I feel like I see fewer and fewer leather girths on horses both at home and in the show ring. I see lots of Professional’s Choice and fuzzy elastic girths now, especially in the hunter ring. I remember thinking you always had to show in a nice clean leather girth, but it seems to me that this isn’t really the norm anymore. Is it just me or are leather girths less common now than the Pro-Choice elastic neoprene types? I suppose it’s much more comfortable for the horse so I’m not complaining, just honestly curious 
If you’re looking at pics from winter circuits, fuzzy synthetic girths and the neoprene ones are much easier to disinfect (and keep healthy after you’ve done it) than leather. If you’re sharing tack between multiple horses in an environment like Florida where skin crud and bacteria are endemic, this is an advantage.
I keep thinking about retiring my leather girth and getting a Pro Choice so I can hose it down after a ride.
I have both, but show in the leather girth. I think it looks classic, is easy to keep clean and nice looking. I have a neoprene one that I use to school. Just doesn’t look as dressy to me for the show ring.
In our barn, most of the horses show in leather.
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I’ve been showing in a Pro Choice girth for 10+ years. I love them - they haven’t rubbed even the most sensitive of horses, you can hose them off or toss them in the washer, and they wear like iron. Plenty of BNTs send their hunters to the ring in them so it’s really not an issue in terms of judging etc. If you like leather, that’s fine, but theyre just not my preference.
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Personally I like anatomic padded leather girths or new fuzzy girths. Once the fuzzy ones aren’t super white anymore then I won’t show in them. I only buy girths that have elastic at both ends.
I think the neoprene ones are ugly. I get that they’re functional but I’ll probably never buy one.
I think that the reasons are more functional than trendy. Sensitive horses are less likely to get rubs with wool/sheepskin girths, and roly poly WBs have their saddles shift less with neoprene girths.
Once I learned that I could put some of the synthetic ones in the washer, I never looked back.
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I don’t use leather at home. Synthetic, either fleece or the ProChoice, is so much easier to clean. The ProChoice are actually easiest, because you can just hose them off when rinsing the horse.
At shows, though, I use leather. I don’t notice a difference in horse comfort with my leather girth, though it is nicely padded and double-ended elastic.
I love the EquiFit hunter girth, it’s leather with a T-foam liner. So classic looking with no logos and the liner comes off for cleaning. It makes for prettier show photos 
I use the Professional’s Choice VenTech at home, it holds up so well and I do machine wash and line dry it occasionally, with rinsing on a regular basis. I know plenty of A circuit riders that use the ProChoice one, but it never looks quite right to me. Choosing between regular leather girth and a synthetic one, though, I’d for sure choose the one that is more comfortable for my horse.
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I show in a leather girth.
Up until recently, I don’t think there was a non-slip Pro Choice girth available in leather. There is now, so you may see a swing back towards leather.
I don’t own a leather girth. I just use my Pro Choice. My saddle actually stays put with it, unlike leather.
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I like the synthetic fuzzy girths. I believe they are more comfortable for the horse, no stiffness at all. Washable too is a plus…
I use my synthetic fuzzy girth at home, sometimes at schooling shows. I can wash them and they fluff back up, when they loose a “good” look I use them for rainy days and my mini cross country adventures. My new one has some kind of insert in the middle that reminds me of a maxi pad but hey… (noted by husband when I asked to get my girth said “the one with the AlwaysStay Dry liner?” ) Now I feel like I need to be on a commercial frolicking about in my riding pants but I digress…
I show in a leather girth, do a schooling ride in it to remind my finicky mare we do still ride in leather. It is my personal preference to ride in leather (when I remember ) at shows. I like to say my mare prefers the fake fleece girth, she seems “better” when tightening it (anecdotal and maayyybbeeee she gives me less of mare glare…)
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My mare only goes in a neoprene girth. I upgraded my saddle a few years ago and thought I should upgrade to a snazzy leather girth to go with it. Mare wouldn’t move past a walk. Would stop and touch the girth with her nose by my foot and look up at me. Same thing happened when I thought “well if you don’t want leather than surely a nice fuzzy girth would be a treat”. Switched back to a neoprene and haven’t had any troubles.
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I have to wear a leather girth, the pro choice girths cause my guys to get bumps pretty much as soon as they’re cinched up. I love those girths though, so easy to clean and look after!
They also get bumps from those black non-slip pads, I think they’re pretty much made out of the same type of material? I had to wear one on a borrowed saddle while my saddle was being refit, I ended up buying that blue cooling gel one to use instead.
Haven’t seen leather girth’s very frequently in the Hunter ring anymore. I was at hits Ocala on the last week and saw few to none. I still see them quite a bit on dressage horses and monoflap jump saddles!
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we school in pro choice or fleece, but show in leather. gotta love being able to toss equipment right into the washer!
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Show and school in Prof Choice; AA shows. My horse is a very round hunter and the prof choice is the only girth that does not slip on her. I see a mix of leather and the prof choice at shows. The prof choice is definitely becoming much more popular in the show ring.
[QUOTE=Pennywell Bay;n10089815
I like to say my mare prefers the fake fleece girth, she seems “better” when tightening it (anecdotal and maayyybbeeee she gives me less of mare glare…)[/QUOTE]
This, :lol: . I leased a horse that was so angry with a leather girth. I preferred leather because the fuzzy ones always feel like they’re slipping around but he hated the leather one so much I had to use the fleece.
Yea I just saw the leather option for Pro Choice at the tack store! I wonder if it’s still as comfortable?
I haven’t actually ever used a Pro Choice neoprene one but didn’t realize they could hold the saddle in place better than leather… maybe I’ll switch!
