Dressage girths and sizing

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Sid these days!
Apr 30, 2010
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Hello all. Until I can get a saddler out to Sid I'll be riding on my sheepskin bareback pad, but I need to get a dressage girth for it. I can't find the old one. How on earth do I know what size to buy? He's a medium-roly traditional cob, 14.3, and seems to have quite sensitive skin (white) so I'd like a comfy one or one I can use with a sheepskin sleeve.

Help? I don't even know how to measure!
 
The rule of thumb is to take 20" from the standard girth size that you use. But that's not much use for a new pony! šŸ˜‚ Sorry
 
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domane said:
The rule of thumb is to take 20" from the standard girth size that you use. But that's not much use for a new pony! šŸ˜‚ Sorry
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I was just going to say exactly that šŸ˜‚

could you recruit some help and put the pad on and tape measure where you need it to come to?
 
Like @Jessey I was going to say pad on and measure, it's hard to take a guess because even if you know the standard girth size it also depends on the length of girth straps on your saddle.

How long is it going to be until you can get a saddle fitter out? If not long I'd buy a cheap one and make sure you keep it clean, it's often the sweat and grease build up that makes them hard and causes rubs. And if he's a round shape try to go for no elastic, or failing that elastic on both sides, to reduce saddle slip.
 
Jess is sensitive and I use the wintec girth with the elastic in the middle, cheap and has never rubbed her even on long rides.
 
A word of warning. My first ever RS cob who was ultra reliable was terrified of tape measures. hen I went to measure him for a rug, he withdrew to a corner of his box and shook. Next day I went to the yard with a reel of cotton. I put the cotton thread along him and round him, cut the length of thread and then measured that. He didnt mind that at all. May be in his deep horsey genes he thought the tape measure was a snake?
 
Ive used a peice of bale string as a measure. Then just tied knots in it and measured once i got home.
 
Skib said:
A word of warning. My first ever RS cob who was ultra reliable was terrified of tape measures. hen I went to measure him for a rug, he withdrew to a corner of his box and shook. Next day I went to the yard with a reel of cotton. I put the cotton thread along him and round him, cut the length of thread and then measured that. He didnt mind that at all. May be in his deep horsey genes he thought the tape measure was a snake?
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That's so interesting, @Skib, Sid was really not keen on the tape measure either. When he had his head collar on he would tolerate it but didn't want it anywhere near him when he was loose.
 
I find the get used to it if you do them regularly with a weightape, I guess like with so many things familiarity breeds contempt.
 
I may have loads of girths that came off Molly and Rose so would be similar size, including a very soft leather stubben one. Do you want me to have a look and measure and you could try them?
 
diplomaticandtactful said:
I may have loads of girths that came off Molly and Rose so would be similar size, including a very soft leather stubben one. Do you want me to have a look and measure and you could try them?
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That is so kind of you! Thank you! I hope I'll be able to get an idea of the size soon, I will put my existing saddle on him and just see what his girth length is. He is a little podge but so was Ziggy so I hope my existing girth will fit him
 
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From watching that vid of you riding him, he'll take close to a 30" dressage length girth.
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
That's so interesting, @Skib, Sid was really not keen on the tape measure either. When he had his head collar on he would tolerate it but didn't want it anywhere near him when he was loose.
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I am interested in these replies. This was my first horse. My only friend at a time when I had a horrid bullying RI.

I had only Kelly Marks early leaflets and an education in behaviourism to guide me. And of course with RS horses, I have rarely had the need to measure the same horse twice. But I worked out they are afraid of snakes and tape measures have lines down them possibly resembling the marks on snake skins, whereas the ropes we accustom horses to, do not.
 
Jessey said:
Jess is taller and 600kg and takes a 28ā€
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I find it depends so much on the length and position of the girth straps. In the Wow Little Un needed a 20" dressage girth, but last year I bought him a GP that has short girth straps (short flaps too) and he needed a 48" girth, that's a heck of a leap from the standard 20" difference. His height and weight hadn't changed. Friends with the same make of saddle have also found they need a bigger girth, I'd never realised before how much difference it made.
 
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carthorse said:
I find it depends so much on the length and position of the girth straps. In the Wow Little Un needed a 20" dressage girth, but last year I bought him a GP that has short girth straps (short flaps too) and he needed a 48" girth, that's a heck of a leap from the standard 20" difference. His height and weight hadn't changed. Friends with the same make of saddle have also found they need a bigger girth, I'd never realised before how much difference it made.
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yes depends entirely on the saddle, Bud's old saddle had longer straps the new one is shorter and we are right at the top of the holes whereas i had a bit to spare on the old one
 
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