Over girthing

On my razor withered thoroughbred with a Stubben, I never ever fussed about girth tightness. The saddle just never moved from side to side or backwards.

However, with my flatter backed appaloosa and a treeless, it does slip, sideways and backwards. I personally would say rather get a breastplate than over tighten. Over tightening causes bucking and cinchiness, and you just can't blame them, especially if you overtighten from the ground instead of pulling the girth up whilst on them.

Just my thoughts!!
 
Warning - mini rant coming up!

I will only recommend double ended or centre elastic girths (the RP girth is awesome for horses that have the room) as they are the kindest. The elastic must be strong - you shouldn't be able to pull it more than about 30% by hand. Non-elasticated girths are not kind. A saddle that fits should not need one. And trust me, I fit the roly polyest horses in the world. I specialise in them. My average fit is an XXW.

The girth should be able to have a hand reasonably easily slid under it, flat. Overgirthing causes muscle damage - I have seen horses with a "trench" from one stirrup bar, under the belly right up to the other. This is caused by over girthing.
 
After reading this post I double checked on Sunday once I was on and had tightened to normal holes then we walked a bit and yes I can get 4 fingers in :smile:
 
??????

Jeepers this thread's been an education for me :unsure:

I have a Thorowgood T4 cob saddle (synthetic) and thought I was doing the right thing buying the girth that goes with it..... now I'm wondering...

And forgive my ignorance but what on earth does a "humane girth" do differently???? Am I using an inhumane girth on my boy!?? EEEEeeek!

Like you FM, I also potter while tacking up... it doesn't do to start off in a rush if I want him to be calm :wink:

So... can someone please fill in the black hole in my girthing knowledge please? :redface:
 
On a standard girth there are 2 buckles on each side. Those 2 buckles are independently attached to the girth. Therefore if one buckle should fail for any reason you still have the other buckle holding the girth to the saddle.

On a humane girth the buckles are attached to either end of a strap which goes in a V shape with the point of the V going through a D ring attached to the girth. If a buckle fails on a humane girth the girth is loose.

Personally I've never seen a buckle fail and like the fact that the D arrangement self adjusts so there us equal pressure between front a rear buckle, Joy clearly agrees.

Funnily enough, the first time I rode out in the girth a did a fast ride to test it and got back and untacked only to realise in my haste to go I hadn't tightened my girth and it was hanging down like a throat lash!!! I have better balance than I thought! Even so I've never made that mistake again
 
So as several posts up says, are girths that aren't elasticated, unkind? I picked mine carefully, sent pictures if his belly & info to the suppliers etc & it cost a lot (well in my terms it did) but it isn't elasticated anywhere...
 
Mmmm my pony prefers a non elastic, basic cottage craft type girth - the one and only thing in her life that is cheap :giggle: and simple! That said, Girth is not wrenched up - I rarely do it up once on board, and its always loose by the end of the ride.
 
Ziggy has a plain leather shaped girth. He was frightened of his saddle when I got him and his reaction to it tells me a lot about how he is feeling, so I also potter while tacking up. He doesn't blow himself up, but I tighten the girth very gradually. My RI is always telling me to tighten it more, it is often loose by the time she sees us, but he has well defined withers for a roly pony and the saddle rarely slips more than an inch either way.

I am interested to know about the elastic girth thing. Mattie's girth is elasticated and I can see why it would be kinder. Perhaps I shall look out for one.
 
Elastic allows the ribcage to move, allowing the horse to breathe. If a non-elasticated girth keeps the saddle still then of course a horse will like it. It is only my theory, but I do fit tricky wide horses as the larger part of my work, that having your ribcage strapped up without elastic would bt uncomfortable. To the girls - sports bras are much more elastic (even though they can be substantial and strong) than a regular bra on the whole, because you are moving, and breathing, more than in every day situations.
 
I use a normal thorowgood cob girth too and my coblet isn't round and does have withers but he's not a big fan of elasticated girths.

Elasticated girths can be overtightened a lot more easily, especially from on board then one without elastic.

I do my girth up in stages as well and check it is never overtight.

sbloom - can you see what you mean about the sports bra analogy but then again I persoanlly hate sports bras (I know they're better for you!) because i always feel like i can't breathe in them.
 
I will add that a lot of girths have elastic that is much too stretchy, and by the time - if loosish they allow too much movement, if too tight then you lose all the benefit of the elastic. Elastic girths are not all the same and not all are good. You DO indeed need to be careful not to overtighten, but we all need to learn to use our kit properly. To me it's no reason to use something that is less kind.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom