Interesting observation about girthing and my mare

[CanteringCarrot]

I have a Fairfax and it has 3 long billets attached. They all get tucked in the girth (Mattes girth) so it’s no bother to me. I could have the “extra” one removed but the flexibility is nice and as I said, not bothersome.

I have a horse that wears a dressage girth one size larger than needed probably, but it works for him. I see some riders with teeny tiny dressage girths and a lot of billet showing. I don’t know how comfortable that is for the horse, but I think it could impact stability too?

If it works for the horse, it works for the horse. Some are fine with point billets, others aren’t. I think people overlook billet configuration because they are more concerned with the “top portion” of the saddle. Most billets can easily be changed by a qualified saddler.

[outerbanks77]

My saddler talked me into having the point billets moved back on a used Black Country I purchased last fall. She says the point billets can pull the tree doen and impinge on the shoulder. I didn’t ride in it before she did this, so I can’t say if horse prefers it, but the theory seemed sound. I’ve been using .Stretchtec girth with it and it doesn’t slip forward.

[MysticOakRanch]

You have to look at where the buckles lay on the horse - with a short girth that is “too short”, the buckles may hit at the wrong spot for the horse’s comfort. A lot of the girth pressure is right under the buckles. Experiment a bit with your girth - tighten it but loose enough that you can slide your fingers under, and notice where you feel the most pressure. Too low, and it will bother your horse. Also notice where the horse’s elbow goes when he’s moving - does it hit the girth? If so, the girth is too forward and is interfering.

Hard leather can also be more uncomfortable - some girths have a small hard strip on top of the softer leather, and that can create a narrow pressure point. Twist the girth and see what it does too - you can pick out where the leather will naturally put pressure.

Some of you remember when the UK announced the use of the Fairfax girth for their Olympic horses - that girth allows a different type of freedom in the elbow, and distributes the pressure more evenly. I have one, and my mare (super sensitive princess) is much less girthy with it because of the pressure distribution (I assume).

I see a lot of girths where the buckles are too low. My Pony has some scarring (white hairs) from a too low, too forward buckle - not sure when it occurred in his life, but it is right at that point on both sides! Ponies are even harder to fit well with their smaller bodies…

[kris0227]

So out of curiosity, I actually tried this last night. I don’t have a point billet, but I tried as someone else suggested keeping the front billet looser. My mare is similar to the OP’s, she’s a draft pony that doesn’t really use her shoulders much and really doesn’t see the point of pushing with her hind end (wasted effort in her book). I didn’t have a ground person to tell me what they saw, but I can tell you what I felt.

Usually, when I first ask for trot (and sometimes for the whole ride if she’s being especially pony-ish), she will have a quick short pony trot. Last night, from the start, she had a slower, smoother, more ground covering trot, which was actually quite lovely to sit. She held this trot for the whole ride rather than having to be constantly reminded that “no, you may not run”.

While I can’t say for sure that the loosening of the billets was the cause, I think I had enough of a result to give it another few tries to see if there’s some consistency in her movement. I had the front billet 1-2 holes looser than the rear billet.

[UrbanHennery]

My gelding has a clear hatred for point billets. He’s slightly croup high with a lot of muscle over his lumbar, even though he’s pretty level comparing elbow to stifle. I think they make the saddle creep forward issue worse rather than better even though I’ve had saddle fitters (vehemently) tell me that I’m wrong.

[no.stirrups]

Jeffries new line of dressage saddles comes standard with 3 billets, the front two on hooks so you can easily unclip whichever one you decide not to use. I almost always start by not using the point billet, and then switch if the horse needs it. Most don’t need it, but seem unbothered by it if we do try it. Still, I’d rather use an offset girth such as a shoulder-relief girth rather than a point billet in general for horses with a forward girth groove.

Balance International makes all their dressage saddles with short billets because their philosophy is that the horse’s comfort comes first! Long billets are to remove bulk from under the rider’s leg, but can be problematic for horses especially if the girth is too short. A short girth should end as close to the flap as it can without risk of pinching skin between the girth top and flap. I’ve only had a couple of client horses that objected to short girths entirely once the length was correct.

Some saddles really don’t work as well without a point billet due to the saddle design, but I frequently order dressage saddles with 3 billets, or with a billet behind the point and web on the point so it is easy to move the billet to the point without taking the saddle apart if it becomes necessary.

Girthing is definitely an important aspect of saddle fit for horse owners to be aware of.