Girths: ProLite vs Christ vs SoloEquine vs Ovation Europa

[mydogs]

Now that I have a new bridle (LOVE my soloequine bridle), I am looking for a new girth.

My guy has arthritis around his sternum/girth area (the exact location is on my session paper from the chiro) and has been quite girthy lately. My chiro said I can feel free to experiment with different girths to see if something different can provide additional comfort. I need to get a new girth anyways, so I don’t mind shopping around. My saddle also tends to slide a hair backwards, not sure if it is the girth or not, but the saddle will be re-flocked anyways this week.

I am looking for something that is SUPER comfortable for him. I would love to find a well-padded, skeepskin girth.

I have a SoloEquine girth being shipped to me since it was on sale.
I have also been eyeing up a ProLite girth and a rep will be at my barn this week to drop one off, so I wouldn’t have to pay for shipping.

But this morning, I saw the Christ and Ovation Europa girths and I really really like those. I love that they have sheepskin around the edges to help with chaffing and softer edges that don’t dig directly into the skin. I might order one to try and return it, if necessary.

Has anyone had any experience of any good or bad experiences with any of the four girths?
Was there another girth that is similar that you liked?

[MysticOakRanch]

Just curious - with the sheepskin girths - how often do you WASH them (and how long do they hold up with more frequent washing)? I’ve looked at them several times over the years, and that has always been my concern. Both my mare and my pony are sensitive skinned - I’m afraid using a dirty girth on them would cause problems. I clean my leather girth (mare’s) after every ride, and pony has a soft padded fabric/neoprene type that I hose off after ever ride. So - I would love to hear a report on how the sheepskin works from that point of view? Sorry, slightly off topic, but still relevant;)

[Equibrit]

Girth cover ? http://www.horsehealth.co.uk/horse-w…s/girth-covers
Easier maintenance.

[mydogs]

@Equibrit

Girth cover ? http://www.horsehealth.co.uk/horse-w…s/girth-covers
Easier maintenance.

I thought about that, but since I can’t see the covers, I don’t know how “fluffy” they are and feel like I would be playing a matching game of girth shape and cover shape.

[Equibrit]

Elastic centre; http://flexigirth.com/shop/fflexi-gi…reeless-black/

re above; ask them, they are very helpful.

[mydogs]

@Equibrit

Elastic centre; http://flexigirth.com/shop/fflexi-gi…reeless-black/

OMG THEY HAVE A PINK GIRTH! Already in love ha

[candico]

Went through many girth with my sensitive thoroughbred. Even with lush sheepskin he would get rubs. The well-padded gushy girths seem to slide around the most and felt like you had to crank them super tight which made him unhappy. Those cheap Wintec girths are the only thing he was happy with. Wish I knew that before investing in many high $$$ fancy-looking girths. To be fair, I have not tried the OP’s suggested brands.

[CanteringCarrot]

My PRE benefits from a shoulder relief type girth and his skin can be picky about material. I have a Fairfax girth that I quite like, but I purchased a Mattes Asymmetric Girth and love it. I have been using that on him since he is clipped and I figured the sheepskin would be comfortable and better for his skin. I brush it out every few rides, but I haven’t washed it yet and he has been fine. I bought it on eBay it came with the package and washing fluid for 80€

https://www.adamshorsesupplies.com/e…-fleece-202810

Make sure you look around a bit because these girth are expensive but I got a good deal on a gently used Fairfax and used 2x Mattes. Or you can buy new if return policy is important.

FWIW I prefer the Fairfax to the Total Saddle Fit girth and the prolite is just a different version (material) of the Fairfax

[leheath]

@MysticOakRanch I’ve used sheepskin girths for years and they hold up pretty well. The key is not washing them frequently (and using proper detergent designed for wool when you do), but rather brushing them with the right kind of brush after they dry. This works for sheepskin saddle pads used directly on the horse too.

Regarding the OPs question, I really like the Stubben Equi-Soft Girth. It allows the horse to breath easier and is super padded and squishy (with either synthetic fleece or the leather backing). Placement and balance of the girth mean it is very stable without being super tight. It is very expensive in the US, but much cheaper if you buy from the UK.

