My fleece girth is on its last leg, and I am looking at the neoprene girths ( Professionals choice or smart pak) as a replacement. Are the ones with the more breathable neoprene lining worth the extra cost? Horses sweat under their girth regardless, but would like to hear from those who may have tried the breathable “technology”. Does it really make a difference?
Also - do you love your neoprene girth in general?
I’ve had the Professional’s Choice neoprene girth for almost 2 years now, and it’s been holding up wonderfully. I don’t have the extra breathable option, and I will admit there is almost a perfectly shaped sweat patch under the girth after every ride, but if you’re looking for a long-lasting girth, I find this one unbeatable.
It’s also really great for minimizing saddle slipping and rubbing. I’d be curious to see how the more “breathable” option would perform in comparison!
I have a couple of each and don’t notice any discernible difference. Love these girths, they’re so low maintenance!
I didn’t notice a lot of difference with the breathable neoprene truthfully. My horse was still sweaty under the girth, but maybe not quite as sweaty. i just ordered a majyk equipe girth to try that has the bio foam instead of neoprene. I’m interested to see how it compares to neoprene as far as breathability.
Imagine you’re wearing a neoprene bra, do you think you’d sweat much less because of those teeny tiny holes? I think I would sweat like a pig on a hot day regardless. Personally, I don’t think your horse will notice a difference.
I have a non vented PC girth and love it.
I’ve used the Prof Choice neoprene girths for years. Has worked great for many horses.
I do however ride Dexter in the shearling or merino cinch because he has a neoprene allergy. And I ride Shotgun in the same, because he does tend to be a little cinchy in the neoprene.
The downside of the shearling/merino is they just do NOT hold up like neoprene, and I’m buying a new cinch every year (or sometimes sooner).
My neoprene girth is good for not letting the saddle slip (I have the PC VenTECH one) BUT I find that if you have a sensitive horse I find it makes them girthy and generally uncomfortable, and my horses still sweat pretty heavily under it, so no real difference between my leather, fleece, and neoprene girths.
I have a PC breathable girth and I defiantly recommend it over the brand you have. They aren’t incredibly expensive and everyone I know of the USEF cirrus shows with one. They are stylish and fit almost everything and they are super breathable. When you are done, you just hose them off and hang to dry till he next ride. Had mine for three years and never had an issue. Not a bit of wear or tear. If it needs a deep cleaning the ventilated part comes off and velcro’s back on.
I have used the PC Ventech boots (same breathable material) and it creates far less sweating than the standard neoprene boots. It also reduces the amount of contact of the neoprene material on your horse, which is helpful for those with sensitive skin. So, if you clip regularly, you may want to consider the breathable material as it’s a bit kinder to your horses’s skin than a straight strip of neoprene.
After 6 rides in the regular PC neoprene girth my horse developed a pretty bad reaction. After a year in fleece I switched him to a ventilated neoprene girth (different brand from PC) and he was able to tolerate it. After that fiasco I have never used a straight neoprene girth again and have only used the ventilated kinds.
I actually have Zaggora hot pants (for people to help raise your body temp when working out) which are made of neoprene, and there is one pair that is straight neoprene and one with some non-neoprene panels. I can tell you that straight neoprene is not super comfortable and makes for a sweaty mess and a lot more heat. I don’t like it so I wouldn’t expect my horse to like it.
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