Are there any places that trial/demo fancy girths, like Prestige RP donut girth?

[Amordoro]

I am trying yet again to find a girth for Highest Maintenance Horse Ever. He has had thorough vet workups, been scoped and treated for ulcers and rescoped multiple (at least 4) times. I have tried so many girths, including the TSF with leather and sheepskin, Mikmar Le Tixerant, Fairfax, Passier straight all-elastic, and Stubben equi-soft girths. NOTHING makes a dent in his severe and persistent girthiness, which he has had since I got him as a coming 6yo 5 years ago.

Actually he hates having his lower flanks and underside groomed or even touched (though just the sides of his underside - he doesn’t mind having his “centerline” scratched if that makes sense), and anything around his girth area not just a girth (like a surcingle), so it’s definitely not the saddle, though I have that fitted regularly and have replaced it twice in the last 5 years.

He is a large PRE with a forward girth groove and round belly and a lot of loose skin behind his elbows, which is easily pinched and rubbed with many anatomical girths, but that doesn’t seem to be what bothers him.

Anyway, the girths I see recommended a lot that I haven’t yet tried are a mohair girth and the curved Ovation, both of which aren’t huge investments and are my list, and at the opposite end, the ridiculously expensive Prestige with the donut. I have wanted to try this, but I am very reluctant to shell out $400 on yet another girth that, realistically, the chances of him liking any better than anything else I’ve ever tried are low.

So I was hoping someone might know of a merchant with a trial or demo program for girths, or even that might allow used girth to be returned with a penalty fee, the way Riding Warehouse used to. I actually found one in Canada, but unfortunately though they ship purchased items to the US, they say their demo program is limited to Canada.

Or if anyone has heard of some little-known magical girth that might help, or has ideas about what else could be causing this horse to be so unhappy about the girth, I am open to anything at this point! I don’t notice any discomfort once I actually get him girthed up and am riding, but the process is so unpleasant for both of us that I really wish I could find an answer.

[sascha]

@Amordoro

I actually found one in Canada, but unfortunately though they ship purchased items to the US, they say their demo program is limited to Canada.

FWIW, I took advantage of that program for my princess and the pea (who has similar “no fly zones” to what you describe) and she gave that girth a HARD NO. I literally got on, walked around a 20m circle and got off before she went full on rocket launcher on me. I ended up with a Butterfly girth which works well, but not sure it would be angled enough for a really forward girth groove

One thing which helped Madam with her general attitude towards being girthed up was a policy of one mint for each hole raised - head must remain forwards and she must wait for the snack to appear under her muzzle. Like yours, once she’s done up (and I can get her to fully rideable tightness in the crossties - she’s not a bloater and is not cold backed or anything) she is totally fine. Tightening the girth more while I’m mounted - never an issue.

[PonyApocalypse19]

Do you have a local Prestige rep? They may have one you could trial. Otherwise they occasionally pop up on FB dressage sale groups for under $300.

[cristalle]

The Stuebben equisoft with sheepskin was next on my list to try for my cranky girthy fellow. It was recommended on a thread on FB,
I am sorry to hear it did not work for you.
Like you, I hate to buy something and have it not work.

[islgrl]

You might try the Tapestry Comfort Girth. They aren’t super spendy and they seem to be super comfortable. The only caution is you must NOT over tighten them. Sometimes I find that when people have elastic they want to crank it up. It isn’t necessary nor will it be ok for the horse if you do this. I bought one this year and really love it.

[Amordoro]

To be fair, the Stubben equisoft I tried was not my own, and it was not his size - it was a bit small for him. It’s possible he might have liked it better in his size? Though unless I’m misunderstanding, the larger sizes do not have larger sternum panels (the part covered by the sheepskin) - instead the straps just get longer, so I don’t think the feel of the girth would change significantly.

However, and this might be a more important point, the one I tried had the leather bottom, not sheepskin, and that might be a more important difference. I have used sheepskin girths for this horse before and he hasn’t seemed to notice, but maybe he would like this one better in sheepskin? I was thinking of trying this girth again for a different horse, so I haven’t completely given up on it! I know a few people who use and love it.

[Amordoro]

I haven’t heard of the Butterfly girth. The girth that comes up when I google looks a lot like the Mikmar girth, which I’ve actually has as much success with as any girth I’ve tried on him - except for the fact that the straps are very wide and his girth groove is forward, and it creates rubs behind his elbows. I’ve often wondered if it might work better if I used it backwards!

