quietann, I think they say 20 cm is the cut off for the wide vs. narrow Prolite/Fairfax. That’s pretty wide! The saddler I bought it from told me she only stocks the narrow gauge now because hardly any horses are wide enough for the standard.
[QUOTE=LarkspurCO;8679594]
I really like the looks of this. Do you really need a liner over the leather version? Or is that just for extra padding?[/QUOTE]
Both the leather and the neoprene are liners that Velcro to the top layer. You would use one or the other. I chose neoprene for the extra non-slip property for my horse.
Hafling - my mare is built just as you describe and the Fairfax did NOT work for her. It gaped badly in front. She didn’t seem to mind but pressure was not well distributed.
[QUOTE=RedHorses;8680506]
Both the leather and the neoprene are liners that Velcro to the top layer. You would use one or the other. I chose neoprene for the extra non-slip property for my horse.[/QUOTE]
Yes, the neoprene was thick and soft and I thought what the heck. Also, having seen no reviews on it. if it pinches between the leather pieces, the neoprene will take care of that. The leather is velcroed to the girth and you can pull it off and apply the neoprene. I think they also have fleece.
My wide barreled narrow chested little part arab mare has been happy since i got her a wide centered mohair endurance girth. https://www.thedistancedepot.com/Montana_Cincha_Endurance_Mohair_Girth_p/mcendur.htm
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[QUOTE=capricorn;8681088]
My wide barreled narrow chested little part arab mare has been happy since i got her a wide centered mohair endurance girth. https://www.thedistancedepot.com/Montana_Cincha_Endurance_Mohair_Girth_p/mcendur.htm[/QUOTE]
I’ll bet that would work well (says the owner of a similarly pear-shaped little mare).
Also, I was told and then shown that a long girth really does add more stability to the whole situation. My “desparate times/desparate measures” girth would be like this one-- wide, roper mohair girth, but made long for regular, short billets.
My horse is built like the OP’s horse. I tried at least 20 girths, including the County Logic Anatomical Girth (which was my LEAST favorite.)
After lots of research, I came across this one and my horse loves it. It does not move and I love the concept. The center is the stretchy part which allows the horse to breathe better as well helps to stabilize the girth/saddle.
Pricey but well worth it for me.
Enterata, I have a Mikmar but the leather cut into her behind her elbows. MVP, thanks for the links. A string girth and then getting the buckle guards would be a good solution or I also like the endurance girth that Capricorn posted.
Ok, I was lamenting my growing girth collection and realizing i’m not alone! I also have a smaller part bred arabian, who takes a 18-20". I think I’m getting every kind of girth material except for leather. I like the Passier all elastic. I had liked the fleece fuzzy girth that smart pak makes with my other horse but i worry on my smaller horse the girth will stick out and rub the elbows.
He uses a professional choice neoprene in his HJ girth, which is nice because it is trim. Because it buckles on the flap I don’t worry about interference. Actually his western girth is this same brand. However, he rides 90% dressage.
My latest try is a wintec girth that is rather squishy and soft. It seems like it does not have much stretch to it, is that bad? This is much nicer then wintecs that I have seen in the past, so perhaps they changed the material in the last few years?
I also have an old standby Ovation cotton web girth. Good all around and I have used this one for 4 yrs.
I don’t have a bit collection, I have a girth collection! Teeny, though, so they don’t take up as much room. Ha!
Love the Wintec but they’re too wide for my horse. Best girth for my horse so far is the 5-inch Schleese Softee girth. I just wish they would make it tapered at the back to accommodate a barrel that pushes the girth forward.
Hafling - Are you selling your Mikmar? If so what size. Love that girth!
Out West. It is an older one. The center elastic is a bit stretched and gray not blsck. Size 26" I think.
I have not seen the Mikmar girth before but it looks very promising. This is a great thread. I’m going to end up broke, I just know it! :sigh:
I found a video that talks about the design:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0RUBwqULwY
[QUOTE=ThreeFigs;8679932]
I switched to the Prolite/Faifax design from the Total Saddle Fit girth. Total Saddle Fit got it ALMOST right. Agree the leather Fairfax is nice and soft, but $$$. The Prolite looks & feels like leather to me and my horse seems to like it. I think there is a little 'give" in it. Nicely padded, easy care.
My 16.1 gelding wears the Narrow Prolite. I forget how wide a horse has to be to need one of their “regular” girths. I was frankly surprised that my guy could wear the Narrow.[/QUOTE]
If you bought Total Fit’s girth - it is not Fairfax - they are slightly different (and slightly can mean HUGELY on a horse). And they are made in India. I wouldn’t treat them as the “same” girth.
I have a Fairfax girth (narrow), and it has really helped my girth sensitive mare. It does gap a bit in front - it is designed to do that.
If you are looking for a “relative bargain” with the girth, buy it from a European vendor. I got mine through Divoza, and waited until they had a “20% off” deal. Still not a cheap girth, but made it much more reasonable.
I’ve tried a lot of girths over the years - my mare is uber sensitive, and my stallion was very short coupled with a huge shoulder. The Fairfax is amazing! County Logic girths just pissed both my horses off. The other one that I really like is the Prestige Anatomic girth.
I haven’t tried the Mikmar, but it looks similar to one of the Devocoux designs, and those were just too wide for my shorter bodied horses.
It is so individual - my mare is also VERY short backed, wide barrel, forward girth groove. I thought the Fairfax would be perfect - but no. I had tried the mikmar when I first got her, but the saddle slipped. Now with more maturity (and a better fitting saddle) the Mikmar is great. Would love to find a better price on them for my new guy.
With the Mikmar, do you buy the normal size for your horse or do you size down to allow for the stretch?
I bought a 26 for my mare, which is probably a size down. Needed a 30 in the Fairfax, could use either a 26 or 28 in your average girth.
[QUOTE=RedHorses;8679435]
I have the TSF StretchTec girth for my forward girth groove, well sprung ribs, laid back shoulder bladed horse. He likes it better than the original TSF, and I find the neoprene adds a great deal of stability even without cranking it tight, though I can get it tighter than the original TSF without having the saddle move forward.[/QUOTE]
I have been looking at this, but I am worried that
- my horse will object to neoprene (it seems icky to me) – does it stick to a horse’s belly and increase sweating – like those rubber suits that some people wear to deliberately sweat a lot.
or, - Will the same girth fit well both with and without the neoprene liner? How many holes difference does the liner take up?
I like the stretch center for allowing lung expansion.
Prolite is a british brand, so more options if you order over-seas. Better quality than Total saddle fit.
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;8684577]
I have been looking at this, but I am worried that
- my horse will object to neoprene (it seems icky to me) – does it stick to a horse’s belly and increase sweating – like those rubber suits that some people wear to deliberately sweat a lot.
or, - Will the same girth fit well both with and without the neoprene liner? How many holes difference does the liner take up?
I like the stretch center for allowing lung expansion.[/QUOTE]
I was worried my horse would object to the neoprene liner as well, but after he had a brief wtc on the longe he was fine. Day two he had a humpback, ew! moment , but given a minute to think he remembered that it was okay.
I don’t (can’t, really I can’t) tighten the girth as much as I should so while the neoprene does stick to him it isn’t like a clamp or duct tape. He sweats under it, but I don’t think he sweats more than in the original leather TSF.
It’s an either or situation. The StretchTec must have a liner in use as the hook side of the Velcro is on that piece. So you stick it to the padded leather/elastic liner or the neoprene liner (I’m sure they will have a sheepskin one shortly). Either liner is the equivalent of the integrated padding in regular girths, so you don’t need to order a different size to accommodate padding.
My horse still likes his girth. So do I. 
