Tack Help!

[Natty_s_Batty]

Hello everyone! I am in desperate need of advice on some tack issues. I have been having some struggles with finding a girth for a while now. I recently got a new CWD mademoiselle and as I’m sure everyone knows the billets are SUPER short. When I say supper short I mean that my horse went in a 56" girth before and I had to hunt down a 60" to use for my new saddle- which was nearly impossible. Now the combination of my billets stretching and the elastic on my 60 inch girth stretching has made it so that the 60 inch is far too long, but I have tried multiple 56" girths that I can’t even get on the first holes. I have tried a girth extender to see if that could help me get the girth on (put it on first wit the extender, wait a few minutes and try without the extender) but the 56 is still far too short. All this being said, what I really need is a 58. Ordered a 58 (different make, so I was asking for this) and it actually measures 54" which was very disappointing. I’m not interested in a girth extender as a long term solution, I just want a girth that fits for pete’s sake!

I was looking at the CWD flexmotion girths, as they are offered in a 58, does anyone know how they run? My 60 is a CWD as well, but it is the classic girth, and that was true to size but I heard that the more anatomical ones run differently- does anyone have any experience with this?

I am also looking at the So Jump stirrup leathers (might as well order a few things at a time to get free shipping lol) from CWD does anyone have any knowledge about the sizing? According to the size chart on their website I am in between sizes (oh joy) and I don’t know which size would work best for me. The size chart puts me in between a Medium and a Large, but my current stirrup leathers measure (from stirrup bar to eye of the iron) 19 inches which would put me in between a Small and a Medium, I am 5’9" for reference or 175 cm which is exactly on the cut off in between sizes. The overlap between sizes is less than 2 inches, so I would love to get it right the first time and not have to deal with returns. I currently have stability stirrup leathers, but not CWD, and already know I love them but my current ones have stretched out to the point where they are no longer useable (can’t tighten them anymore without being on the “thick” part of the stirrup leather where an iron won’t fit)- any thoughts would be appreciated!

[GreyDes]

I’m have the So Jumps and at 5’6” with a 30” inseam the medium fits me well. I have a large on my dressage saddle and probably could have gone with a medium for that as well.

Unless you ride super short or have very short legs for your height I think you’ll be happier in the medium.

[touchstone]

I would ask the vendor to send you a photo of the girth with a tape measure. I would also tape measure your own stretched-out 60 for reference, so you can figure out what actual size you really need. Actual girth sizes are often very different from the listed girth size.

[blondewithchrome]

I had a similar issue a few years ago on my big guy with an Antares saddle that had VERY short billets. He is actually a 54” but I needed a 58” as well with the Antares (54 with any other saddle, literally ANY other saddle lol) - I used this basic schooling girth from smartpak and found the double sided elastic actually worked and had enough give:

https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/smartpak-drilex-fleece-girth-10574

I also really like the Equifit schooling girths but they are NOT stretchy at all and have very little give, so you may want to try a 58” in those if your horse is a true 54-56 but needs the extra length with the tiny billets.

[GraceLikeRain]

It’s not a cheap situation but in terms of options would swapping out for longer billets be an option? My saddle fitter charges about on par with a nice girth so if you could get billets 2” longer it might let you use your current girth?

[Natty_s_Batty]

I actually just saw a saddle guy yesterday before posting this- he explained that CWD has changed the system in their 2Gs/mademoiselle saddles so that they cannot be easily opened and modified by independent saddle workers outside of the CWD workshop (they made it require a special tool). We talked about putting longer billets on but it would be a very intense process and since my saddle is brand new and it would be kind of unnecessary I decided against it. I also asked him if he could put longer elastic on one of the girths that I had and he said that it isn’t that simple, when they design the girths they intend for a specific elastic length (something to do with the structural integrity of it) and changing the elastic length could compromise the stability of the saddle on the horse or the integrity of the girth. Its all so frustrating but changing the billets is definitely a great idea if not for CWD making it near impossible.

[Natty_s_Batty]

Would you happen to know what size “normal” stirrup leathers you use? I’m looking for new leathers because I am on the top hole of my total saddle fit stability ones and need more options to make them shorter, I thought I had the longer option but turns out I already have the shortest option that they make, the 54" option. I have long legs and a short torso, and I’m not riding around with jockey length stirrups so I am so confused as to how I could possibly be “too short” at 5’9" for any of the lengths in the stability stirrup leathers

Anyway- my question is, what length of stirrup leathers do you usually use in “normal” ones? I measured my current ones and they are 19 inches from stirrup bar to eye of the iron on my saddle, and they measure 54 inches exactly when straightened out- do you ride with your stirrups longer than this and fit the medium? I feel like I may actually need the small which feels ridiculous for my height- this sizing stuff is driving me crazy!

[GreyDes]

@Natty_s_Batty - I use 54” leathers and I’m typically in one of the shorter middle holes. I’m guessing at 5’9” you probably have longer legs than me

Let me know if you want any measurements on the So Jump leathers. I will be surprised if you need a small. I have a long torso and my legs are on the shorter side for my height (30” inseam).

[BAC]

What is the advantage to the So Jump leathers? Aside from being ugly, they look thick and bulky and difficult to adjust from the saddle but I’m assuming there must be some benefit to them?

I had the regular nylon lined CWD leathers 20 years ago and loved them but I guess those are no longer in fashion in the years since I stopped riding.

[LCDR]

Do you have local tack shops and tack consignment shops that you might visit? Sometimes I’d get so fixated on ordering something on line that I’d forget that I had more than half a dozen decent tack shops within reasonable driving distance. And two shop owners in particular who would work to find and obtain what I needed if they didn’t have it in their shops.

[Natty_s_Batty]

Unfortunately I’m based in Northern CA, where we have an extremely limited number of tack shops. I have only 1 consignment shop near me that is about 45 min- 1 hr away, other than that I’m most stuck to online . If anyone is from the area and knows of some good consignment shops that they could recommend I would love to see if there are any that I’m not aware of.

[Natty_s_Batty]

They are wide because it offers more stability, there any many different stirrup leathers that are wider that are branded as “stability stirrup leathers”. Growing up I always had the thinner kind but I have had the wider ones for the past year or so and I really notice a huge difference. Because they are wider there is less twisting of the leather and the iron is generally more stable, at least in my experience. The CWD ones have the buckle at the bottom to reduce the bulk under your leg (there would be no buckle at the stirrup bar). I can see how they might be difficult to adjust while on the horse-- I’ve never been able to adjust my stirrups while mounted without help partly due to some past injuries so this isn’t a huge concern for me.

[bmellison]

Where in Northern California? Saddles to Boots in Sebastopol is huge, not a ton of English tack but definitely some options. A lil Bit Used in Fair Oaks is smaller but I’ve found some gems there.

[BAC]

Thanks for the explanation, I can now see some benefit to them but it would definitely annoy me not being able to adjust my stirrups when I’m mounted.

[GreyDes]

You can adjust them from the saddle. The buckle is on the bottom, not the top so it’s a bit different but totally doable.