Total Saddle Fit girth?

[atr]

I need to buy new girth. I’m currently using a County Logic that I’ve had for a million years and that needs replacing, but works well on my horse and he is comfortable in it.

I keep seeing these TSF ones for sale, barely used, online. They look pretty much the same as the Logic, but are they? Or is there some fundamental design difference that isn’t obvious at first glance? And why do so many people apparently buy them and then re-sell them?

I’m happy enough to grit my teeth a replace with another County if I need to, but I’m also an inveterate bargain hunter, so if there’s a cheaper option that works…

[The_Hobbit]

Hey there!

I’ve done quite a few reviews on these girths and the various interations. Basically the shape is almost the same as the Logic, perhaps slightly more extreme. The main difference is that the initial version of this girth wasn’t made with particularly nice leather. It was ok, but not the buttery soft leather the Logic is made with.

That being said, the most recent version of the TSF girth I reviewed was quite a bit nicer, quality wise, and they make a super sheepskin cover.

I actually own a Logic, two Stubborn Equifit, a Prestige anatomical, and I have clients with the Fairfax and a Custom saddlery anatomic girth so I’m fairly well versed in girths. :eek::lol: My beast is currently going in the TSF and loves it.

If you’re interested, here are the reviews:

http://www.horsenation.com/2015/04/16/product-review-the-total-fit-shoulder-relief-dressage-girth/

http://www.horsenation.com/2017/04/27/product-review-the-total-saddle-fit-stretchtec-fleece-girth/

http://eventingnation.com/product-review-the-total-saddle-fit-shoulder-relief-dressage-girth-take-two/ (this is the girth I am currently using).

And finally an old review I did where I compared a bunch of anatomical girths…
https://morganesgabriel.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/product-review-anatomical-girths/

[beowulf]

I have the TSF too. I’ll agree, the leather quality is mediocre. The outside is a fake-feeling, plasticky type of leather - but it cleans up well – while the inside (the side that touches the horse) is kind of weird soft leather, I’m not sure I like it. It’ll get dry and hard after only a few rides without a wipe-down, so I have to pretty much wipe it down after every ride or it’ll quickly get these ‘dirt-ridges’ - not sure how to explain it other than, I have had leather girths I haven’t cleaned in months that don’t get this, so I think it is a product of the leather type.

I don’t know why I bought the TSF, because my horse isn’t girthy, doesn’t need shoulder relief, etc, so I might not be the best person to review the product - I think I just wanted to feel better about the inherent discomfort that comes from girths, since I cannot imagine in any way shape or form a girth feels good for a horse. I kvetch when the elastic waist-band in a dress is too tight, so…

The girth is great at keeping the saddle in place and secure. I notoriously ride with too-loose a girth, but this girth even loose does a good job of adding stability. I have not noticed any sliding back. It also gives plenty of elbow clearance.

One thing though - do not judge by eyeballing if the girth is loose or not. Judge by putting your hand between the billets/body. It can be deceiving sometimes and look much more loose than it really is.

One thing I have noticed, is that the pressure is not unilateral/the same front to back. When used with my brand new XC saddle, with its brand new, not-uneven billets, placed on the same holes on both sides, there is a big gape towards the front of the girth (close to the elbows). It doesn’t bother me and doesn’t appear to bother my horse, but it can and does make the girth look looser than it really is. I have the same problem with my dressage saddle as well, but not as extreme.

It does not work as well in my XC saddle as it does my dressage saddle. No surprises there, probably has something to do with the difference in billet placement in both saddles.

I do think the TSF girth is more comfortable than a standard girth, and I use it for that reason alone. Overall I think the value is good, the design is sound, and if I had to buy it again I’d probably get a sheep-skin just for extra measure - my only complaint is the leather quality which is just so-so… but the design more than makes up for the lack of extraordinary leather feel.

[piedmontfields]

Agree on the comments above. Overall, it is a good value, but the leather will not compare. I did have a good experience with TSF customer service when my first girth cracked badly despite regular care. They sent me a (practically new) demo model as a replacement, and that has been just fine.

[Saskatoonian]

Huh, seems the leather quality on the TSF is inconsistent, because mine (probably 5 years old?) has much better leather than my old County Logic (maybe 10 years ago) girth. Hated the Logic - the leather was so stiff and just never really broke in. The TSF has broken in well - it has thicker leather on the outside, but it took oil well and is nice (not plastic-y, like Beo’s), and softer leather on the inside. The inside leather has little cracks, but it still soft, and the girth was free from a friend who could no longer use it, so I can deal. It’s hard to find a good short girth, especially in brown!

[Jealoushe]

I have a couple of these one is the long girth and one dressage. The dressage works on my gelding but not my mare. On my mare is sits up and gapes. She is fairly narrow build, whereas my gelding is more like a tank.

[elleng0728]

I have the stretchtec version and have been quite happy with it.

