trevira.
 
It kind of depends a bit on the horse and the saddle.

For a double flap jumping saddle on a sports horse I have tried a few over the years and always come back to professional choice. They aren’t particularly smart but every horse has gone well in them.

For short girth’s/mono flap this is a bit more trial and error I find. The pro choice not as good. Any decent soft padded, wide, shaped leather girth - long enough that the buckles don’t pinch is generally fine. I think my nicest one is a passier. On the cheaper end of the scale this works consistently well too, provided long enough:
https://www.waldhausen.com/en/horses/saddle-accessories/girths/girth.html#more
 
Our saddle fitter had no problem with elasticated girths, although she did make a valid comment that girths with elastic on one side only, may not tighten evenly causing one side of the saddle flock to compress over time.

This seems likely, as I certainly found that one side is tighter than the other on occasion, and the flock on the saddle was compressed more on the right. Hence we have now scrapped single sided elastic girths.
 
I use an ancient candlewick girth which I tried after failing with various expensive and shaped options - it works a treat and my mare is very happy with it. I'd love to buy another but they only seem to come in white/cream these days; I need a brown one, white is a ridiculous colour for a girth in my world.
 
I don't love elastic girths mainly because I've seen folk tighten them to the point they leave a dent in the horse because when they check the girth and the elastic is at the buckle it stretches. I also don't like "humane" girths because they are far too easy to over tighten
I do like this style https://www.townfields.com/wintec-chafeless-elastic-girth/p389 as it has elastic sort of built in so it feels snug but allows movement. It's also easy to clean and consistent against the horse. My only gripe is they seem to make horses a bit sweaty.

Had a pro saddle fitter recently recommend that with a forward girth grooved cob we just tighten the girth more to prevent the saddle creeping forward at times when ridden. I was left scratching my head a bit about that tbh
 
I've been converted to short mohair girths on my endurance saddles, not elasticated but do have some give in them, soft and my horses seem to like them, only down side is they are quite expensive as I had them sent in from USA
 
Darbs said:
Our saddle fitter had no problem with elasticated girths, although she did make a valid comment that girths with elastic on one side only, may not tighten evenly causing one side of the saddle flock to compress over time.

This seems likely, as I certainly found that one side is tighter than the other on occasion, and the flock on the saddle was compressed more on the right. Hence we have now scrapped single sided elastic girths.
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They absolutely do cause uneven pressure which may or may not result in an observable effect in the saddle, I have no idea why companies still make them as they should not be used.

Roxylola said:
I don't love elastic girths mainly because I've seen folk tighten them to the point they leave a dent in the horse because when they check the girth and the elastic is at the buckle it stretches. I also don't like "humane" girths because they are far too easy to over tighten
I do like this style https://www.townfields.com/wintec-chafeless-elastic-girth/p389 as it has elastic sort of built in so it feels snug but allows movement. It's also easy to clean and consistent against the horse. My only gripe is they seem to make horses a bit sweaty.

Had a pro saddle fitter recently recommend that with a forward girth grooved cob we just tighten the girth more to prevent the saddle creeping forward at times when ridden. I was left scratching my head a bit about that tbh
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Elastic - we use all sorts of equipment that can be misused, I'm horrified at the number of people that tighten their girth without checking it before or after. Basic good practice. I see dents in horses from fixed girths, any girth, overtightened, can do that in fleshier horses and in fact if I see it in a customers horse I tell them off for doing it instead of noticing the saddle was slipping and getting me out. I see fixed girths overtightened a LOT in an effort to stabilise a girth.

Humane girths - no good reason to use one, yes they're easier to do up, but elastic helps with that, but they have too many serious down sides.

Tightening the girth to stop forwards movement? It needs to be snug in most cases but no, a saddle will stay back if the girth is only snug, if it's going to stay back at all. Overtightening likely harms the fascial connections as a minimum, as per the dents we were talking about.
 
sbloom said:
Tightening the girth to stop forwards movement? It needs to be snug in most cases but no, a saddle will stay back if the girth is only snug, if it's going to stay back at all. Overtightening likely harms the fascial connections as a minimum, as per the dents we were talking about.
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With a very forward girth groove surely it is likely going to drag the saddle forwards to the girth groove if you over tighten. I jumped round Somerford (granted not big fences) at weekend with what we discovered halfway through was not even a snug girth. Saddle moved neither forward nor back - the girth discovery happened when I griped that I was having to correct it sideways!
 
I love the Trevira but found with a few of mine over the years it hasn't suited. Am going to try it on the current youngster though. I quite like elasticated (both ends), but also find neoprene girths suited nearly all my horses. As a diver, I can appreciate its comfort factor!
 
