Girth Fit

[sorrelfilly721]

I’ve been doing a little looking at the web regarding how a girth should fit. I have a QH and I have typically used a 20" girth with the thought process that it should be low to avoid interfering with your leg. Everything I have found on the web says it should come above the elbow and have about two inches between the pad and the top of the girth.

The problem is, if you don’t have a warmblood, the remaining billet tail will be SUPER long with nowhere to tuck it in (usually the pockets are fairly shallow). Has anyone dealt with this? I’m a little reluctant to cut the billets, but…

Here’s a pic of my current setup. This is a 20" girth. If I get a longer one that prescribes to the idea that there should only be 2 inches between pad and girth, the “tails” are going to be really long.

[beowulf]

Yes, as you noted the convention is above the elbows at minimum. Anything further is truly dependent on the horse’s preferences and anatomy. I would say in the photo of your horse that the girth could go up a size or two.

For example, see how much further this girth goes up:

Regarding the flying tails, that can be an easy fix with either a girth tube/fleece or a crafty leather person stitching on two additional billet loops on each side. Try it without modification first - it may not flap as much as you think.

Something to consider is that the shorter the distance between the saddle itself and where the girth buckles, the more stable the saddle will be, which is what you want.

Very cute horse, BTW.

[emeraldcity]

I’ve seen billets cut for small horses. Unless you have a saddle where it’s really hard to replace the billets, I wouldn’t worry about doing this. Worst case scenario, it slightly reduces the sale price for your saddle if you ever sell it by whatever it would cost someone to replace the billets, which isn’t much typically.

But also, girth socks are cheap and would contain the billets until you decide if that’s the route you want to go.

[sorrelfilly721]

I’ll have to take a look at girth socks. That’s an interesting alternative.

On another note, I looked at a pic of my show girth which is actually a smaller size than the one pictured and it goes almost all the way up to the pad. So strange.

[emeraldcity]

I would guess your show girth has more real estate above the buckles- the girth on your horse in the OP has the buckles pretty much right at the top of the girth. Since the girth is measured buckle to buckle, you could have a smaller girth that is overall longer if the buckles are placed differently.

[JB]

Not only are your buckles going to interfere with the elbow, the billet straps being “naked” between the pad and the girth aren’t going to feel very good most likely.

your billets here really are very long LOL But yes, they either need to be cut, or use one of the options beowulf listed.

@sorrelfilly721

I looked at a pic of my show girth which is actually a smaller size than the one pictured

Like saddle sizing, there’s no universal girth measurement. Some measure buckle to buckle some measure completely end to end of the whole thing

[sorrelfilly721]

@JB

they either need to be cut, or use one of the options beowulf listed.

So now I’m seriously considering trimming the billets. I wonder why they make them so long to begin with. If the girth is supposed to sit just below the pad, they would never need to be that long. Only the girth size would need to change.

What do you think the best way to trim them would be?

[sascha]

@JB

Like saddle sizing, there’s no universal girth measurement. Some measure buckle to buckle some measure completely end to end of the whole thing

Is this a new thing? I used to work in tack sales and girths were always measured buckle to buckle, no variation between brands. A 28" girth was a 28" girth. The only thing that makes a girth appear longer than it’s true length is extended leather above the buckles on short (dressage style) girths, but the measurement would still be buckle to buckle.

@sorrelfilly721

the remaining billet tail will be SUPER long with nowhere to tuck it in

I LOVED the old Wintec girths for this reason. The thing was a tube and you could shove literally a foot of excess billet down inside. So neat and tidy. So unavailable anymore

[JB]

@sorrelfilly721

I wonder why they make them so long to begin with. If the girth is supposed to sit just below the pad, they would never need to be that long.

my Prestige Dressage saddle has “normal” billets. My County Dressage saddle has ridiculously long billets. I have no idea LOL

I’d just trim with scissors! There are ways you can look up to touch up the cut ends so it all looks normal.

@sascha

Is this a new thing?

I have no idea. But I have multiple girths that measure very differently buckle to buckle, but their stamped length can be found one way or another whether buckle to buckle, or end to end.

[sascha]

@sorrelfilly721 Wait! Hold up, maybe the tube girths are still available. If your horse isn’t a princess or doesn’t need an anatomical, this is a super inexpensive option to keep your billets neat and tidy: https://www.bahrsaddlery.com/wintec-elastic-dressage-girth-wgeldxxxxxblk50-343100.html

[sascha]

@JB

But I have multiple girths that measure very differently buckle to buckle, but their stamped length can be found one way or another whether buckle to buckle, or end to end

Note to self, if going girth shopping in these strange modern times, make sure the IKEA tape measure is toted along!

[sorrelfilly721]

I need a natural fiber, preferably leather. I’ve had issues with horses developing hives and losing skin from synthetic materials. I could use a cotton sleeve possibly.

Do you think the tails look to “flappy” with this girth? This is my show girth which incidentally is a size smaller than the one pictured above.

[JB]

I WOULD want those tails contained, from an aesthetic perspective. It’s unlikely they’re actually coming in contact with his legs at any point though, so he likely doesn’t care lol

[MsM]

I have also wondered why some saddles have such long billets. Werent we all taught that the girth should come up to just below the saddle pad? So what use are the holes that would leave a girth only under the horse’s belly?

[eightpondfarm]

my saddles have short billets. Too short by about an inch i think. But once i FINALLY get the first hole in i can up the holes one side at a time. i’m on hole #3 on both sides during rides. The top of the girth meets the bottom of the saddle pad almost precisely.

[Squirt]

This was my experience as well.

[Long_Time_Lurker]

You can make a girth sock from a human sock. Just cut off the foot and turn under and hem the rough end. If that much sewing is beyond you it could probably be glued.

[Posting_Trot]

I have a Toklat fleece lined dressage girth and it has two sets of keepers for the billets.

Looks like this:

Toklat T3 FlexForm™ Coolback® Dressage Girth | Schneiders

I also have my girth edge come to the edge of the pad, which my horse finds more comfortable. But I do think that different horses have different levels of comfort.

[Libby2563]

@MsM

I have also wondered why some saddles have such long billets. Werent we all taught that the girth should come up to just below the saddle pad? So what use are the holes that would leave a girth only under the horse’s belly?

Well, there are some big horses out there and it’s easier to trim billets than replace them with longer ones. My current dressage saddle has fit a pretty impressive array of horses, ranging from 15.2 1/2 hh TB to 18 hh Hanoverian. With the big guy there wasn’t much extra billet to tuck in. I’d rather have too much than not enough, though I agree that with some saddles the billets really are unreasonably long. Like, we aren’t riding elephants…