Just to clarify ... I've always considered "girthiness" to be the behavior of the horse when girthed up -- not wanting the girth tightened. It looks like you are referring to a skin condition here - "girth itch" ?
Anyhow, for the skin condition, you might try a string girth. Montana Cinca makes a really nice ones. Try the 100% mohair. I like the string girths for the amount of air circulation, and the lack of heat buildup. What I don't like is that they don't have any elastic, so I have to do the cinch up a bit at a time (and do final adjustments once I'm in the saddle).
The other thing I would suggest would be to rinse/sponge off the girth area after each ride (maybe towel dry if it is hot & humid).
If you are dealing with an actual skin condition (like a fungus), you might try the MicroTech spray. Sponge off the girth area, towel dry, and spray with MicroTech.
On Sep 9, 2008, at 9:48 AM, Angie Fura wrote:
Hi everyone - I need some advice on how to handle a horse who seems to get heat rashes and irritation near his elbows. During the summer, he reacted to a neoprene girth. I switched to felt and that seemed to cure it. To my horror, it reappeared this past weekend at BSF. I can't think of why it reappeared at this ride when I seemed to be rid of it all summer. I'm going to switch to a fleece girth to see if that helps.
What causes girthiness? And are there any cures that don't involve powder or cremes.
