Anyone have any input on dressage girths that don’t have a lot of elastic to them?
I’m pretty sure the Prolite girth doesn’t have elastic.
I’ve gone back to my old Jeffries Symbian girth, after trying all sorts of “anatomical” girths. It has no elastic but does have the “humane ends” which is a strap connecting the two buckles so they can move with the horse. It’s synthetic, if that matters. So is the Prolite, but from a distance it looks like leather, (There is a leather version, the Fairfax. But we’re getting into some fairly serious money there…) My other favorite is a Montana Cincha mohair dressage girth. It has no elastic, but of course the mohair has some give.
Fairfax girth, Nunn Finer Piaffe, don’t forget about cord girths made out of mohair or synthetics…
What do you want to know?
I have one by Courbette. Black leather, straight, with buckle guards. I don’t use anymore since my fitter recommended a Total Saddle Fit anatomical one for my horse’s forward girth groove.
Fairfax, Nunn Finer Bella Donna.
Personally, I don’t care for them. The ribcage expands so much when the horse is breathing deeply. To get an appropriate fit at rest I worry that it is causing restriction when the horse is in motion. Of course plenty of people have success with them, but I haven’t chosen them for my own rides.
I have a Nunn Finer Humane ends girth without elastic. I like it, but I only use on horses that I don’t have to ride with a super tight girth.
I have the Fairfax for my thoroughbred and he seems to prefer the non elastic. It was my first non-elastic of the anatomical girths I have tried since owning him. I do ha e an elastic end anatomical girth for my jumping saddle and have to be careful to not tempt myself with tightening one more hole because of the elastic give. But I can’t see spending more on a jumping girth when he only wears it a few times a month for hopping over logs.
