GirthGalls

["Annie George" <ageorge@vtc.net>]

Horses get girth galls because the girth is to wide for the girth area/the saddle is rigged to far forward/the girth is to rough or dirty/ girth is to tight/ girth to loose/girth not tightened correctly ( one side then the other ) /pinching skin folds/not pulling the leg forward after tightening up/heat build up/sweat chemically reacting to girth material ( are you washing new girths/pads before you use them?) are you getting ALL soap out of it?) /horse has sensitivity to girth material/horse has extra sensitive or thin skin/ etc./etc. And more reasons I'm sure. It is easier to figure out WHY, and correct that, than to try to heal it up while continuing to use  the same faulty plan and or girth that gave them the sore in the first place. People come to me with Girth sores , and they are trying to heal up the sore using the same girth that gave them the sore,  or by piling on more padding,  unfortunately that doesn't work any better than padding up a bad fitting saddle on a sore back.  We don't need those 3&4" wide girths on these endurance horses, We don't team rope,  and we aren't packing 250lb of frying pans on a sawbuck!  Most of our Arabs simply do not have the girth area to accommodate them. And sadly most of the saddles are rigged to far forward, or they are not properly positioned on the horses back,  contributing to sores.  I used to make the 3" girths, but I only make the 2" bio backed with neoprene now, live and learn.  NO more girth problems on any horses wearing the narrower girths.    I am sure I am not the only one with narrower girths, ( of course mine is by far the best, just a little plug in here) .   Annie                                                                                                            Anne George Saddlery  www.vtc.net/~ageorge