I have a very sensitive TB. He has recently had chiro work along with acupuncture. He carries a lot of pain in his body. We’ve fitted him with a new saddle, but is still sore in the girth area.
I am currently using a cheap cloth girth with elastic on both ends. I’d like to find a better, more comfortable girth for this horse. There are so many types of girths available now, I don’t know which ones are actually what they claim. I’ve never needed to find a girth for a highly sensitive horse. Any suggestions?
I’m not sure what is causing your horse discomfort but I tried a mohair girth on my horse and had some relief.
His symptoms were general grumpiness, biting at my legs under saddle, biting at his sides after riding, etc. (he was scoped for ulcers. Negative).
I came across this looking for string dressage girths. It’s intriguing. It’s not cheap. But it may be what you’re looking for for your guy:
http://dressagesnob.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/we-figured-out-why-horses-dont-like-their-girths/
I tried a mohair girth and my mare did not like it. I have always had good luck with the synthetic fleece girths. Toklat, Ovation, they all make them. They wash up easy and all my horses like them. They come in black for dressage, which is what I have now.
I have had good results with the Passier elastic girth with a girth sock after trying a variety of others. The mare remains comfortable after 6 years.
i would consider ulcers a high probability,
I use the thinline short dressage girth for my guys, they all seem to like it and the thinline is great for evening out pressure and is antimicrobial. That is my go to, as another pereson stated, ulcers might be a good place to look.
I have found that mohair girths work well on sensitive horses. They have a small amount of stretch in their fibers, and are quickly and easily washed.
Smart Pak has the Passier elastic girth.
[QUOTE=dehere98;7250668]
I have a very sensitive TB.[/QUOTE]
If you’ve not scoped or treated for ulcers, I’d start there - in various studies, most TB’s showed some degree of ulceration, even broodmare bands living the life of Riley, & a surprising number of foals.
(Most of these studies are done with TB horses.)
There is an interesting video on this page
[QUOTE=poltroon;7250712]
I came across this looking for string dressage girths. It’s intriguing. It’s not cheap. But it may be what you’re looking for for your guy:
I’ll not be rushing out to buy that girth but it was an interesting read 
I did wonder about how they actually fitted the anatomic girth - FP had a similar response, rep showed how it was sized incorrectly (a common occurrence she said), ordered the correct size & she was right :lol:
It is disappointing though, how many horses are girthy & owners just expect them to get over it rather than continuing to look for a solution.
“It is disappointing though, how many horses are girthy & owners just expect them to get over it rather than continuing to look for a solution.”
Exactly Alto.
My horse isn’t obviously girthy, but he is reactive in the girth area during the chiropractic scan. He has dramatically improved through chiropractic, proper saddle fit and diet. (no grain) It stands to reason that a uber comfy girth is the next step in the process.
Now that I am aware of the kind of pain he holds in his body I want to make life for him as comfortable as is within my means to do. Thanks for the input- the Mohair sounds interesting and I have read many positive reviews on the web. Will check out all suggestions. Thx
[QUOTE=alto;7251248]
If you’ve not scoped or treated for ulcers, I’d start there - in various studies, most TB’s showed some degree of ulceration, even broodmare bands living the life of Riley, & a surprising number of foals.
(Most of these studies are done with TB horses.)
There is an interesting video on this page[/QUOTE]
Op said she scoped already- neg.
You might also look into massage if none of your practitioners are already doing that as part of their bodywork (we use someone that does a combination of chiro-massage-acupressure & dietary support).
If you found a positive response to no grain, you might re-visit the ulcer consideration (I’d likely try the aloe/licorice/slippery elm remedy for digestive support as he’s not symptomatic enough that I’d consider omeprazole)
One more vote for addressing ulcer issues.
My horse is not really symptomatic of ulcers, and I have discussed ulcers with the vet.
How is having a positive result to no grain related to ulcers? My horse gets ground flax, alfalfa cubes and vitamin E- along with plenty of grass and hay.
Since the horse has been on the diet he is much calmer in situations that would once have caused anxiety, or panic. I’m all for reducing those symptoms as much as possible.
Where the girth crosses the sternum, is a acupressure ulcer point that makes them reactive or ‘girthy’ from the pressure. That is why people are suggesting it to you. Watch this video…then go check your horse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr05hMmLCY4
That is a helpful video. I agree with his nutrition protocol, although rice bran has a higher ratio of omega 6 fatty acids to omega 3 fatty acids. We want higher omega 3’s to reduce inflammation so I feed flax. I am going to give it a shot and try a daily treatment and see how it goes. All the points he references are areas my horse has had soreness. Thanks for sharing.
Solution?
The Chronicle is legitimately sensitive about “advertising” so I’m going to be very up front. I am maker of the Girth Shield. And if you look at the link that has already been posted for Girth Shield
you’ll see that there is a “check out” program which means it would cost virtually nothing to try one. They do not work for all horses–just the vast majority. Best wishes, Dale, writer of “Dressage Snob” blog.
I have used this one for some years and it’s been excellent on a horse who is generally very sensitive, but not girthy. I think he would be girthy if he were in any way uncomfortable 
http://www.fourstarbrand.com/product/dressage-girths/christ-sheepskin-dressage-girth/
