I have these as well and have been pleased. I haven’t experienced any stretching either - all my marks are within 3-4 half holes of each other, accounting for different stirrups and different saddles on different horses.
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That is very good information about the girths. I appreciate you sharing. I think I better get the leather. Horse is kinda cheese wedge shaped so probably needs that stretchiness in the middle.
Interesting tip about the leathers too!
I have the TSF girth in synthetic and haven’t had any issues with skin problems. Usually I’ll just wipe it off with a damp cloth in the summer. It’s just perfect for my pony with a large rounded belly and forward girth groove.
My previous saddle had leathers that would scrape up my flaps something terrible. I bought a pair of knee high socks, sewed them into a tube shape, and slipped it onto the leathers. It’s barely noticeable when riding and prevents rub marks. On my current saddle I use Wintec webbers (no buckle bulge) and still use the socks.
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I’m currently riding with my leathers in tube socks! It works!
FYI - MDC has a jointed stirrup with a rotating eye. You can do a 45 or 90 degree angle. http://mdcstirrups.com/products.html
I’ve had both the Prestige and the Passier leathers. I thought the Prestige were a touch nicer/softer but it’s a small difference and you’ll likely be happy with either.
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I was just as surprised as everyone else that they stretched, but they did. This was after maybe 5 years of use. They aren’t the only nylon core leathers that stretched on me either…I had some Bates leathers that did that too.
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I have the Passier leathers and like them well enough. No saddle damage, no stretch, half holes, not overly bulky (helps that my saddle is new enough that it has a recessed stirrup bar). They are the perfect stirrup leather in my mind - nothing to write home about but really the stirrup leather should be unnoticeable to the rider and stay out of the way and these accomplish that.
I have the stretch tech with the sheepskin. The horse I bought it for didn’t get rubs but was very sensitive and seemed to appreciate the sheepskin vs the foam padded girth we had before. I don’t like leather due to the upkeep (everything molds in the Midwest summer) and neoprene holds heat and I swear they always slip even though it’s supposed to be better than other materials for slippage. The sheepskin upkeep is not super fun either but I mostly brush it out and then wash it every few months. No skin funk from it. It did seem to help give the horse more freedom in the shoulder and keep the saddle back off her shoulder.
Iron covers I use cheapo ones off Etsy. They are basically a fleece (like polar fleece not Sherpa fleece) bag with a draw string top and they have worked well for years (6? 7? I can’t remember) without any noticeable wear. They do get tossed in the wash machine with saddle covers every so often.
I had the MDC jointed stirrups with the wide base and twisty top (Ultimates I believe) and liked them for a time but they were SO heavy. Like so so heavy it was insanely noticeable when they were off the saddle. I did end up getting rid of them due to the weight and the fact that they made me toe out more than I did in other stirrups (I replaced them with FreeJumps).
If I may enable, if you find stirrups you like that are maybe a bit cost prohibitive check the euro tack sites. I ordered the new Le Meiux Vector stirrups (2 pairs actually) for about $150-170 each from REDPOST vs the $270 price on Riding Warehouses site and shipping was minimal.
If you decide to keep browsing for stirrups, I highly recommend safety stirrups! Part of the reason I bought the new stirrups is because I realized (months later mind you) that my last fall, in my dressage saddle no less, my foot got hung up. I couldn’t figure out why it felt like I had broken my foot as I didn’t land on it, until recently when I was replaying it in my head. I wasn’t drug or truly stuck but it must have gotten caught long enough to really tweak it and these stirrups (or any safety stirrups) could have prevented that.
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Weird! I guess forewarned is forearmed! Thank you for sharing!
Good info thanks!
My saddle does have recessed stirrup bars but maybe not as recessed as some other saddles I tried. I’m currently using some basic and elderly leathers (encased in tube socks lol) and I can def feel the bulk from the leather buckles. It’s not awful but it would be ideal to reduce that somewhat.
It definitely sounds like the TSF stretch tec girth is the way to go. We have humidity here too in FL. I keep my good tack in the house. Bit inconvenient to lug it to the barn but here I am. If I understand correctly, the liners on these girths are removable and interchangeable?
I do think safety stirrups are worthwhile. My spine is jacked up enough already so I guess I need comfort and safety to prevent further insult to my body.
I’ve been eyeing tall boots from European shops, the prices are very appealing. Good tip to look there for other items as well.
I have that TSF girth. It worked great on my previous lease horse but gave my current guy rubs, even when I got the sheepskin cover for it. I ended up switching him to a contoured gel girth and that’s fine, so apparently his shape just doesn’t agree with the TSF.
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The Australian dollar is low right now too. I ordered custom Cavallo dressage boots from Hufglocken and they came in around $670 including shipping and a boot bag. They have lots of styles at lower price points too.
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I’ve been looking at Petrie but I’ll check the Cavallos out! I have a short round calf so boots are hard.
I have some Passier leathers on one saddle that are at least 20 years old and in great shape. I’d go with cow hide leathers over calf skin because I think they’d be less likely to stretch.
Do you know what kind of leather your saddle flap is made of?
I stopped buying the jointed stirrup irons because they didn’t last as long as non-jointed and I also like the stability of non-jointed, but I have the Herm Sprenger offset stirrup irons. They do make jointed. I prefer the irons that can be set in regular position or turned into the 90 degree position. I like them because they are heavy, easy to grab and place less strain on my knees being in the 90 degree position. They aren’t cheap but they will last a long time.
As far as girth, do you happen to have a picture of your horse from the side? That would help better determine the right anatomical shape. I also prefer sheepskin lined girths. I like neoprene the least, leather next best, and sheepskin lined the most. I find the skin is better able to move under sheepskin, especially for a horse with a large shoulder.
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Passover’s website indicates that all of their leathers are made with calfskin so 
Here is the best boy
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Can someone enlighten me about why they use covers for their irons? I’ve been riding almost my entire life and just can’t see the need for them - genuinely curious over here!
So the irons don’t scuff the leather is why I’ve been told to cover the irons.
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He’s precious. 
I think the TSF girth would do well. Stubben’s equi-soft girth also comes to mind which I like a lot.
I was thinking you said the Passier leathers were not calf skin. I’m honestly a fan of just regular leathers versus lined but really not much difference in how they ride.
Thank you!
The Dover descriptions all read “cow skin”, but I couldn’t determine the difference between the three models of Passier leathers they sell so I pulled up the Passier website and they say all the leathers are calf skin
I’ll look at that Stubben girth too!
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How do you like the Cavallos? I keep seeing Hufglocken ads for those boots and MAN they are pretty!
I don’t have them yet, just ordered three weeks ago.
