Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Kath:

Does anyone have any ideas on how to address girth soreness?  Following the past two rides (both 50's) the vet noted that my horse was sensitive in the girth area.  No sore back, just the girth.  The saddle has English style drop billets & the girth I am using currently is neoprene.  I'm not sure what to try (?)  Perhaps too loose/too tight is also a factor (?)

Kath - Roo used to get bad rubs in his armpits - he's prone to
rubbing generally, so I tried all the baby-powder/desitin/pulling-
legs-forward suggestions but we were still getting rubbing.

I finally figured out that he needed a girth with *no* trim, so use a
Wintec neoprene waffle cinch that is more like a tube of neoprene - 
the only trim is right at the ends where the buckles poke out.

And I also realised that I needed to get those buckles as far away
from his armpits as possible. I'm not sure if by "drop billets"
you
mean dressage billets, but if so, look carefully at where the
buckles
fall in relation to his armpit - does any part of the skin fold over
the
buckle or trim? if so, try and go for a longer girth. I punched more
holes in my billets and currently only have one hole left to tighten
onto on either side, but it means the buckles aren't anywhere near
the rubbing-danger area.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lucy Chaplin Trumbull
elsietee AT foothill DOT net
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *