Suddenly getting girth rubs?

[tabula_rashah]

I got my new mare in March and have been pretty consistently riding her 2-3x’s per week- mostly out on trail make a couple times a month in the ring. I’ve had the same tack set up since I started riding her- Barefoot saddle with VPS, supracor pad, breastplate, toklat coolback girth (dressage style). The saddle fits her beautifully with a perfect sweat mark- even on both sides and no dry spots plus spinal clearance when I’m on her. I always do up her girth in increments and pull her legs after the final tightening. I do the girth up snug enough that the saddle doesn’t move around but not so tight that I’m squeezing the daylights out of her.

Anyway, the last 2 rides, she’s gotten girth rubs. Nothing has changed- girth is clean, saddle is the same, etc. The only difference is that we added hind shoes instead of boots. Could she have changed her movement enough to cause the rubs? Any girth suggestions? (preemptively I will say that I do not particularly like mohair girth and have never had luck with them)

[Inclinedtowhisper]

Yes the shoes could have caused the change. Despite the fact that a lot of people seem to miss how much of a change it can cause.
Shoes are not a natural thing for horses to have in their natural state, therefore can cause restricted movement and a change in their natural gaits (especially if they aren’t used to having shoes on front or back)

That being said, you could try just getting a sheepskin cover for the girth to keep it from rubbing.
That has always solved any girth rubbing issues I’ve had on any of my horses with conformation issues or strange gaits that cause rubbing due to their specific movement.

[Drive_NJ]

a couple of things that can help

place the girth a bit further back - maybe an inch - and make sure it is tight enough to keep its place

after the girth is in place - make sure you give the legs each a pull forward before you ride - - lift each leg so the knee is level and just give it a steady pull for a little bit - this should straighten out and possible skin ripples

IF you develop a small sore still - USE Bickmores Gall Salve
this is made to use while still working
when we used it at various times it was thickish and gritty green - but it does help solve the sore problems
We were first given this to try after developing a wither saddle sore on a multi-day trail ride - about 10 or more miles per day - and one horse did NOT like their food so stopped eating grain - only hay and tree snax and developed a sore
he was saved by the Bickmores

doing a google search shows you many places selling it

best of luck

[tabula_rashah]

Thank you- I actually think I have it solved. Her girth that she was using (the one that started giving rubs) was a cushy, fleece-lined endurance girth but I tried a neoprene, soft touch contour girth the last couple of rides and it’s been good- no rubs. I already pulled her legs before each ride (always do that on every horse I ride anyway) and had the girth set back as far as I was comfortable putting it.

[Frog_Pond]

Interesting - thanks for posting your solution. I ride in a Barefoot London with their pad, and have been using a fleece-lined, very cushy, non-contoured girth. My horse is a thin skinned Standardbred who cares a lot about comfort. He does best in neoprene, too. The fleece lined girth and the mohair both generated too much heat for him.

[cutter99]

I’ve gone through this twice in the last two years with a horse I’ve owned for 12 years and never had an issue with before. He sweats bullets constantly and I don’t think that helps, but that is something we can’t do anything about so we are working around it!

I have used fairly expensive mohair custom girths for years. I am not sure if they were not drying out in between rides, but they had been washed well and replaced when needed.

I ended up going to a vented foam girth called the AirFlex, made by Weaver Leather. When I researched neoprene girths, much information seemed to say that they needed to be vented to avoid heat build up. The AirFlex has “pockets” that allow for air flow. I wash it off after every ride and it is easy to clean plus dries very quickly. http://www.weaverleather.com/Equine/ourproducts/exclusives.aspx

I am also using a product for runners called “Body Glide”, that someone recommended here. I got the Body Glide at Dick’s Sporting Goods and it is water proof and sweat proof. Even when I wash my horse off after a ride, you can see a difference where the Body Glide has been used. https://www.bodyglide.com

I was able to get the initial sore cleared up and healed within a week and the hair is even growing back already. No more signs of rubbing and I have been riding in 90 plus degree weather.

[tabula_rashah]

[QUOTE=cutter99;8308407]
I’ve gone through this twice in the last two years with a horse I’ve owned for 12 years and never had an issue with before. He sweats bullets constantly and I don’t think that helps, but that is something we can’t do anything about so we are working around it!

I have used fairly expensive mohair custom girths for years. I am not sure if they were not drying out in between rides, but they had been washed well and replaced when needed.

I ended up going to a vented foam girth called the AirFlex, made by Weaver Leather. When I researched neoprene girths, much information seemed to say that they needed to be vented to avoid heat build up. The AirFlex has “pockets” that allow for air flow. I wash it off after every ride and it is easy to clean plus dries very quickly. http://www.weaverleather.com/Equine/ourproducts/exclusives.aspx

I am also using a product for runners called “Body Glide”, that someone recommended here. I got the Body Glide at Dick’s Sporting Goods and it is water proof and sweat proof. Even when I wash my horse off after a ride, you can see a difference where the Body Glide has been used. https://www.bodyglide.com

I was able to get the initial sore cleared up and healed within a week and the hair is even growing back already. No more signs of rubbing and I have been riding in 90 plus degree weather.[/QUOTE]

I like the thought behind the Airflex girth- too bad it’s western

[cutter99]

Any chance it can be converted to English? I will say it is working really well.

[Bombproof]

[QUOTE=cutter99;8309227]
Any chance it can be converted to English? I will say it is work really well.[/QUOTE]

Yes, actually I’ve done that with a couple of Western cinches. The trick is to use a double loop of leather or nylon with a buckle on each end like the “humane” girth does. http://www.nationalbridle.com/product-p/1-550600.htm It’s not at all difficult for someone with basic leather-working skills.

[magentagiraffe]

Did it coincide with either the fall or spring shed? I discovered my not sensitive mare was getting rubs when her winter coat came in. Took me forever to figure it out.

[chicamux]

From my experience any girth made of a material that absorbs or “holds” sweat can cause skin irritation, especially once your horse is shed out and the weather gets warmer. I tried fleece lined, felt lined, fleece tube covers and mohair string girths. On thin coated horses or sensitive skin horses I had problems because the sweat stays in the girth.

http://www.actionridertack.com/product-p/dg.htm is my favorite dressage girth. It IS NOT neoprene, it is waffle weave tectured PVC. Sweat can run off and/or evaporate. The girth is soooooo easy to tighten, even from the saddle. It is soft and soft on the edges which is importent. It is very adjustable because of the sliding buckles. You can take one billet up one hole instead of having to tighten both of them. It is low cost also. You can use it on western type endurance saddles by putting western to english adapters on the saddle. You can place the buckle closest to the elbow up high to give the elbow more room. just a great girth.

[Snowdenfarm]

Tabula, which girth did you go with? I had the same problem and switched to a soft, contoured neoprene girth by Stubben and no more rubs. It definitely does hold sweat, though.

[tabula_rashah]

[QUOTE=Snowdenfarm;8701713]
Tabula, which girth did you go with? I had the same problem and switched to a soft, contoured neoprene girth by Stubben and no more rubs. It definitely does hold sweat, though.[/QUOTE]

I tried about everything and ended up going with a soft all neoprene one that I put a real sheepskin cover on. But the main thing that helped is that I changed saddles. I’m riding her in a Ghost now instead of a Barefoot and that seems to have fixed it more than anything.