It's All About The Grith

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

- Emily Bevan

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.