Iberosattel® > Riding Accessories > Girths

The decision for a saddle has been made. Now all that's missing is the right girth. What by no means everyone knows: the girth is not simply a strap used to somehow buckle the saddle in place - there are a few things to consider here too. Because: the horse's build influences the choice of girth in a similar way to that of the saddle. And an unsuitable girth can make your horse just as unhappy as the wrong saddle.
 
In the Iberosattel® online shop you will find a small, fine selection of girths in different shapes, materials and price ranges, which are very well suited to our saddles, but of course also to dressage, eventing and baroque saddles from other brands.

Just as there are horses with a difficult saddle position, there are also horses with a difficult or poorly defined girth position - and it is not uncommon for both complications to occur together, as is often the case with horses with a strongly rounded ribcage. Specifically, with the baroque type the problem is often that the spot where the girth should actually sit is so rounded that the girth keeps slipping forward (towards the narrowest part of the belly) during movement and then chafes against the elbows. In most cases, however, this can be remedied well with a special girth shape.
 
A straight-cut girth suits horses with an uncomplicated girth position: if the girth position roughly corresponds to the narrowest part of the belly, and there is a generous four-finger width of space between the elbow and girth on a standing horse, then even such a simple girth should sit reliably and provide sufficient elbow clearance.
 
An ergonomic girth (often also called an anatomical girth) is understood to be a girth design in a kind of hourglass shape. Cutouts in the elbow area increase elbow clearance, and the wide section in the middle spreads the pressure of the girth over a large area across the breastbone.
 
Compared to the simple, straight shape, this form of girth is preferable when there isn't enough space between girth and elbow (for example with ponies and small horses), or if your horse reacts sensitively to the girth in the elbow area for other reasons. Of course, you can also use this design without any problem for horses with a completely unproblematic girth position.
 
Ergonomic/anatomical girths come in asymmetric form (elbow cutouts on one side only) and symmetric form (elbow cutouts on both sides). The latter can be used "this way round" and "the other way round" - many riders find this practical, among other things because regularly turning the girth around helps avoid asymmetric signs of wear.
 
Crescent-shaped girths ("moon girths") sit well over the rounded ribcage of horses with a difficult girth position: thanks to their curved shape (they are effectively shorter at the front than at the back), they accommodate the horse's anatomy and prevent the girth from slipping forward. At the front, cutouts in the elbow area increase elbow clearance, just as with the ergonomic girth.

Girths can be made from natural materials such as leather or sheepskin, or from synthetic materials such as neoprene.
 
As a modern material for girths, neoprene brings many favourable properties: the synthetic rubber, from which diving and surfing suits are also made, is light, soft and elastic, and for this reason is usually perceived as pleasant and accepted without problems by horses. In addition, neoprene is resistant to horse sweat and other influences, easy to clean and quick-drying. A low-maintenance neoprene girth is therefore an inexpensive, practical everyday companion for horses with an uncomplicated girth position.
 
However, special girth designs for difficult girth positions cannot be made from this soft material. A drawback of neoprene girths is their lack of breathability: the build-up of sweat under the girth can lead to skin irritation and hair loss in horses with sensitive coats/skin.
 
Leather is the classic material for girths. Cleaned and conditioned regularly, a leather girth wears in like a good pair of shoes and can accompany you for just as long as your riding saddle (the same cannot really be said of a neoprene girth). The dimensionally stable material is well suited to producing ergonomic and asymmetric girth shapes; as a natural material it is also well tolerated.
 
Sheepskin is something we would like to recommend to anyone whose horse is prone to sore spots or hair loss in the girth area. This skin-friendly material provides padding that is both soft and breathable, and keeps the girth area considerably drier than, for example, a gel-padded synthetic girth.
 
However, sheepskin is one of the more maintenance-intensive girth materials. You should remove dirt, hair and matting through regular thorough brushing - this keeps the fleece nice and soft. You should not wash sheepskin girths too often - even though some sources online say otherwise - and if you do, it's best to use a special re-fatting fleece detergent!

With a short girth, as used on dressage and eventing saddles, there should be around 15 cm of space between the bottom edge of the saddle flap and the girth buckles, so that the buckles don't end up between your thigh and the horse while riding. On the other hand, the girth buckles should sit a good distance above the elbow, so as not to hinder the movement of the front legs. On compact horses, it isn't always easy to fulfil both conditions at once, which is why the buckles may sit closer to the saddle flap on ponies.
 
A general recommendation for determining girth length is this: saddle up and measure loosely from the bottom edge of one saddle flap around the horse's belly to the bottom edge of the other, subtract 30 cm from that, and round up to the nearest standard length.

As an affordable entry-level product, we offer you a simple, straight-cut girth made of soft neoprene, with well-padded roller buckles for gentle girthing and re-girthing. A classic eye-catcher is our ergonomically shaped leather girth, Made in Germany - the elegant girth in the finest brown leather is a perfect visual match for our Spanish saddles. Both girths are short girths and available in standard lengths from 50 to 80 cm.
 
For sensitive horses with a difficult girth position, we offer a crescent-shaped short girth padded along its entire length with soft sheepskin - this beautiful piece is available in black, brown or natural, and in all standard lengths between 50 and 100 cm.