I currently use a humane girth, but I wondering if horse would be less girthy in a wider girth or if it would be best to use a girth sleeve. Any thoughts please.
Girthy horse
- Thread starter chunky monkey
- Start date
I've always found my girl is better with a wide sheepskin girth, she currently has a Christ Lamfelle anatomical one and she's very happy with it, she used to turn her head and poke her girth with the thinner sheepskin one she had, does not like neoprene ones at all.
I'm not sure what to suggest, but wonder, if there's any previous pain link there, could you try doing up the girth from the offside? I switched for remembered saddle and girth pain because of a muscle tear and it's helped a lot.
I take it horse has been checked over for any muscle/ulcer/injury related girthiness??
If so and not found any issue I would go with a wide well fleeced girth and gradual tightening and desensitisation or clicker training to try and help any anxiety or even any remembered pain.
If so and not found any issue I would go with a wide well fleeced girth and gradual tightening and desensitisation or clicker training to try and help any anxiety or even any remembered pain.
Humane girths concentrate a lot of pressure on those big dee rings, I'm not a fan at all. I always advise a double ended elasticated Atherstone, make sure the centre panel is wide and shaped, not a thin strap, or a Stubben Trevira Mohair if a horse is sensitive to a wider slightly chunky girth.
I have been having trouble with the saddle slipping as well just recently so the saddle is going to have to be checked again. Also last year he had back issues so I need to get the back checked. The last say 6 weeks every time I've got on him (only about once a week) he completely freezes up and wont move. He acts like hes going to rear or buck. Once he gets over that he walks out absolutely fine.
He blows out so much having a fixed one with no give in it just useless.
I've got two different length humane girths. Hes filled out a bit so Ive swapped to the longer one. It does allow me to do the girth up more gradually but by the time he has breathed in I find the girth is pretty much on the top holes on the saddle.
I have a professional choice girth as well but that was for my old saddle. I'm going to take that to the yard to try it. Have a feeling it way to long. Wondering whether a wider girth would be better to distribute the pressure. The professional choice one is wider and elasticated both ends.
Also considering getting a girth cover. People seem to have used these to help with girth issues.
Reading threads it seems a lot of people use a wool girth sleeve. I wonder how long that would stay clean for. It doesnt seem worth going for a wool one if its going to be full of mud in no time. If its gets full of mud each time i hack, dried mud wont be comfortable. I dont want to have to wash it after every ride. Wondering if a neoprene girth sleeve would stay cleaner. Anyone got any thoughts.
By the time ive finished I could have spent a fortune and got no where. Oh dear, now I have a real downer. Would it just be better to retire the horse. I feel like I am causing all the problems.
He blows out so much having a fixed one with no give in it just useless.
I've got two different length humane girths. Hes filled out a bit so Ive swapped to the longer one. It does allow me to do the girth up more gradually but by the time he has breathed in I find the girth is pretty much on the top holes on the saddle.
I have a professional choice girth as well but that was for my old saddle. I'm going to take that to the yard to try it. Have a feeling it way to long. Wondering whether a wider girth would be better to distribute the pressure. The professional choice one is wider and elasticated both ends.
Also considering getting a girth cover. People seem to have used these to help with girth issues.
Reading threads it seems a lot of people use a wool girth sleeve. I wonder how long that would stay clean for. It doesnt seem worth going for a wool one if its going to be full of mud in no time. If its gets full of mud each time i hack, dried mud wont be comfortable. I dont want to have to wash it after every ride. Wondering if a neoprene girth sleeve would stay cleaner. Anyone got any thoughts.
By the time ive finished I could have spent a fortune and got no where. Oh dear, now I have a real downer. Would it just be better to retire the horse. I feel like I am causing all the problems.
When I was trying to resolve our racking up issues, I needed to catch the girth quick before he stepped on it and I found just adding a girth extender so I could grab the girth and do it up a hole, helped with speed and smoothness. I would then go about the rest of my routine (I always saddle him first) picking out hooves, etc, and come back, take the girth extender off and do it up as normal - because by that time he'd have stopped blowing out aswell.
Just might be useful as a tacking up tool rather than the longer girth. I hate girth extenders and would never ride in one, but it helps for the few minutes he wears it just to get the saddle on.
It does sound like cold backed to me though.....but I'm no expert.
Just might be useful as a tacking up tool rather than the longer girth. I hate girth extenders and would never ride in one, but it helps for the few minutes he wears it just to get the saddle on.
It does sound like cold backed to me though.....but I'm no expert.
If your saddle is slipping I would put money on discomfort being a possible.
Perhaps a sports massage would help if the back has gone tight/sore. They may suggest not riding depending on what they find. If you have had a problem last year then its another possibility.
Girth sleeves should be clean against the horse, its the outer side that's gets muddy. You just brush off next day when dry. I clean my girth after each use anyway.
I also saddle up first, do other things then readjust girth. Only do this as treeless and I let it settle etc, but you could try that as it slows things down.
Perhaps a sports massage would help if the back has gone tight/sore. They may suggest not riding depending on what they find. If you have had a problem last year then its another possibility.
Girth sleeves should be clean against the horse, its the outer side that's gets muddy. You just brush off next day when dry. I clean my girth after each use anyway.
I also saddle up first, do other things then readjust girth. Only do this as treeless and I let it settle etc, but you could try that as it slows things down.
A 'girthy' horse on my yard has just been confirmed to have some nasty stomach ulcers. As you horse has previously had a back issue I would be inclined to say that there is pain somewhere which needs to be looked at.
I got girth sleeves for when we did our big ride, I love the LeMeiux ones as they are thick and soft but they are a pain if you are out in the wilds, they are actual sheep skin in a tube, so there is fur underneath to get muddy, plus the leather (skin) inside, if it gets wet it takes days to dry. I then brought a Nuumed one which is natural sheeps wool but woven onto a backing (so no skin) and sewn on a pad which just fastens round yor girth with little velcro bands, its super, it drys really quickly even if we have been belly up in the river and once dry a good rub and what little dirt does get onto it (this one is mostly hidden by your girth) just crubles off. I wash mine maybe every 5/6 rides or just wh the edges start to go a little cripsy but I can stick it in the machine on a quick was and have it dry by morning by the rad.
A slipping saddle doesn't really fit, I'd look to that first, it may be something else, but it's worth eliminating. And if someone comes along, says it's a good technical fit, but won't watch you ride or agree that it slipping is an issue, move on.
I don't like fixed girths either, and there are better ways of getting girths done up than going for a humane one. Girth extenders have two buckles, but if you cut off an old strrup leather about 6" from the buckle and punch some holes in it you can use it to get the first strap done up, when the horse stops blowing out you can get the second strap up and take the stirrup leather off, doing up the first strap properly.
I don't like fixed girths either, and there are better ways of getting girths done up than going for a humane one. Girth extenders have two buckles, but if you cut off an old strrup leather about 6" from the buckle and punch some holes in it you can use it to get the first strap done up, when the horse stops blowing out you can get the second strap up and take the stirrup leather off, doing up the first strap properly.
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