[Samantha37]

@Saskatoonian

Huh, seems the leather quality on the TSF is inconsistent, because mine (probably 5 years old?) has much better leather than my old County Logic (maybe 10 years ago) girth. Hated the Logic - the leather was so stiff and just never really broke in. The TSF has broken in well - it has thicker leather on the outside, but it took oil well and is nice (not plastic-y, like Beo’s), and softer leather on the inside. The inside leather has little cracks, but it still soft, and the girth was free from a friend who could no longer use it, so I can deal. It’s hard to find a good short girth, especially in brown!

The newer County Logic girths are amazing- big improvement over the ones from about 10 years ago. I have 2 of them and the leather is very soft and supple right out of the box and it maintains that feeling well.

[BruBoy]

The leather quality on the TSF girth we bought was absolute garbage and cracked within a couple of months. It’s a shame because it fits our big barreled forward girth horses well.

[GreyDes]

I was one of the folks who sold mine

I agree with all the comments on leather quality. Also, I found that it fit my wide-shouldered, no withers Arab reasonably well but didn’t fit my narrower built horse at all.

I like the Logic and Prestige much better. I also have a Smith Worthington humane anatomical girth and recently bought a Fairfax from eBay UK.

Bottom line, I would not buy another.

[BatCoach]

I lucked out and got one with absolutely beautiful, soft leather. It works well for my horse, but I would recommend purchasing it from a retailer with a good return policy since the design simply isn’t suited for all horses and you wont know how it will fit until you try it on.

[jen-s]

I have one and while it’s not the best leather ever, it’s definitely far better than most girths I’ve seen. Cleans up well (I clean tack after every ride) and seems to make different horses very happy.

[RedHorses]

I think that gaping at the front is one reason people might resell the TSF girths.

In my case I have a TSF original for sale because I replaced it with two StretchTec girths. Yes, two. Because my two horses shared it until I got the StretchTec for one of them, and I liked the StretchTec enough to buy a second (and I hoped it would help with general girthing issues).

When they​​​ come out with a long StretchTec I will likely replace my long TSF. :lol:

[mlb722]

The problem I had was it seemed to concentrate pressure unevenly and my horse hated it. You can tell when it’s tight—the widest part of the girth is not in contact evenly with the horse, it bows out. It rubbed her, even with sheepskin. Same thing happened to my instructors horse.

it absolute did help with saddle slip on a round horse, but caused other problems. Leather quality was mediocre, it was not very soft.

[teamfire]

Has anyone used the TSF sheepskin cover on another similar anatomical shaped girth?

I’m using one I made but would like to have a 2nd one and it was a lot of work to sew!

[Absolut_Equestrian]

I recently bought a Stretchtec girth, and my horse is madly in love with it. Much less girthy, and moves more freely in the shoulders from the beginning of the ride.

The different anatomic girths seem to fit different horses in different ways, so you never really know exactly what will work for a particular horse until you try it. Total Saddle Fit offers a 30 day 110% money back guarantee, so I figured I had nothing to lose!

I have the version with the sheepskin liner, which is quite plush. No, the leather quality is not the best I’ve ever seen, but it seems perfectly safe and functional.

[mlb722]

@teamfire

Has anyone used the TSF sheepskin cover on another similar anatomical shaped girth?

I’m using one I made but would like to have a 2nd one and it was a lot of work to sew!

Maybe. Mine had a Velcro neoprene part for the center D to keep it closed, so you’d need the D ring I think.

[no.stirrups]

For those whose horses have gotten rubs from the leather shoulder relief girth, the synthetic version has resolved that for several of my clients, and it’s less expensive.

[rothmpp]

I’ve had the same one for years - I think I got one when they first came out. While it was not as padded as the Nunn Finer I had been using previously - I didn’t feel like the leather quality was poor at all - especially at the price point. I’m not fanatical about tack cleaning, and the only issue I’ve got with my to this day is that the leather has lost a bit of the black die under the buckles. You never see it under my leg.

It’s not a $400 girth - so I never expected it to quite as nice of leather as my trainer’s County Logic.

I’d probably go with the stretch tec version if I was going to replace mine now - the older one does gap just slightly at the front.

[Texarkana]

I bought the synthetic TSF girth for my mare (the original one, not the StretchTech). I thought she was the perfect candidate for it, as she has a forward girth groove, a big belly, and a prominent shoulder.

I like the quality of the girth. It seems really well made, especially for a synthetic girth.

But my mare HATES it! Of course, this horse is the princess and the pea when it comes to most things. But she seriously hates the girth! I have never seen an animal have such a strong opinion over a girth. I used it for a few weeks before I realized the girth was truly the issue and she was NOT going to get over it.

I should probably sell it, since it’s just collecting dust on a saddle rack. But I like it and hope some day I can use it on someone else!

Meanwhile, she still needs a new girth and I’ve been too gun shy to purchase another. I still think she would benefit from an anatomical design, but I’m leary to try again.