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6K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  petitepyromaniac 
#1 ·
What do you prefer your girth to be made out of, and why?

I was looking into buying a Professional Choice girth, but I've heard so many people say that you shouldn't put neoprene on your horse. I'm not sure why.

I currently use a fleece girth. I don't like how bulky it is, and I worry that I'm not washing it enough.

I've heard good things about mohair girths, but I worry they'll have the same high maintenance as the fleece girth.

Leather seems to be a good compromise between bulk and natural materials. I'm already pulling out my leather cleaning kit for my bridle and saddle, so what's one more thing? Still, my free time is precious, and I'd rather be riding that much longer... :)

What's your opinion?
 
#2 ·
#3 ·
Neoprene causes the skin to overheat which can lead to cinch sores. Mohair isn't high maintenance unless you ride thro tall weeds that have seeds or burrs that like to hitch a ride. It has hygroscopic properties, provides better grip and has a small degree of expansion and contraction which is more comfortable for the horse.
 
#4 ·
I've used fleece, sheepskin, and leather girths and I prefer the leather for ease of care.

The fleece one I could machine wash, but I hated doing it very often because it bangs around in the washing machine and I'm pretty sure it damages it (the machine) over time. I still carry it around in my trailer as a backup in case I ever forget to pack my regular girth. I've actually ended up lending it to people a few times, but never needed it myself!

The sheepskin one I've never actually washed :oops: but it's the one I use with my jumping saddle, which I don't use all that often. I'm always worried that I'm going to ruin my sheepskin stuff whenever I wash it... Also, the sheepskin girth feels really nice, but is the bulkiest girth I have.

The leather one is nice because it cleans up quickly. You can tell when it's dirty easier, but I figure the other girths are just as dirty even if I can't see it, and I'm more inspired to keep it clean when I do see the dirt! The one I have is a very nice anatomically shaped one, and the fact that it was rather expensive is another motivating factor for keeping it clean! :)
 
#5 ·
I say mohair all the way. I rinse it when it gets sweaty and wash it every so often in warm water with oxy clean, then rinse extremely well and hang to dry. Fleece is high maintenance, I've had neoprene and felt rub and most synthetics don't stretch or breath well. Never tried leather.
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#7 ·
I've used neoprene - didn't like it. Sweat builds up and it also can rub.
String girth - I like those except in the fall. The dry seeds and burrs stick to it like crazy.
Fleece - is what I use 90% of the time. I find it easy to clean with the pressure washer. I rinse it, then rub some soap in it, then pressure wash it clean.
Leather - never used it. For me, it would be too much work.
Felt - never used it. A good quality felt would probably be OK, but I don't think it would stand up to the pressure washer as well as the fleece does.
 
#8 ·
I'll stay away from neoprene then! What about other synthetic materials, like this one (similar to the one NBEventer posted):
https://www.smartpakequine.com/smartpak-breathable-girth-6115p
I'm not sure how it compares to natural materials, or if it makes that much of a difference.

Anyone know where I could find a decent mohair girth for a saddle with short billets? I was excited to find a $20 dollar one on Dover.com, but the reviews say it's not true mohair. That explains the low price! I don't want to spend a fortune either though.

I'm intrigued by not having elastic on my girth, especially if has a bit of natural give on it's own. I can never tell if I over/under tighten my girth with elastic, because it's stretchy either way.

Sounds like leather is still in the running. Why is that though? It doesn't seem like it would breath much more than neoprene. Does it have a bit of natural give like mohair?

These may be dumb questions, but I would love to learn the answers! :)
 
#9 ·
You want a bit of stretch. Your girth should never be super tight. The stretch allows the horses chest to expand as they breath.

Leather does allow the skin to breath. And it lasts a lot longer. I have one leather girth I've owned for 20 years now and still looks like new.

Personal preference but I really don't like string girths. They do pinch and I've seen them cause skin sores. Just a personal preference. There is a reason you don't see them used by pro riders.
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#10 ·
It is interesting to see the differences between the English and western approaches. For western saddles, mohair is very well thought of, yet I haven't seen them for English saddles other than the cheap one at Dover. Leather is well thought of in the English world, but I've never seen a leather cinch. I've had very good results with felt on my Australian saddle, but they don't seem very popular with either English or Western riders.
 
#11 ·
I prefer mohair cinches as they are easy to clean and breathable. I do not like neoprene, leather or fleece (yes, I have used them all over the years). Of course preference could change with the type of riding you do & saddle used. For me, right now, it's mohair all the way. :cool:
 
#12 ·
I've had very good results with felt on my Australian saddle, but they don't seem very popular with either English or Western riders.
and I had the opposite. I spent $120 for a hospital felt, high end girth for my sensitive arab, and it rubbed her so bad on a 2 hour ride that I couldn't get on her for a month.

For western saddles, mohair is very well thought of, yet I haven't seen them for English saddles other than the cheap one at Dover
I have a theory. With the English girthing system, I think it would be much easier to have a string girth unevenly tightened causing pinching. In western the tension is even all the way across.

I just spent 20 + miles on some pretty crazy terrain, up and down extremely steep hills, jumping over logs, swimming, and I was one of the only people with no cinch issues at all, and that was riding with a western mohair cinch.
 
#13 ·
That's true bsms, I see tons of mohair cinches used by western riders, but not with english riders. I had to look harder to find a few REAL mohair girths, but they were still for english saddles with long billets (dressage, mono flaps). Nothing came up that would work for my regular close contact saddle, although they have to be out there somewhere.

BlueSpark, you may be on to something! And as NBEventer said, you don't see top riders using them. There has to be a reason, so maybe that's it!

Irregardless, I think I've narrowed my search down to leather or synthetic. I'm straying from mohair due to the lack of availability, expense, and I would rather wipe my girth down than throw it in the wash.

So, two questions:
1. Are synthetic girths really okay (like the smartpak one I previously linked to)? Do they really breath well enough, are comfortable for the horse, and apply pressure evenly? Or is it better to stick to natural materials? The whole neoprene thing kind of scared me from anything man-made.

2. Would a 52" synthetic or leather girth fit the same as a 52" fleece girth? I'm wondering if a fleece girth fits more snug due to the bulk, and I may need to size down for other girths.
 
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