Newbie advice, girth and leathers (length)

[MegBackInSaddle]

I’m doing something kind of dumb. I’ve never ridden dressage, and I’m considering buying a dressage saddle. I know there’s no way to know for sure, but wondering if anyone has any suggestions on girth size and stirrup leather lengths?
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Looking at an older Passier dressage saddle. My mare is a 16.1hh TB, pretty standard confirmation (not super narrow or super thick for a TB). Currently riding in an Antarés CC saddle with a 52" girth using a regular AP pad and a fleece or foam half pad. I’m 5’9" and a little leggy, using 56" leathers in my CC saddle.

My guess? 61" dressage leathers? 28" girth? Do I at least seem to be in the right ballpark? I know there’s no way to know for sure from text on the internet. Just looking for best guesses from more experienced people, as I don’t know anything about dressage tack.

Thanks!

[Scribbler]

If you are a standard kind of height just get standard dressage leathers if you know in advance you are getting a black saddle! Really there are just two standard lengths of stirrup leatherd readily available, jump and dressage, and most adults can make them work since they are so adjustable.

But my advice is to not buy a girth until you have the saddle, and to borrow one from your coach or barn buddies until you can buy one.

Really hard to predict in advance your girth length because…

First, all saddles even within the same type have different girth billet lengths. I went from a 48 inch girth on my old jump saddle to a 56 inch girth on my new one. Both these saddles had short jumper billets.

Second, dressage saddles themselves mostly but not always have long billets. Some have short billets like jump saddles. But even the ones with long billets are going to vary a bit.

Third, if you use a sheepskin or other half pad, that will raise your saddle a bit and change girth fit.

Fourth, wool flocked saddles have deeper panels than foam saddles and that raises the saddle.

Fifth its not until you try the saddle that you know if you might need an anatomical cut or supergrippy or whatever.

Sixth, there is optimal girth size and functional girth size. If I can get at least two holes on each side, that’s functional (my problem is always getting a long enough girth!). I wouldn’t buy that girth but I would use it. Currently my jump girth is on loan from my coach and her bottomless tack trunk but when I buy one, it will be longer.

[mmeqcenter]

I agree with getting the saddle, then measuring/borrowing/testing for a dressage girth length. I got lucky estimating for my mare. She’s a 54" jump girth, and I bought a 28" dressage girth because I found one on super clearance for like $8. I’ve since replaced it with a much nicer girth, it was just a tester to find a correct size. My saddle has somewhat shortish billets, though. They’re still long dressage billets, they come out lower than the saddle flap by several inches, but compared to all three of my trainer’s saddles, my billets are a couple inches shorter than hers. One of her saddles on my mare would probably use a 24" girth.

[Edre]

Consider that if you are new to riding in a dressage saddle, you may feel more comfortable riding with on-the-short-side-of-long rather than on-the-long-side-of-long. I am little taller than you (5’10) with a long leg for my height (femur measures 25") and my leathers are 63". In the past I’ve ridden most comfortably with a really long leg and the leathers were just about perfect for that, but as I change my leg around, when I try to shorten them a bit I find there is too much “excess”. Other people riding in my saddle is an impossibility, other than the two 6’+ men. It is just not comfortable for others (and cannot be made to adjust reasonably so as to be functional for shorter people). I think 57-59" (brands don’t all market the same sizes) would be just fine for you. I would not go longer, especially if you anticipate, for example, your instructor schooling your horse in your tack.

I echoe the above on holding off on girth until you get the saddle. Borrow if you’re able (or buy something super cheap). Many things will impact what girth you buy. The length of the billets is a big one. Where the saddle falls on the horse will also change what type of girth you should look at (some require special considerations so as to avoid pulling forward or back, though not all horses need this). For context, I had a 17h thoroughbred who was modestly wide up top (54" jump girth though my jumping saddle’s billets were not particularly long). By comparison, my dressage saddle’s billets are very long (compared to other dressage saddles). I have a 24" girth that is perfect and has worked on a variety of “big” horses, and honestly I could probably have done with a 22".

