Advice on specific girth or girth features to avoid saddle side slippage?

[HJECG]

Our fifteen year old daughter’s Bates Caprilli Close Contact saddle, which we bought used but in like new condition eight months ago has begun periodically slipping sideways (like once a month), dumping our daughter on the ground.

This happened most recently last weekend at a rather large horse show in an equitation on the flat class. Luckily, our daughter wasn’t hurt (her sweet mare immediately stopped and waited for her to get back up), but obviously she was then excused from the class.

Our daughter loves her saddle and feels very comfortable in it, and her mare has seemed very comfortable in the saddle from the beginning as well.

We are obviously having a saddle fitter out in the next two weeks (the soonest anyone is available) to look things over, adjust the saddle gullets if necessary, and advise us whether we need to add anything like a half pad or breast plate to stop this from happening.

However, our daughter’s trainer believes that one obvious issue is that with all the training time since last winter when we leased our daughter’s mare, and now with the number of shows in which they’re competing this summer, our daughter’s horse is now quite a bit more fit than she was when we first sized her for a girth last winter. At that time, I bought a size 50 girth, but our trainer believes we now need to size down to a 48 girth.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a specific brand and model of English leather (no synthetics please) girth costing $200 or less that is known for helping to prevent sideways saddle slippage?

Alternatively, are there specific features I should look for in this new, smaller girth that make it less likely to allow for sideways saddle slippage?

Also, should I get a girth with a D ring in the center of the belly in case the saddle fitter advises adding any sort of stability aid (like a breast plate)? Would that require a D ring on the girth?

This needs to be a classic-looking, very nice leather girth suitable to take into the novice hunter and equitation show ring.

Thanks so much for any and all feedback, advice, and recommendations on this that anyone has to offer. It’s much appreciated.

[Renn_aissance]

Well, the feature of a girth that stops a saddle from slipping sideways is being adequately tightened. You should be able to slip your hand (or up to two fingers) between the girth and the horse, but not your fist. Tighten on the ground, get into the tack, walk around for a minute, and retighten if needed. There’s nothing in the way of special features you need to look for in a replacement product as a breastplate etc won’t solve the problem. Try on a 48” if another barnmate has one, check the tightness, and if it’s better, get whatever girth is within budget and available- you don’t need to wait for a fitter. (Note that girth elastic does also stretch over time, so it’s possible your 50 is now a 52. Check the elastic periodically to note stretching and fraying. This is an easy replacement by a local saddler. If this describes your current girth, that may be a more cost effective solution to the problem.)

But saddles don’t just sit in the center and then abruptly slip to the right so hard they put a rider on the ground. Is your trainer working with your daughter on maintaining her balance in the center of the horse? Particularly since you say this happened most recently in a flat class in the novice eq, I wonder if your daughter was thinking hard about keeping her heel down on the side by the judge and shifting her weight to that side to do it.

A saddle fitter is not a bad idea because there are certainly equine asymmetries that can contribute to slippage, and you can shim for that; but, granted that I haven’t seen the horse, the saddle, or the kid, from what you describe, you may as well go buy a new girth and see if that just solves the problem.

[NaturallyHappy]

@Renn_aissance

Well, the feature of a girth that stops a saddle from slipping sideways is being adequately tightened.

True this. My first thought as well. Also agree w perhaps the rider is sitting off to the side, especially through the turn. I’ve seen trainers teach this.

[Peggy]

Some people swear by the wide or belly guard girths for round horses.

I use synthetics in part bc I think that some of them (the neoprene or neoprene-like ones) help with this issue but the OP has specified leather. This may be regional but a lot of high end hunters go in the show ring with synthetic girths around here.

Things to check along with the saddle fit would be rider asymmetry, uneven stirrup leathers, and overly bulky half pads. Also remembering to check the girth before getting on, before starting trot/canter work, before jumping, etc.

[Renn_aissance]

@Peggy

This may be regional but a lot of high end hunters go in the show ring with synthetic girths around here.

If it’s regional, I think it’s regional about everywhere! I agree that the Professional’s Choice style synthetic has a little more grip on the back than leather or fleece. I’m a convert, so much easier to live with one of these than a leather one, especially after riding in wet footing.

[fivestrideline]

@Peggy

This may be regional but a lot of high end hunters go in the show ring with synthetic girths around here.

A ton of top Eq and hunters go in the Professional’s Choice or similar non-slip synthetics! Leather rubs some horses, and personally I find that leather girths slip more than synthetic.

OP, this sounds like a saddle fit issue, but it COULD be the girth is too loose and your daughter is tipping one way or another and there you go. A flat hand or a few fingers is usually correct, but I check at the breastbone not the side. I also don’t like girths being at the top hole of the billets because I can feel them under my leg but YMMV.

Borrow a 48" girth and see what happens. A breastplate won’t help, but the fitter is an essential element here and may have insight. Bates is notoriously A-Frame, and if you have a rounder shape to the horse’s back an A frame saddle will easily slip sideways.

ETA: my ~16.1 or maybe taller guy currently goes in a 46". The 15.3 goes in a 50". Saddle billets can affect what girth you need as well, so I wouldn’t be “married” to whatever girth size you bought.

[anonevent]

It is most likely the saddle fit. The fitter should be able to help with that and advise about the best girth shape, size, and material. If the angle of the saddle is too wide, you can’t make the girth tight enough to compensate for that without restricting the shoulders.