What type do you prefer and why?
I have read a lot about non-elastic being better because it minimizes the risk of over tightening, but I still prefer a girth with minimal elastic.
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I agree. I just get the feeling they can breathe easier in them.
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I know there is theory that you can overnighter elastic, and I supposed if I were strong enough I might be able to. But my horses’ ribcages expand and contract as they breathe and move. I want a girth which can do the same.
There’s a reason people wear elastic pants to Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s not that elastic is too tight.
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When I decided to try Western dressage the only cinches/ girths I could find locally were non- elastic. My horse has always been a tiny bit funny if you tighten the girth too quickly but he was much worse with the non- elastic and I replaced it asap.
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Elastic for me too. It just SEEMS it would be more comfortable. The exception is a nice wool string girth I use in the winter when it’s cold (or used to when I rode in the cold), and in the hottest summer days because it breaths more. But by virtue of being string, it stretches a bit.
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I’ve favoured elastic insert leather girths for decades. BUT. I’m now using western mohair (?) string girths with custom made ends (sliding buckles) on two horses. The semi “roper” cinches, which are a bit wider on the midline ventral. I started using one a few years ago with my sensitive horse who just COULD NOT stand getting sweaty under a leather girth… like “complete meltdown” about it. First went to an English mohair girth, but didn’t like the bunching… so went western instead. Perhaps I’m a bit of a “trendsetter” rather than a “trend follower”? Or perhaps I just don’t care what anyone else thinks about my horse’s tack choice? IDK. But I do know that both the sensitive melt down horse, AND the horse who is a bit explosive about being tacked up- both seem to prefer this option. I still have a selection of other leather girths, with elastic on one or both ends, anatomical shoulder relief ones, and regular shaped ones, folded leather ones without elastic (old now) that I use on other horses. But here I am buying western cinches LOL, and putting english ends on them for these two fellas.
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I was so pleased to know that you can actually purchase an elastic dressage girth. Until yesterday, I did not know they were available!!! I will replace my current (non-elastic) dressage girth. I always felt guilty putting it on Angel because she is a sensitive red head and all the girths that I use with my jumping saddle have elastic. I hope someday she will find it in her heart to forgive me.
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Elastic for me, and on BOTH sides of the girth. (English leather girth)
IME horses who can be twitchy when the girth is being tightened, don’t react when I use this girth on them.
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For the cheap and/or crafty sorts, I bet you could purchase some of this elastic to modify existing girth. You would probably need a heavy duty sewing machine or take it to a place that has one (shoe repair place). I searched for “heavy duty” and “industrial strength” elastic. The stuff below is not as heavy duty as I was hoping for and would likely have to be doubled/tripled/quadrupled in width to get appropriate resistance. I don’t know if it’s more heavy duty than the stuff on amazon.
Below link for elastic that is touted as “industrial strength.”
This was before the edit on the above post kicked in. So never mind.
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You can buy an elastic dressage girth pretty inexpensively. I wouldn’t risk trying to modify a girth unless you have a heavy duty sewing machine, way too much pressure involved.
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Oh interesting! I bought a lovely Schleese girth last summer and my mare was apparently getting totally distracted and irritated by the sweat running down and dripping off the middle. She is fine with a sheepskin girth, which I don’t think she needs except for this sweat issue. Mohair might be a lower maintenance option.
To the OP - I am in the minimal elastic crowd as well. I like some of the designs where the elastic is in the middle of the girth, or at least night right at the buckles. Afore-mentioned mare is usually in a Stubben Equi-Soft which has more like rubber bands in the middle instead of elastic, and it seems like it keeps everything stable without tightening the girth as much.
I think I am also going to modify my bareback pad which also lacks an elastic girth. Probably won’t need much elastic. Just a bit.
I use both, and when they are properly tightened (not over or under tightened) none of my horses have a problem. I have definitely put time and thought into the shape and size of the girth for each horse first, and elastic vs non-elastic was not a deciding factor. The closest parallel to a girth in terms of human clothing is the bra band, I think. Both go around the ribs and over the sternum, and just behind the shoulder blade. Stretch is good (but not too much) and stability is also important.
I thought about one of those total saddle fit girl the with the elastic in the middle, but my coach nixed the idea. Her concern was that the first function of the girth is saddle stability, and the elastic in the middle could be destabilizing. Anyone actually experience this?
I had one of those girths for awhile and never noticed a problem (horse just outgrew it). As I mentioned above, the Stubben Equi-Soft has rubber bands in the middle and it seems to stabilize the saddle better than my other girths. An advantage, I think is that the middle part of the girth can adjust to small differences in the shape of the sternum, so it’s not gapping on one side and cutting in on the other.
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Yes I have same and I love it. Priciest Girth I ever bought but pretty nice
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I’ve used both. I really liked my relatively elastic wintec girth on several horses. They liked it, too. I think it allowed for better movement and I didn’t feel the need to make it extremely tight. I tried this girth with my current horse but it helped move the saddle onto his shoulders.
I now ride in a non-elastic Fairfax girth. While I wish it had a bit of elasticity, my sensitive horse doesn’t care much about that. He’s fine in this girth.
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Yep. Sold the TSF girth with the center elastic. It did destabilize.
I have TSF StretchTec girths for both horses’dressage saddles. One has the neoprene liner and the other has the leather liner.
I have never had issues with the girths destabilizing the saddles, however I haven’t had issues with saddles losing stability when riding with daylight visible between horse and girth either so…
Neoprene horse was once very fussy and dramatic about getting girthed up. A regular TSF girth helped, but the StretchTec girth has almost entirely eliminated the fussing.
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