My guy is similar to yours in that tightening the girth more once I am mounted is not an issue, but it is difficult for me to get him to fully rideable tightness in the crossties. I generally put the saddle on as the very first thing and start on the loosest holes, so the girth is hanging totally loose. As I do other grooming and preparation tasks - putting on my boots, braiding his mane (he has a long PRE mane which I put in a running braid for riding), putting on and buckling his bridle, etc. - I gradually tighten one hole at a time. As it starts to get tighter he starts to resist, and I generally leave it about a hole looser than where I start riding. I tighten the last hole just before I get on. It is a whole process.

Another girth I’ve been looking at is the Jeremy Rudge Advantage girth, but I can find nothing about it, and it seems to be only sold by Jeremy Rudge saddlery. It’s another one I’d be taking a total flyer on if I tried it. But I found a thread that referenced a (very small) study that WOW saddlery did, now apparently pulled offline for legal reasons, that found that girths like this one that have a “well designed sternum plate” spread the pressure and lift the girth away from the musculature on either side of the sternum, and permit better movement and a more stable girth. FWIW.

[Amordoro]

I looked at the Tapestry, but there have been sufficient negative comments about both the girth and the customer service to make me hesitant to try it. On the other hand, there are others like you who love them. So far I’ve put others ahead of this one but it is in the back of my mind.

What is it about this girth that you think makes it particularly comfortable?

[sascha]

@Amordoro

As it starts to get tighter he starts to resist

I meant to mention that I recently tried the mint method on a horse I was helping a friend with for a few months. BLOATER. She wasn’t fussy like mine, but would bloat terribly. After a few days of one hole + mint, one hole + mint she became much less resistant and I could actually get the saddle tightened to riding snug while still in the crossties.

I’ve no idea whether it’s the reward that helped or whether just keeping her busy chewing while I did the next hole was what helped, but it definitely worked. Wish I’d figured out that trick years ago! lol

[Jealoushe]

Definitely don’t waste money on the Tapestry. Will make your horse even girthier or end up with a sore back.

The mattes girth might work or just a straight fleece Lettia.

I would also look into if maybe yours es sternum is sore and do some massaging there.

[islgrl]

@Amordoro

I looked at the Tapestry, but there have been sufficient negative comments about both the girth and the customer service to make me hesitant to try it. On the other hand, there are others like you who love them. So far I’ve put others ahead of this one but it is in the back of my mind.

What is it about this girth that you think makes it particularly comfortable?

I like that he can breathe in it. It just seems as “non-restrictive”, if that’s a thing, that a girth can get. I can’t speak to the customer service as I bought it in person at Equine Affaire and haven’t needed to reach out for any reason.

[islgrl]

@Jealoushe

Definitely don’t waste money on the Tapestry. Will make your horse even girthier or end up with a sore back.

I haven’t had that experience at all. I was skeptical about it, and I think my horse legit really likes it. My body work person told me to make sure I don’t overtighten it as she has some clients who have and their horses ended up with a very tight/sore sternum. I have the same size as the other girth I have and put it on the same holes and its been great.

[Scribbler]

If it’s just about doing up the girth and not about riding, I would strongly suggest clicker training with treats to reward him standing quietly. Horses can get reactive and opinionated about girthing in general. Treats work wonders to change their opinion.

As far as comfortable girths my very self protective mare just got a mohair string endurance girth for her dressage saddle and seems to appreciate. A combination of treats, Gastrogard and a mohair girth has really helped.

[beowulf]

I would contact a Prestige Rep. I had a fitter come to my farm a few months back who had the donut girth and said she sent it out on trial often (it did have a wait list).

If you are not already make sure you aren’t fastening the girth too quickly including when you first buckle it up. Every horse has a threshold for comfort; even one bad experience can change how they react. Backsoreness or ulcers can make their tolerance for girthing lower too. Take your time and make sure each step is slow and gentle - including putting the saddle on their back.

It’s actually such a pet peeve of mine. I watch people I know love their horse tack up roughly - including throwing the saddle on their back and just instantly tightening the girth. It could be their minds are elsewhere, thinking about what they need to do after they ride, dinner, chores, etc, but they just chuck the saddle on, roughly adjust the pad, and make the girth as tight as it can be in one go. I would be pissy too!

