Title says it all… what do you like in a girth (english or western) for long rides? Leather, neoprene, fleece, etc?
wool string girth
Mohair!
After trying all types and having several thin, sensitive skinned horses I have settled on PVC, waffle textured girths and cinches. The material doesn’t absorb sweat and it lets the sweat run out from under the girth. It doesn’t grab the skin like the Professional Choice neoprene girths. I only use girths that have soft edges, no bound edges.
I have put english billet adapters on my endurance saddles so I can use english PVC equalizer type dressage girths. Just love these girths as they are so adaptable, easy to girth up without over tightening and they can be adjusted while I am in the saddle. I have had no rubs, no skin scalds, no sand stuck in the strings to rub the horse, no shrinking, etc.
Bonnie
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Another mohair fan here. Don’t use anything but.
I’m with
Chica. Waffle textured cinches. They are fairly inexpensive, easy to clean, Just hose off. Last a long time and I’ve never had any sore from them.
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Interesting because I did have a horse get sore from a waffle textured girth. Also horrible sores from a neoprene. Never had a mohair sore a horse and never had any sticks or burrs or anything else work their way through the strands or stick on the outside.
Toklat wool back girth, double elastic, roller buckles. Completely washable in the washing machine. Washable is one of the things I love about this girth. If ya do not like the noise of the buckles banging around, rubber band some socks to the buckles. Easy.
No fake stuff on it. I have had neoprene rub, dry out, gall, heat up and scald a horse, well several.
A little wire brush to fluff it makes it look new again. But ya don’t have to. I like my tack clean. And washable is very nice. Living in da south, clean dry tack is nice to have.
Toklat Woolback for me too
Mohair roper. I have a cheapie fleece girth for my dressage saddle that works well. I bought a leather one which seems to work for one horse but gave the mare galls. If I used it more I would get a dressage mohair too.
Another Toklat woolback lover too! This is the best girth out there for horses that are a little cinchy or sensitive. I don’t find them a problem to clean, either. They seem to be easier to keep clean than synthetic fleece. Very durable too. I get elastic on both sides too so the pressure is symmetrical. My fussy mare does best with this girth.
Mohair Montana Cincha endurance girth.
I use a weaver air flex girth. It works great.
I was getting some sore places with the felt girth that I had before I bought this one. I had also tried synthetic fleece and a string girth. They also made my horse sore and raw.
Mohair, all the way !
I want to thank the folks for suggesting mohair!
I had gotten a “humane girth” for my last horse, as that is what the saddle maker recommended. It was hard to find one that didn’t have a rubber lining (I ended up getting one from Great Britain). I recently got a new horse and while the saddle fits him (incredible!), my girth was on the last holes. While I like some things about the humane girth, there were others I didn’t like so much so I really didn’t want to buy out of country again. Back in the dark ages when I learned to ride, we used poly string girths, and I continued to use them as I owned my own horses and did longer rides and competitions. But I could never find mohair english girths - till now. I just got one from Mary’s Tack - it was inexpensive and is nice and wide - I think my horse appreciates the pressure being spread out more.
I have heard that mohair is pretty good but has a definite lifetime - when they fail, you don’t have much warning. Any suggestions on what to look for before failure? I plan to keep an extra on hand as a spare.
Rosalie
Hmm I must be the only one. I’d heard such great things about the mohair girths that I order a Montana Cinch on for my endurance saddle. But I really don’t like it. I find that it takes FOREVER to dry after use- but that might be because of our humidity level here.
I much prefer the PVC humane girths that I can just hose off after riding and I like that it is not quite so grippy as the mohair.