[MegBackInSaddle]

Thanks Scibbler and mmeqcenter for the feedback! Unfortunately, I’m at a mostly western barn. There’s a little bit of English tack to borrow, but no dressage stuff. Good point on waiting until I get the saddle. I think my brain flipped back into NEED-EVERYTHING-NOW mode, as I got my mare with little planning or warning (my sister gave her to me out of the blue; I had no tack of my own at the time), forgetting I have plenty of tack to ride in and can take my time getting things together now.

How would I measure for girth length? I swear I’m not entirely clueless, but I’ve literally never measured for a girth. I’ve always been somewhere (usually at my mom’s or sister’s place) with a selection of girths and just tried girths until I found the right size.

[MegBackInSaddle]

Thanks, Edre. I ride a little long English, as I spent most of my youth riding western. Not sure if I’ll ride long or short, but sounds like dressage leathers are much like CC leathers, in that I’m not freakishly tall, so there’s a pretty standard size that will work for me.

[MsM]

For the girth, you generally want it to buckle just below the flap and pad. You can estimate on your horse. There is some wiggle room as you have the length of the billets to play with. Do you have a local tack store that carries dressage girths? If so you may be able to guess and return.

[Scribbler]

Well I think girths are sized buckle to buckle. So you could use a measuring tape from a mid point hole in the billet say hole 4 on each side? With the saddle on the horse? I’ve also always tended to just go by trial and error!

I have to say, for a long time I didn’t have a lot of difference between my jump stirrups in flatwork and my dressage stirrups. My dressage stirrups are now a bit longer. But you need to feel like you are not reaching for the stirrup and losing it. Your leg will get longer. Of course yes a western background helps with that. But just be careful not to jsm your heels down like a bronc rider and go into a chair seat (my refkex emergency move from riding western as a kid).

[MegBackInSaddle]

Thanks, MsM, I do have a local store. Might get a girth thrown in as part of the package with the saddle, which is why I’m trying to guess for now. Either way, I have options

Scribbler, your post made me giggle. The dreaded western-background chair seat! It’s amazing to me how terribly I sat in an English saddle even a year and a half ago! I’ve finally gotten my English stirrups up to a normal length, but at first, even long English stirrups made me feel like I was about to exercise a racehorse. Now western feels weird. Especially because I ADORE my CC saddle. Plus it seems like I can barely feel my horse in a western saddle now.

[Scribbler]

@MegBackInSaddle

Thanks, MsM, I do have a local store. Might get a girth thrown in as part of the package with the saddle, which is why I’m trying to guess for now. Either way, I have options

Scribbler, your post made me giggle. The dreaded western-background chair seat! It’s amazing to me how terribly I sat in an English saddle even a year and a half ago! I’ve finally gotten my English stirrups up to a normal length, but at first, even long English stirrups made me feel like I was about to exercise a racehorse. Now western feels weird. Especially because I ADORE my CC saddle. Plus it seems like I can barely feel my horse in a western saddle now.

I find cc stirrups at jump length make my knees seize up if I am doing flatwork or trailriding for an hour.

When I finally explained to my coach a few years back that I was jamming my heels forward to feel secure on a humpy horse, she showed me how to drop my thigh in the dressage saddle which after mastering it and getting my foot underme has given me way more stability.

[MegBackInSaddle]

I’m learning how little I know, day by day! Grew up on horseback, but took a long hiatus. I think I’m riding better (English at least) than I ever have before, and I still feel there’s sooooo much to learn! Enjoying the journey. Sister (who GAVE me this mare, my favourite horse I’d ridden in a long time) reminds me every so often how magical horses are, and to appreciate them.

[Scribbler]

Welcome back to horses! I came back 11 years ago. It is still wonderful.

[MegBackInSaddle]

Thank you! I grew up on them, but late teens brought other priorities. Rode some in my 20’s, but only when hanging with my family. Married a Canadian in my early 30’s and moved to Canada Started missing it and took lessons starting in summer of 2017. Would ride when visiting family. Fell in love with Sister’s project and rode her for three visits (I get down there about twice a year). Sister sent a text last July asking if I thought I could afford to keep Winnie up here. She GAVE Winnie to me! And a month later, I started my journey with my girl My bitchy, wonderful, easy, complicated, plain, beautiful girl. I’m so lucky! And I try not to forget it.