There’s a huge choice out there, but the best girth for your horse depends on conformation and comfort — no size fits all, as Emily Bevan finds out
LONG gone are the days when a girth was merely to securely hold your saddle in place. With research showing how ill-fitting girths can affect the horse’s movement, and stable vices such as biting or kicking being attributed to discomfort while girthing, more owners and riders are taking an interest and exploring the ever-increasing number of shapes, styles and types of girth.
Leather girths remain popular due to their strength and durability, and both the long and short dressage ones are frequently seen. As well as the standard girth, there are also the Atherstone and Balding styles, which narrow behind the elbows to allow greater movement and reduce rubbing.
International showjumper Anna Power uses leather girths on her horses, preferring the WOW range due to its girthing arrangement.
“My main horse Blazer B has a big shoulder and his girth groove is naturally further back, which means the saddle wants to move back,” says Anna. “I tried several different girths, but settled on the WOW Soft Straight Girth for everyday use and the WOW Curved Stud Girth for jumping. I’ve never had a problem with them causing sores as they sit in the right place and the leather is so soft and supple.”
International grand prix dressage rider Hayley Watson-Greaves is also a fan of leather girths and rides her horses in the Ideal Affnity F1 or the Ideal Affnity Pro padded dressage girths, using the sheepskin versions in competition.
Bu hikaye Horse & Hound dergisinin January 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Horse & Hound dergisinin January 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
City Of Troy hailed as greatest ever
The megastar colt silences his critics with an emphatic Derby success and there's plenty to celebrate for the Gredley family in the historic race
Head in the Games
Caring for elite horses is something a world leading groom takes in their stride, but how do they tackle their day job when their charge is an Olympic competitor? Bethany Stone asks those all-important questions
Horserail continues to set the pace
More than 25 years on since launching its unique plastic fencing, Horserail is still making strides in the equestrian fencing market with its innovation
Changes through the ages
Horse management has unquestionably revolutionised over the past 14 decades – but is it always for the better? Catherine Austen charts the changes
'A great joy thousands of soldiers'
Throughout World War II, the Horse & Hound team never missed publishing the magazine, despite the editor being killed in a bombing, sport being decimated and the printers being shelled. Former H&H deputy editor Pippa Cuckson discovers a Blitz-spirit mentality that held the magazine together and boosted morale in those dark years
'Every Whitaker is successful in one way or another
As part of H€9H’s 140th anniversary, we've been celebrating Britain’s eminent rider families with a series of interviews. In our fourth and final instalment, we meet four of the Whitaker dynasty: Michael, John, Jack and Robert
Cover in glory
The great and the good of the equestrian world remember the first time they featured in H&9H. Luz Wollocombe speaks to the superstars
A tricky start
Health problems in the first phases of life require prompt attention. Equine nurse Samantha Feighery RVN discusses common disorders in newborn foals
'Every Finnish person is mad about the Olympics'
Six-time Olympian Kyra Kyrklund discusses competing behind the Iron Curtain, sleeping in the stable and coping when calamity strikes
Private investigator
Sean Memory is a retired detective now assisting the National Trainers Federation, dealing with online and in-person abuse