Dressage girth

[Tootsie4U]

'Just bought me a looooovely Duett dressage saddle. (There have been a few ?s asked about Duetts in the past - hopefully I'll be able to give some input in the near future!!) I now need a girth.

What would the 'appropriate' type be? Curved or not? I see some with roller buckles, some without... Some with five keepers, some with two....

Also, how do you measure a size with such long billets?

[Mehitabel]

i tihnk it's generally take 20 inches off your normal grith size - so a 42" girth normally means a 22" dressage girth. if any DQs reply though and say different, then believe them and not me.

[Bay Mare]

LOL ... don't know if I'm a DQ or not but Saff's dressage girth is 20" longer than what would be her 'regular' girth :) I think that's the standard though it can differ slightly between different saddles :)

You do need to make sure that the buckles aren't going to impede the elbows at all, that's probably the most important thing. Probably measuring so that the buckles come a couple of inches below the saddle flap is the standard advice given :)

[andreaB]

personally i prefer shaped , with roller buckles ( useless at tightening once i'm on) & tend to find that 2 or 3 keepers is plenty

[Bay Mare]

Oh sorry, didn't answer the 'curved' bit ... I don't use curved and haven't had an issue. I've just ordered a pro-choice with elastic on both ends which is the girth recommended for my saddle (the SBS dressage).

[Blackhorse]

Most definately roller buckles, elasticated is a great help.

Git hates shaped girths so cant help on that its down to preferance.

Girth length really depends on the saddle. I used a 20" girth on my last 2 ideal jessica's. I am now on my 3rd Jessica (keeps growing out of them) and the 20" will not touch it. Had to buy a 24". The new one only has rollers on one side and I find that new girth straps and now rollers makes for difficult girthing up.

If you can get one with holes at the top rather than keepers, I have already pulled the stitching on the new one trying to grth up the fat Git.

[coss]

My arab mare was in a 42 inch standard girth. when i bought her dressage saddle it came with a 24 inch which basically went to nearly the top holes, i then bought her a 22 inch and an 18, both of which fit fine.

Definitely roller buckles as if they are flat its a pain to do up when you're on, its further to reach to begin with anyway. i have straight cut and haven't had problems... my RI bought a "posh" new leather girth for her horse that was shaped and it pinched more than the cheaper straight girth so she had to go back to the cheap girths.