I have ridden jumpers since I was 9 in the little 2’ baby jumpers and this year I will be traveling into the world of hunters and eq! I will be riding a new horse so I need a new girth anyways. I have been looking at pictures of hunters to see what is the usual these days and can’t decide! So, do you guys prefer fuzzy, neoprene, or leather girths?
I like the neoprene ones because they don’t absorb sweat or water, don’t slip on wet or sweaty horse, easy to clean, stay looking newer longer, and IMO look neater than the fuzzy ones. I haven’t owned a leather girth for over 20 years.
I always like a good leather girth but I’ve been seeing those professional choice non-slip girths EVERYWHERE in the hunter rings these days.
My favourite was always the Whitaker Equalizer Girth - I can’t believe more companies haven’t started producing girths with the equalizer elastics, they are amazing!
I school in one of the ProChoice girths. I show in a leather girth.
Really, pretty much anything goes–synthetic, fleece, leather. Whatever the horse prefers.
I like the Lettia clik girths. Some people find the “clik” feature annoying, but I like it.
Here’s the one I have. The picture gives a good view of the “clik” buckles:
https://www.horseloverz.com/english-horse-tack/girths/english-girths/lettia-clik-all-purpose-girth
The girth looks nice in the show ring. It comes in fuzzy models, too, and a memory foam version, which someone recently started a thread on. All would be appropriate for the show ring. All are machine washable.
If you want a nice leather girth, the Whitaker Equalizer linked above is very appropriate. I recommend this one from Bobby’s–it’s less than half the price and comes in both plain and fancy-stitched models. I have one and always get compliments when I use it:
http://www.tackzone.com/catalog/1130-split-panel-double-elastic-fancy-stitched-girth-p-1220.html
I use the County Logic girth – it’s leather. Really, you see all kinds of girths in the hunter ring. Some judges say they really dislike the fleece girths but accept that some horses need/prefer them. I doubt the placings ever come down to what girth you’re using. Just be sure to do proper hunter hair, or you won’t pin at all!!! 
Pro Choice fleece lined with elastic on both sides. WASHABLE.
As long as it’s conservative, you’ll be fine in whatever your horse goes best in. In the hunters I show in a leather girth - usually, unless they prefer fleece or neoprene.
I’ve started using only neoprene girths for every-day. After I moved down south and had horses completely sweat-soaking my $$$ Devoucoux girth I went to the smartpak band neoprene girth that I can just hose off every day and I LOVE it.
I’ve never heard of a “hunter girth.” While there are trends in the ring, a girth is pretty much a girth and if it fits, it works.
Thankfully in all my years of riding, I’ve only had horses that needed a 48" girth so I’ve used what I’ve got whether I’m doing hunters, eq, jumpers or even a few times out in eventing. With the span of my riding years being quite long, I have leather (always overlay for me), fleece (had a sensitive horse that would go bald in leather), string (hate them :lol:), anatomical. I’ve never had a neoprene girth as I personally don’t like the look of them. 
I currently use a leather overlay on one horse and a leather anatomical on the other. I was all about the fleece until I decided that cleaning a leather girth was actually easier then washing a fleece one and all the washing machine havoc that created. 
My personal preference is that all my girths have brown elastic on both sides.
The Tekna equilizer girth is amazeballs! Hose off and go!
I prefer leather girths, as RugBug says, easier to clean than those ugly fuzzy things, which I hate. And throw a girth sock on for schooling and the leather stays cleaner longer and it works for those who are very sensitive too. My neoprene girth was very low maintenance but I did find it pulling the hair out on some horses, some just seem to have a sensitivity to neoprene.
Mine has a sensitivity to them so I’m stuck with leather or fuzzy. His saddle slips a bit when his hair is long (he’s a wholly mammoth lol) and I can’t even use those black no slip pads. I bought one of those blue ice pack ones and so far, he tolerates them.
[QUOTE=Sueby;8523996]
Mine has a sensitivity to them so I’m stuck with leather or fuzzy. His saddle slips a bit when his hair is long (he’s a wholly mammoth lol) and I can’t even use those black no slip pads. I bought one of those blue ice pack ones and so far, he tolerates them.[/QUOTE]
Same here, have to do fuzzy or leather or maresy gets annoyed (I like the neoprene look but I’m not wearing it lol). I like the Lettia cool fleece lined ones or the SmartPak version of the same. The fleece starts to look tired fairly quickly but they are not that expensive.
