Best girths for WIDE horse

[CHT]

Thanks to the other thread I started, I measured my mare, and found she needs a 34-36" girth. When I was reading the link to the Fairfax girths, they mention two styles based on the width of the horse…which makes sense given the new anatomical style girths. Which got me to thinking…my mare IS very wide between her forelegs, so will a typical anatomical girth really fit her anatomy? How can I tell if an Anatomical girth is curving in the right places for her? I had planned to get a TFS, and had looked at the new stretchy ones, but I am now wondering if they won’t put the pressure in the right places.

I have never owned a horse as complicated as this one to outfit!

[sheltona01]

With wide horses you want as little elastic as you can get on the girth. Actually on all horses you want as little elastic. It is a lot easier to over tighten your girth with elastic. Inherently the saddles are more unstable on a wide horse because there is less wither to keep it from rolling. The elastic add to the instability.

A good indicator for the Fairfax girth for there standard is put your hand between the front legs and spread your fingers without hitting the inside of the legs. I find most horses are in the narrow unless the are like Friesians or have a lot of space between the front legs. If it is too wide, it will hit/rub the back inside part of the leg. Hope that helps!

[RedHorses]

I would choose a TSF StretchTec. With a neoprene liner if I was concerned about saddle roll.

But I’m biased because I really like the StretchTec. And they have that money back guarantee.

[CHT]

@RedHorses

I would choose a TSF StretchTec. With a neoprene liner if I was concerned about saddle roll.

But I’m biased because I really like the StretchTec. And they have that money back guarantee.

I am contacting them to ask if it will be suitable. I am worried the padded parts on the girth won’t sit in the right place on her.

[CHT]

@sheltona01

A good indicator for the Fairfax girth for there standard is put your hand between the front legs and spread your fingers without hitting the inside of the legs. I find most horses are in the narrow unless the are like Friesians or have a lot of space between the front legs. If it is too wide, it will hit/rub the back inside part of the leg. Hope that helps!

She measures over 10 inches (25 cm) between her front legs, but the way they measure on the Fairfax website is different than I measured, and I think she would be even wider at that point, as they seem to measure behind the leg. I haven’t seen a Fairfax girth in person, but I am curious about them.

[RedHorses]

@CHT Well the centre padding is still going to be the centre padding no matter how wide she is, and the side padding will likewise be unchanged as it pretty much covers the rest of the girth. But if you went with neoprene it is a consistent, unbroken layer of padding. I think the real question would be will it gape at the front of the centre, and trying it will be the only way to answer that.

[CanteringCarrot]

I tried both the TSF girth and the Fairfax. I sent back the TSF and kept the Fairfax (used from eBay). I like the fit of the Fairfax, and the quality is better. The TSF girth just seemed to not be contoured in the right areas for this particular horse. The Fairfax has been great, and the saddle does not move. I ride him with the sheepskin cover at the moment because he just got a fresh clip, and it’s also been fine.

I cannot do neoprene on this horse. He gets a rub or some kind of funk no matter how clean I keep it. No matter how loose, tight, or stretched (to avoid pinched skin) he is.

I’ve also used the Mattes Asymmetric Girth with success in a similar situation.

[CHT]

@RedHorses

@CHT Well the centre padding is still going to be the centre padding no matter how wide she is, and the side padding will likewise be unchanged as it pretty much covers the rest of the girth. But if you went with neoprene it is a consistent, unbroken layer of padding. I think the real question would be will it gape at the front of the centre, and trying it will be the only way to answer that.

I am thinking the center padding will be too narrow though, so the side stretchy part will be in a place where it might contact her rather than be in the place it is supposed to be. is that possible, or am I not understanding the girth?

[RedHorses]

I understand what you’re thinking and you probably aren’t “Totally” understanding the girth. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Until I had the thing in my hands, even with having had the neoprene lined StretchTec for over a year, I didn’t really see how the leather lining worked. The lining’s elastic doesn’t really put pressure on the horse. It is loose when the girth is curved to the shape of a horse’s barrel, though not enough to cause pressure wrinkles. The liner elastic is much lighter than the solid, heavy elastic of the girth body. It really just holds the centre pad in place. I wasn’t sure when I first got it, and even wondered if they’d set the wrong liner, but once I put it on my horse and poked around I found it sits quite nicely.