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your favorite dressage girth for sensitive horse, and short girth fitting question

Dressage
#1

Hi all – I recently bought a new dressage saddle with long billets for my TB. The saddle (a Custom Icon Flight) fits him beautifully, but he isn’t thrilled about the SoftTouch girth I was using at first.

(He was the same with my short billeted Stubben with that kind of girth, and fine with a memory foam one I had, so it’s just the girth. He is being treated for ulcers but seriously doesn’t have any other signs. He is a quiet dude and LOVES to be brushed, belly and all! So much he lets it all hang out every grooming, if you know what I mean – not like a typical TB at all.)

He is much happier with my trainer’s Le Tixerant stretchy girth, which I am borrowing for now, but I need to purchase something soon. What do your sensitive horses love?

Also, how high is it ideal for the girth to come up on the billets? Not sure what length is best and where the buckles ideally sit.

Here is a pic so you can see where the buckles are now with my trainer’s girth: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f…type=3&theater

I know and will ask my trainer, but would like multiple perspectives! I’ve never had a long billeted saddle before, as I am a jumper convert.

Also please don’t judge my horse harshly, he came off the track last winter and then got EPM, so he just started learning this new job in December.

#2

I personally like a girth that comes up higher, because I think the billets can pinch their skin. Is your soft touch straight or shaped? He might like an anatomical girth if the girth groove is forward and pinches him. I like the professional choice girths, although you can’t hide the excess billets and that drives me crazy. My sensitive horses liked the soft touch but on one with a forward girth groove I went with an anatomical and they really liked it.

On a random note, some horses can be allergic to neoprene which makes them itchy

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#3

it is straight. He didn’t like that kind with my old saddle either. Happier horse with a Smartpak memory foam type on my old saddle. it could be a neoprene issue so I might steer clear of those.

His girth groove (hate to call it that as he doesn’t have one the way many horses do…proper girth area? is very far back, his shoulder needs a lot of range as he tends to walk saddles back to this place, which is where I sit the saddle now.

He has a lot of movement through the back. I wouldn’t call him rough, he’s just kind of like riding a ship over large swells. Easy to stay with once you get used to it but there is a lot going on there.

#4

I also like the girth to come up higher; I prefer not to have much of a gap between the end of the girth leather and the beginning of the flap.

Albion girths are really soft and lovely, so that might be one to look for.

Or you could get a fabric girth with sheepskin lining like the Ovation Europa (or Mattes if you are willing to spend more).

#5

Thanks! I am much less interested in price than effectiveness. Just want to make it comfortable for him.

#6

My sensitive chestnut mare strongly prefers an anatomical girth and is currently in a County Logic with a sheepskin cover.

She is built a bit like your guy, with a long shoulder and good wither. Saddle billets tend to sit far back on her as well, which is why I think she prefers the anatomical shape.

#7

I also like the girth to come up higher; wish my current saddle accommodated a real long girth. Vravo seems to get sore right where the buckles are. I continue my year long search for a girth my guy actually likes. Very forward girth groove and not much with to speak about… I have tried the stretch-tec, fairfax, a softer neoprene one… I’m pretty sure all of those were a bit too short. I am now using a 30" Pro Lite (synthetic Fairfax, it’s softer on the edged than the leather one). It’s almost too long. I also have just received a mohair roper style girth after recommendations here, a 28". ALso have on order a sheepskin cover for the Pro Lite and sheepskin protectors for the mohair buckles. It’s almost as bad as finding the right saddle…

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#8

Love my Mattes girth and they have 4 different shapes and a guide on how to match them to the horse type. they also recommend a “longer” short girth!

#9

My, umm… sensitive horse likes his StretchTec. His is neoprene lined, but they also make padded leather and fleece liners. My other horse has a leather liner on his StretchTec.

I prefer to have the girth long enough to keep the buckles and keepers above the horse’s elbows so there’s no interference.

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#10

I have a Mattes asymmetrical girth. I can remove the sheepskin and wash it. It comes out like new everytime I wash and brush it. My guy is sensitive and does well with this girth. It comes up eight to the bottom of the saddle pad. I prefer my girths to come up as high as possible and it seems to be what works best for this horse.

I’ve wanted to try a mohair girth, but just never got there. I did have a Fairfax that was ok too (I’d buy used or to with Prolite to save on cost), but he outgrew it. I cannot use neoprene on this horse.

