Girth Sores

We've never had a bit of trouble with girth sores but this past year it has been crazy...

We checked all our girths, cleaned them... and we're still seeing the issue...

Thoughts? Suggestions? Horses are brushed and ridden daily.

We're thinking of replacing them all but it seems foolish and expensive when we can't find that they're worn....

what type of girth are you using? I know that in the past, when I worked at trail rides, we had problems with rope girths and the fluffy fleece girths.

I've been doing a lot of research on this topic. This summer we've covered many miles on our horses and there have been times when they had girth irritation. A clean girth is really important. Besides that, it comes down to what your horse prefers. Some horses prefer mohair, some like neoprene, some like felt, etc. I ordered a string mohair girth almost a month ago but it was on back order so I bought a used felt girth, now I'm waiting for one of the two to arrive! I hope they work better then what I currently have. There are so many girth option out there that finding the right girth for your horse can be challenging. I know you guys have boarders so many you can try a few different girths to see which works best for each particular horse. I've read that string/mohair girths are the best because they don't allow heat buildup and 'move' when the horse moves, but again, it comes down to the individual horse.

Also, research "forward girth groove" this may come into play too.

We went back to the Wide rope Girths, have tried the neopreme ones didnt like them but knock on wood have not had one problem with the rope ones..

We're using neoprene girths.... we've always avoided rope/fleece girths primarily because Glenn rides so many horses in the course of a day that they can hold moisture and just end up causing issues. With the neoprene they can be washed and wiped and then put on the next horse...

Has anyone tried the girths that are wider in the middle? LOL that is really bad explaining... but they provide a bigger surface area for the pressure...

I'm also wondering - Glenn is partial to this one saddle blanket he has and if it might be sliding a bit due to being SO broke in causing the girth to slide around and resulting in the sore (maybe a far stretch ??)... he washed it and scrubbed it and it is all fluffy again but maybe it has just had its day in the sun and needs to be sent to the black bin!

Could even be something that is being passed from horse to horse.

If he likes is saddle and pad to use each time, and he will be riding several different horses, then this might work.

When I visited Sophie's in QC, she had 1 or 2 saddles she used (maybe 3), but as each horse came in for training, it was assigned it's own girth (Neoprene ones mostly) and also a thin underpad that would keep the saddle pad from touching the horse's back directly.

Then, as that horse left the barn after it's training, the girth and underpad could be washed thoroughly before the next horse came in for training.

The under pads and girths got hung on the horses' stalls, that way if someone else happened to saddle them up that day, there would be no mix up what belongs to who...

That's a good idea I always use under pad on my horses.

I also remember visiting Jim Durling's barn years ago... and what he required, was that each horse's girth area be scrubbed with a Hibitaine solution after each ride..

This may have allowed him to use the same girth on each horse, and was also cleaning each horse with an antibacterial soap after each ride to keep any "bugs" from surviving......

Great points gals - very much appreciated.

Maybe you guys will need to order a few different girths D. The girth I'm waiting on is wider in the middle:

http://www.actionridertack.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=48_253&products_id=805

On the topic of underpads, I'm on a treeless saddle group and a lot of the riders are using Dixie Midnight pads:

http://dixiemidnight.com/

They go between the horse and the saddle pad so all the sweat and dirt pours right out and your pad stay completely dry/clean. They also help with slippage issues. Again, I've read acccounts of horses hating/loving them, it just depends on the horse. They need to be rinsed after each use but I believe the material is antibacterial.