That said, if your horse gets rubs easily (like mine does), especially if it is due to loose skin at the elbow, the best choice is a low profile/flat girth and the best I found (by far - and I’ve been through at least 5 girths!) is a high quality, wide mohair girth. No pinch or rubbing, easy maintenance, and (most importantly) my horse love it. It has natural give, so it is comfortable throughout whatever work you are doing. I don’t love the look of them, but looks must give way to function and horsey comfort!

[MysticOakRanch]

@leheath

@MysticOakRanch I’ve used sheepskin girths for years and they hold up pretty well. The key is not washing them frequently (and using proper detergent designed for wool when you do), but rather brushing them with the right kind of brush after they dry. This works for sheepskin saddle pads used directly on the horse too.

Thanks - I am in a super hot climate, so my horses get pretty sweaty. I have found if I ride my sensitive horses with anything that has accumulated sweat, they get skin issues.:no: My pony is the worse (who would have thought a PONY would be so sensitive)… It is the main reason I haven’t gotten a sheepskin girth. My mare is also sensitive. Lucky me!

I have a Fairfax which works well for my sensitive mare, but I don’t think even the narrow would work for Pony, he is short and doesn’t have a ton of room between his front legs. So I’ve been looking at alternatives. So far, the cushy fabric/neoprene Kieffer has worked best for him… Oh, to add to it, he needs a 20", and a lot of girths don’t come that small:lol:

I am afraid of anything mohair - my old trainer had a horse in her barn who got horrible galls from a mohair girth - and it was an expensive, high quality one from Germany!

[Livie]

I have a Christ sheepskin girth that I bought 5 years ago and still use everyday. I LOVE it. So much, that I bought a couple more in different sizes when I saw them on sale. It still looks brand new.

A couple of cons, won’t help if you have slipping saddle issues and you need to tighten it part way through ride as it seems to get looser once the sheepskin warms up a bit. For these reasons, I wouldn’t use it on a really beer barrelled horse but otherwise I can’t recommend it enough

[mydogs]

@Livie

I have a Christ sheepskin girth that I bought 5 years ago and still use everyday. I LOVE it. So much, that I bought a couple more in different sizes when I saw them on sale. It still looks brand new.

A couple of cons, won’t help if you have slipping saddle issues and you need to tighten it part way through ride as it seems to get looser once the sheepskin warms up a bit. For these reasons, I wouldn’t use it on a really beer barrelled horse but otherwise I can’t recommend it enough

Why would it not help with a slipping saddle? Is it because the girth moves more than most since it is so soft?

[Livie]

@mydogs

Why would it not help with a slipping saddle? Is it because the girth moves more than most since it is so soft?

Yes, it is very soft and flexible and you do have to keep making sure it is tight enough. I found it really didn’t help at all on horses with saddle slipping issues

[leheath]

@MysticOakRanch

Thanks - I am in a super hot climate, so my horses get pretty sweaty. I have found if I ride my sensitive horses with anything that has accumulated sweat, they get skin issues.:no: My pony is the worse (who would have thought a PONY would be so sensitive)… It is the main reason I haven’t gotten a sheepskin girth. My mare is also sensitive. Lucky me!

I have a Fairfax which works well for my sensitive mare, but I don’t think even the narrow would work for Pony, he is short and doesn’t have a ton of room between his front legs. So I’ve been looking at alternatives. So far, the cushy fabric/neoprene Kieffer has worked best for him… Oh, to add to it, he needs a 20", and a lot of girths don’t come that small:lol:

I am afraid of anything mohair - my old trainer had a horse in her barn who got horrible galls from a mohair girth - and it was an expensive, high quality one from Germany!

I’ve never had skin issues from using sheepskin on girths or saddle pads and I live in an area where it is typically 80-100F all summer (and I event so we get sweaty and wet from water!). My mare is super skin sensitive - everything causes galls/rubs on her and she is sensitive about brushing too! She loves sheepskin everywhere, but on the girth it makes the whole girth to “thick” and causes rubs on the loose skin at the elbow (she has more than most horses…plus the sensitive skin…sigh!). The mohair girth is so far the only one that hasn’t caused rubs regardless of how sweaty/wet she gets.

20" is super short - I can see how that would be tough to find in many higher end girths! Oh the difficulties we face for our sensitive ponies!! I guess we are still lucky to have such first world problems…haha!