I want to say I have heard people on this board speak positively about an Ovation body form… Or something like that name quite a bit.

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#11

My guy is super cinchy, and the best thing I ever found for him is his FeatherFlex girth. It has elastic on both ends and a gel cover. And it can just be rinsed off with water. Absolutely a godsend for this horse.

#12

I like the Passier all elastic girth.

#13

I too like the Pa$$ier all elastic girth.

But for an especially sensitive skinned horse I like the Mohair girths.

I also like my girths to run a little higher so that the rollers are not on the horses’s skin.

#14

Hi Harry!! He is looking fantastic - loved your recent updates of him, so glad he is back in work and on the upswing. EPM is awful. :no:

I wish you weren’t so far away, I’d let you try the Total Saddle Fit girth I have for Holden. He’s hunky like Harry, big shoulder, and I use it on him with the Black Country… Interestingly, he’s not a fan of it on the Stubben but it also sits differently on him there and gaps - more due to where the billets come out of the Stubben vs the girth. I think something with two elastic ends or “donuts” in the middle might be good for the types that need more shoulder movement and less constriction across their barrel.

I’ve had good luck with mohair for the sensitive types but it’s real hard to find a short girth that’s Mohair. Here’s one I found from Stubben:
https://www.horseloverz.com/english-horse-tack/girths/dressage-girths/stubben-trevina-cord-dressage-girth/

I’m using this girth for Holden when he’s in the Zaria, I like it:
https://www.redpostequestrian.co.uk/186020/products/stubben-short-neoprene-coolmax-girth-with-elastic-ends--black.aspx/

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#15

I really like the Ovation Gel Body. Slightly shaped and nice and squishy.

https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/ovation-gel-body-form-dressage-girth-14412?utm_source=cpc&utm_medium=google&utm_content=nb_shopping_tack_dsk_3p&utm_campaign=&utm_term=2109772839&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9ImcvtvO5wIVyp6zCh0xUg3REAQYAiABEgJ5IPD_BwE

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#16

Another vote for a sheepskin girth here. I recently bought a Christ one. It is extremely fluffy and feels really nice. You just have to make sure you brush it with a stiff brush to keep it from getting knots and pressure points in it. It takes two seconds. The woman who sold it to me said that washing it frequently is not recommended, but brushing it has kept it very clean, even with sweat and footing getting up there.

My saddle fitter said the higher the better, in terms of fastening your girth. You want the longest girth that will still be tight enough, so that the buckles are high up enough not to interfere with the horse’s elbow. She said ideally you would have it on the top hole of your billets, which I guess you can do if your horse is a very consistent weight. Mine is at the third hole from the top, I think.

#17

Another vote for this one! It came highly recommended by an excellent saddle fitter and I’ve had several now for different horses/saddles, and been very pleased. It is super easy to clean too, just hose it off and hang to dry.

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#18

Love this one! I have used it on a number of different horses, including a sensitive lease horse that developed rubs with his owner’s girth, but not this one. I got one for my horse 4 years ago, and while it has faded in color, and has some minor wear near the buckles, is still sound and useful, although I did buy a brand new one for showing. Agreed it is super easy to clean - a quick brush after riding, then once in a while hose it down and hang to dry.

#19

I really appreciate all the comments! Lots of different options. I love the idea of the Passier all elastic girth and think Harry would like it too. But I did buy one of the Ovation long girths in memory foam when he told me he didn’t like the SofTouch with my older saddle, so maybe I should go the cheaper option and see what he says! He didn’t seem to mind that one but I also just rode in it a handful of times before I bought the Icon Flight. The old saddle had some fit issues itself. My mare is still using that setup and is happy, though. Hmm. Lots to think about.

I was looking at my saddle today and it will be hard to get a girth up as high as most of you say I should…it is a monoflap and the first hole is about even with the end of the saddle pad. he is on hole 3 on both sides in the current girth so I can probably go one size bigger with no problem.

#20

The Lettia Cool Max girth isn’t very fancy and is only $50. The loops for the billets above the buckles are actually big enough to put your billets through and the double end elastic has just the right stretch.
I’ve never seen a horse get a rub from one and you can put them in the washer.
In the higher price range, the Schleese softy girth is very kind to sensitive horses too.

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