The right saddle girth

The right saddle girth

The saddle girth significantly affects the saddle position, so it’s important to use the girth right!

 

It is important to make sure that the front strap is straight down. When horses have a round belly, the belt position slips quickly, because of false girthing or a bad strap positiong. That way the girth can move forward, in the direction of the elbow of the horse. If this is the case, it may happen that the saddle is pulled forward by the strap, thus obstructing the horses’ shoulder. The saddle then constantly picks up the movement of the horse.

Therefore, it is always important to include the harness and the straps positioning on the saddle in the fit analysis.

It is important to ensure that the straps and the stirrup leathers are not greased, but only cleaned and maintained with saddle soap.

Greasing makes leather too soft and the straps that are on tensile load give way and become longer and thinner and could break.

This is a significant safety deficiency. If you find that the straps of a saddle have become very soft, long and thin, you should definitely check them for strength and replace them if necessary.

When choosing the girth, some things should be considered. For one, the correct length is important. The girth should not be too long, then the buckles may obstruct the riders’ leg. On the other hand, a girth that is too short can scuff quickly when the buckles are behind the elbow of the horse. An anatomical line can additionally improve the horse’s elbow room. A wide girth center ensures large pressure distribution on the sternum of the horse and also prevents slipping of the girth. Of course, these anatomical adjustments will only help if the girth length and straps position on the saddle are suitable for the horse.

Girths that have a soft elastic band can become slightly spongy and give the saddle too much movement. Especially when the elastic band is very soft, many riders tend to pull the girth very tightly. The girth should not disturb the horses’ breathing. Also unilateral elastics can have a massive negative impact, as the asymmetrical girth leads to different behavior of the saddle on both sides. This gives the saddle one-sided movement and can easily cause skew and slippage.

The La Selle girths are optimized for their purpose. The girth for our leather tree saddles has angled buckles, which correspond exactly to the angulation of the straps. In this way, the pressure can be optimally distributed from straps to girth and it does not come to unbalanced wear. The anatomical wide shape in the girth center ensures a secure position. The anatomical bend around the elbow guarantees the free movement of the horse.

In contrast to the strapping on a saddle with a solid tree, the front strap should first be fastened on the La Selle saddle, while the rear strap is only important for balance and should not be pulled too tight.

The moon girth of La Selle has parallel buckles, corresponding to the parallel straps of the felt saddle of La Selle. A two-sided solid elastic provides the necessary stability. The anatomical moon shape prevents it from slipping forward and allows the horse an unrestricted leg movement. It is important that the moon belt is always used correctly. The center must be further forward than the buckles, so that the ‘crescent moon’ is open to the rear.

Leather girths in general should always be used on the same side, as the leather anatomically adapts to the horse. To make this easier for children and beginners, all La Selle girths are marked accordingly.

Your La Selle team