Roxylola said:
With a very forward girth groove surely it is likely going to drag the saddle forwards to the girth groove if you over tighten. I jumped round Somerford (granted not big fences) at weekend with what we discovered halfway through was not even a snug girth. Saddle moved neither forward nor back - the girth discovery happened when I griped that I was having to correct it sideways!
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It shouldn't do, I don't think I've seen a saddle be fine with a loose girth but run forwards with a tight girth.

Nudibranch said:
I love the Trevira but found with a few of mine over the years it hasn't suited. Am going to try it on the current youngster though. I quite like elasticated (both ends), but also find neoprene girths suited nearly all my horses. As a diver, I can appreciate its comfort factor!
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If a horse has a short "pouchy" girth groove then there can be a lack of space for such a wide girth and it will fold over and potentially pinch. Neoprene is okay but it can make horses sweat which means skin issues for some as well as rubs in extreme examples, and it's what comes with the design of a neoprene girth, I've yet to see one with a design I think is really good.
 
Not a fan of elasticated girths, I was always told years ago that if it's only on one side it puts uneven pressure on the saddle. For every day I use a Wintec one and for special occasions I have a leather one with no elastic.
 
I have the leather anatomical kentaur girth for one horse, the other I tend to use a padded leather non elastic girth his saddle moves less with a non elastic girth, but saying that I have used the kentaur on him and it was fine so I was going to buy another.
 
Thanks for all your replies folks.
Interesting that MP spoke about not over tightening. I don't like to over tighten either, but got pulled up on this and told that girth should be a couple of holes tighter! Not just me either, OH was told the same!
I'm happy that the saddles fit ok so think will stick with what I have and use a common sense approach in regards to tightening. If it tightens fairly easily then I'll tighten it and leave it at that.
 
I’ve had quite the collection and still keep loads for those just in case moments, although I haven’t used anything but the stubben string girths for years.

I also don’t like overtightening a girth.
 
tallyho! said:
I’ve had quite the collection and still keep loads for those just in case moments, although I haven’t used anything but the stubben string girths for years.

I also don’t like overtightening a girth.
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I'm pretty sure that's the type I had on my first horse many years ago. Are they still available or have you had it a while?
I've still got stuff in my tack room I've had a long time. Often the older stuff is the best.
 
lamlyn2012 said:
I'm pretty sure that's the type I had on my first horse many years ago. Are they still available or have you had it a while?
I've still got stuff in my tack room I've had a long time. Often the older stuff is the best.
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Absolutely still available around £50/60 but I never see them in old school white... just black and brown. Although string girths were the only girths we had where I rode. My old pony had a white(ish) one with orange panels - not sure if that was a stubben girth or not. I've got about 6 all different sizes.
 
I like the trevira (string girth) and have it in white in.a couple of sizes. It's not that many years ago you could get it in white so you probably still can :).
 
Never heard it as trevira before.. hmm. Looks the same. I have to say, for me it’s the stubben one that’s the best (trevira I guess) the way the cord is woven is what makes it I think.
 
I have used the Stubben Trevira girths for many years after a saddler in South (ish) Wales recommended them.
They have lasted years but I have hand washed them and hung them to dry in a loop so the buckles are at the top. The cross binding seems to become harder after washing but softens when it is against the horse. None of my horses have ever had any problems.
My only gripe is that for reasons unknown the brown ones go fluffier and shorter. It doesn’t seem to happen with the black.
I have a Harry Dabbs Anatomical girth too which I like but it is too long for my present horse. I don’t know why I still keep it.
 
tallyho! said:
Absolutely still available around £50/60 but I never see them in old school white... just black and brown. Although string girths were the only girths we had where I rode. My old pony had a white(ish) one with orange panels - not sure if that was a stubben girth or not. I've got about 6 all different sizes.
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I bought my white one a few months ago. I wanted brown, but they didn't have it in the right size.
 
I use a leather anatomical girth without elastic. It has interchangeable lamb skin and prolite liners depending on the weather, condition of horse, etc.
Cost me a bomb but works very well.
Previously had elasticised girth and in all honesty it pinched him and saddle never felt stable as it rocked and rolled. Only my experience but my horse is extra tall and wide so needs an extra long girth. Just felt the elastic ones were not comfortable for him.
 
I’ve tried so many of them (prolite, saddle company, wintec, elastic and non elastic and leather) but have finally settled on a flexigirth.
It’s great, never moves and it’s cheap too! Horse seems to like it!
 
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