[Horsepower]

What is your favorite girth and why?

[TheHunterKid90]

My custom Michael Stokes Girth. I loveee it. =]

[Ambrey]

My schleese anatomic. It's a work of art

[mickeydoodle]

My plain old Wintec "elastic" girth, costs about $45, wash it off with the hose, always soft, always stays black.

[3Hanns]

Le Tixerant

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp?pn=X1-021123

[Petstorejunkie]

i got to borrow a sheepskin lined anatomic franc baines once, yummy yummy.

[iownapaint]

3Hanns - what do you like about that girth?

My County Logic is cracking (only slightly over a year old and I DID take care of it very well - aka: they're crap, don't buy one) and I really want to try one of those. Of course there isn't a 22" in the US in stock right now that I can find, so I'm waiting. The Logic works to keep my saddle back (slides up her shoulders with a straight girth), but I don't want to buy another.

So tell me about the Le Tixerant...

[Dressage Art]

I used to use Wintec girths and loved the ease of taking care of them, but they stretch out quite fast and loose their elasticity, so they do need to be changed every year - even they look just fine.

Now I use girths with elastic and with contoured cut - any brand really, but those 2 features are very important to me now for a good fit and comfort of my horse.

Dover Pro Dressage Girth
http://www.doversaddlery.com/dover-p...-02071/cn/100/
Cadence Contour Dressage Girth
http://www.doversaddlery.com/cadence...021214/cn/100/

[3Hanns]

My boy seems to really like the Le Tixerant....he used to be a touch girthy (not bad), and he was getting small rubs w/ a normal girth...w/ the Le Tixerant rubs gone...happily girthed...

I also think he has a little more freedom in his shoulders...The way it is designed is very cool...the stretch is in the belly area, not sides...it just looks super comfy....has so much padding, and soft rubber treads under belly area to keep it from slipping...if I was a horse, I'd want that one

It's hard to say how much difference can be attributed to the girth (vs training), but he has been going wonderfully since I've started using it (about 1.5 months)....

[KatherineC]

Prestige......It is leather but you can wash it off. But I am going to need to replace it soon b/c the elastic is too stretched (10 years of wear).

[Horsepower]

My horse seems to like the Wintec Pro the best but for some reason they don't seem to offer it below 24" and it is really too big for him. Does anyone know of a not outrageously expensive contoured girth that is 22" inches? I looked at the Tixerant (sp?) online and aside from the price, which I'm not willing to spend, I had one girth that had the leather wraps around the buckles and I find them to be a pain in the neck. Since most girths already have leather or other material between the buckles and the horse, I don't really see what purpose they serve. The buckles don't bother my legs at all.

[whitewolfe001]

Passier all elastic girth. It is fantastic. I have used this girth exclusively since I first discovered it almost 15 years ago.

I was skeptical at first because I thought "how will I know if it's tight enough" or "will I overtighten", but it's extremely straightforward and not at all confusing once you use the first time.

I had bought my first one because I had a horse who was extremely girthy, and once I got it, the horse never had a fuss again over girth tightening. At all. I have never had a girth rub with any horse, and I like the peace of mind knowing that it can give just that little bit, allowing the horse to move and breathe comfortably. Very highly recommended.

http://www.smartpakequine.com/Produc...ctclassid=5154

[sidepasser]

I'm girth shopping too for my TWH..it's crazy how much she has changed in two months of dressage work. Her wintec girth is a 26 inch, it is becoming too small for her and I noticed a small rub this past week.

I am looking at the contoured girths, do they really make a big difference and is leather better than neoprene. Again, new to dressage here, so am trying to make good choices for my mare.

[FillyMe]

I really like the girth from Thinline that I got at the beginning of this year. It is contoured but the best part is that the part that is on the horse is the Thinline material, very soft, stretchy and moves with the horse. You don't have to girth it up too tight either, it just stays. The outer part is leather and cleans up very well. It looks like it will last a long time and priced very well for the quality. Thinline makes great things. You can Google and get to their web site to see pictures.

[J-Lu]

I'd say that about a third to a half of the girths at our barn are simple wintec girths. many of the others are schumacher contour girths (although I can say that my horse dislikes them). The wintecs don't move much, they distribute the pressure evenly, they are rolled and so don't create a big 'edge" and are easy to care for. The massage therapist that works on the horses recommends these girths.

FWIW,
J.

[Horsepower]

J-LU: Are you talking about the Wintec that is narrow all the way, and not the Wintec Pro? I was worried when seeing the Wintec girth (not the Pro) that it would roll or twist. It looks flimsy to me. I wish they would make the Wintec Pro in smaller sizes.

[Coreene]

Love my Mattes girth. With elastic of course.

[event1]

I second the Passier all elastic girth. My new horse was super girthy to the point that he would start to get upset the minute you put the saddle on him-in anticipation of the girth getting put on and tightened. I had always used the professional choice girths up to that point-but the extra stretch of the Passier seemed like a good idea for him as it seemed to me in theory to be tight but not binding. It reminded me of the elastic overgirths that they use at the track (I gallop racehorses) on raceday-they always seemed to provide alot of freedom of movement/breathing. I ordered one and now I use it on all of my horses....can't recommend it enough. I need to get another one-I don't remember them being $198 though I got my brand new 2 years ago-so they must have gone up considerably

[J-Lu]

J-LU: Are you talking about the Wintec that is narrow all the way, and not the Wintec Pro? I was worried when seeing the Wintec girth (not the Pro) that it would roll or twist. It looks flimsy to me. I wish they would make the Wintec Pro in smaller sizes.

Looking in a catalog, it is called the Wintec Elastic Girth and it is one thickness all the way through. So I guess that would make it the regular Wintec girth. They really don't roll at all and aren't that flimsy, and if you hose it after every use, it lasts forever without cracking. Some have commented that the elastic gives out but I've not found that to be true (or at least, I haven't noticed). Like I said, this is the girth the massage therapist recommends above all of the other girths - based on her experience with dressage horses.

We also have some of the contoured Wintec Pros - the barn has some of these, too. I've used these girths here and there as well but my horse likes the regular wintecs the best. I believe that the pressure-bearing surface of a girth is only as wide as the narrowest part of the girth. If you stick your fingers under the contoured girths, expecially the ones with serious contours, you'll notice that there's less pressure on the edges of the belly parts. Stiff contoured girths can press into the belly of some horses. With girths of one thickness, the pressure is more evently distributed. Some horses need/like more clearance in the elbows and so contoured girths might suit them better, but as a whole, girths of a common width distribute pressure better. I think.

???