My MO is the saddle pad goes on, followed by sliding the saddle on gently with one hand while my other hand lays flat on their back to guide the saddle in place. Then I will do up only one side of the girth and pick their feet or brush their mane. Then I bring my hand under their belly and fasten the other side of the girth so that it is fastened over my hand but with no pressure. You should see daylight between the girth and their belly. Then I find something else to do - put on boots, brush out their mane, whatever, and then go back and put it up one hole at a time. I always walk them around to let the saddle settle too before I make the girth actually snug.

I have done it this way for years and I have never had a girthy horse with this method. But I did have a rider years ago who just threw the saddle on my horse and cranked up the girth before I could stop it - it took me months to get that horse to not tapdance / be anxious when the girth got fastened on the cross ties.

[BlueDrifter]

I had a girthy horse and he pulled back several times. I began accepting it and just tightened slowly while I did other grooming chores, with the final hole after we walked over to a mounting block.

It is now five years later and he finally doesn’t take a step back when he feels the girth going up a notch. And yes, giving him a treat while I tightened helped initially.

I suspect anyone doing him up quickly would set me back, but I do most of the tacking up, so it hasn’t been an issue.

(FWIW, he was terribly earshy, too, and that has gone away, too.)

[beowulf]

@BlueDrifter

I had a girthy horse and he pulled back several times. I began accepting it and just tightened slowly while I did other grooming chores, with the final hole after we walked over to a mounting block.

It is now five years later and he finally doesn’t take a step back when he feels the girth going up a notch. And yes, giving him a treat while I tightened helped initially.

I suspect anyone doing him up quickly would set me back, but I do most of the tacking up, so it hasn’t been an issue.

(FWIW, he was terribly earshy, too, and that has gone away, too.)

That’s good progress! It’s hard to rehab them once it happens.

One thing I’ve noticed that also helps is not making it tight/on the final hole until after you get on. What is uncomfortably tight with no rider weight can be very loose once there is weight compressing the saddle to their back - another small thing I’ve adjusted in my routine that seems to help. But of course, you have to make sure the horse has great mounting manners and find that middle line between so loose it’s dangerous and vice-grip tight.

[Pico_Banana]

Fellow girthy horse owner here. I actually use this:

https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/professionals-choice-ventech-contoured-dressage-girth-18177

and my mare seems to tolerate it okay. Not fancy at all. I also am a one hole at a time, lots of praise while tightening person.

If anyone here is interested, I have a Stuebben equisoft that I bought from SP on clearance and it was mismarked as a 28 and it really measures to a 30, which is too big. I somehow didn’t manage to just return it and it’s been hanging around here unused. PM if interested. It’s the one with the gray fleece.

[Amordoro]

I just suck at clicker training, even though I believe this kind of training is a great answer to many issues. My timing is terrible, especially when trying to reward a horse for “being good” - not doing something, as opposed to teaching them to actively do something. And I’m never coordinated enough to click-reward. I really need someone to teach me how to do this.

At this point given everything I’ve tried I do believe that there is at least an element of it that is not physical and could be addressed with training, if only I were more capable!!

[Amordoro]

@Amordoro

I generally put the saddle on as the very first thing and start on the loosest holes, so the girth is hanging totally loose. As I do other grooming and preparation tasks - putting on my boots, braiding his mane (he has a long PRE mane which I put in a running braid for riding), putting on and buckling his bridle, etc. - I gradually tighten one hole at a time. As it starts to get tighter he starts to resist, and I generally leave it about a hole looser than where I start riding. I tighten the last hole just before I get on. It is a whole process.

This is my description from another response above of how I tighten the girth! It doesn’t mention that I place the saddle gently on his back, like a feather, and let it sit there ungirthed for a bit!

This is the best approach I’ve found for him, and he’s a lot less unhappy than if I just threw on the saddle and immediately yanked the billets to the highest holes (though I’m not sure I could even do that, as he ”bloats” or really pushes out his muscles so hard that I’d never be able to fully tighten the girth all in one go) - but he’s still plenty girthy.

[Amordoro]

Well, I’ve been doing that for 5 years and nothing has changed. In that time he’s had a few periods with many months off for various injuries (did I say High Maintenance?!) - up to 10 months - and is immediately just as girthy as soon as I put a saddle on again.

On the other hand he luffs having his ears handled, rubbed, stroked, pulled, scratched, even trimmed with the big monster corded clippers! He’s easy and patient to bathe, dose, groom, beautify, shoe, etc - it’s just girthing.