Help with cinch/girth decision please!

[abacuschicken]

I am purchasing a Total Saddle Fit cinch or girth for my horse in hopes of getting the saddle from riding up on her shoulders. She is a big built feely wiggle body athletic kinda mare with a wide shoulder, strong topline, short back and long underline with a forward girth channel. We ride aggressive (endurance style hills etc at speed) trails in the heat and do Western Dressage type work in the are. I predominately trail out in a bareback pad though. I want to buy a cinch or girth that I can use both on my saddle and bareback pad. Here are my questions…

has anyone had any personal experience with wool felt girth/cinches in heat on sensitive horses? feedback on this?
has anyone used a dressage girth and converted it to western for “real” trail riding? feedback on this?

I am wavering between the wool fleece and felt. I do not care about maintenance, I care about comfort. I will pick burrs off her cinch all day after a ride if the felt will gall her…been there done that :). Also wavering between a dressage girth and western cinch as the TSF cinches do not have any elastic built in for breathing room.

[Alterwho]

I would look at saddle fit first and if it absolutely, no question, honestly 100% fits then go with a crupper. I also wouldn’t be doing endurance type riding with a bareback pad.

[Kickin_It]

I agree with Alterwho? – I’d be looking into the saddle fit. It shouldn’t ride up that much if it’s the right fit. The crupper (like a breast collar) might keep it from slipping a little, but if it’s riding up that far, I would worry that it would bother my horse.

[Guilherme]

What the girth collects in the environment it’s used is DEFINITELY an important data point and if you ride places where a wool girth is going to pick up things than can irritate the horse you are not doing the horse any favors no matter how comfortable it might be in the arena or other prepared riding area.

Begin by ensuring your saddle fits. Then select a padding and girth system that will assist the saddle in maintaining its proper position. If a crupper or breast collar is needed then use it. The saddle and it’s pieces are a “system” and you select the optimal “system” you based upon the needs of the horse as expressed in the discipline/activity in which the horse lives and works.

G.

[cloudy18]

A friend bought the TSF girth for her dressage saddle. She wasn’t having any issues and hasn’t used it much yet, so I can’t give her review. I’m hesitant to try it because of the cost. I’ve also read reviews, and while many were great I saw too many that complained that the material was inferior quality. I also kept seeing the complaint that because of the design of the cinch it caused more pressure on the back part, thus not evenly distributing pressure.

I have a barrel of a mare with a flat back. My saddle fitter has confirmed that my saddle fits, but it likes to creep forward and back on steeper hills. I use a breast collar but am going to add a crupper when we go to SD this summer.

The TSF girth/cinch does have a good money back guarantee, so you can always give it a try. I would try the felt though, as the thought of keeping fleece clean gives me a headache. I debated purchasing a fleece cinch to see if my fussy mare would like one, but decided she has multiple other options and why make myself crazy.

[beau159]

@abacuschicken

I am purchasing a Total Saddle Fit cinch or girth for my horse in hopes of getting the saddle from riding up on her shoulders.

I would not think that the TSF cinch would prevents your saddle from sliding forward.

Agree to look at saddle fit, in general.

If you must, due to rough terrain, I would use a crupper to help keep the saddle in place.

[saratoga]

I have an Arab mare who is really wide and I have a heck of a time with saddle fit. i did buy a TSF girth in hopes that it would keep my Barefoot Cheyenne treeless saddle off her neck but it definitely didn’t.
I would also recommend looking at other saddles. I have an Ansur saddle that stays back on her pretty well and also an Antill older, treed saddle. I just had to try lots of different ones.

[cloudy18]

@saratoga

I have an Arab mare who is really wide and I have a heck of a time with saddle fit. i did buy a TSF girth in hopes that it would keep my Barefoot Cheyenne treeless saddle off her neck but it definitely didn’t.
I would also recommend looking at other saddles. I have an Ansur saddle that stays back on her pretty well and also an Antill older, treed saddle. I just had to try lots of different ones.

Glad I saw this. I have the same issue with my mare and considered trying the cinch, just to see. But I couldn’t get past the quality and the pressure issue I had read about. I was very skeptical that it would be the answer to everything. I’m not going to waste my time wondering now.

[phantomhorse]

A shaped girth may or may not fix your issue, depending on how your saddle fits. I have a gelding with a very forward girth groove and a shaped girth did help a bit, but what finally made all the difference was changing the rigging position.

A friend with gaited horses uses the total saddle fit girths with great success. They are neither fleece nor felt however, instead seeming to be some type of synthetic leather.

[saratoga]

I do like the girth though and I use it…it cost more $$ than I would normally spend but its attractive and really good quality IMO. I would imagine like said above that it could help a bit in certain situations, but the situation with the saddle going forward on my mare was pretty extreme.

[AshleyandAnnabel]

I bought the Total Relief Cinch for my TWH mare who used to get rubs. No rubs since! Make sure you are putting it on correctly. I thought it was supposed to fit like a Belly Guard does in show jumping but it’s the opposite.