Re: RC: girth problems

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>Shameless was sensitive in the girth area.  no marks or rubs.  
>the>girth is thick felt.  at 65 miles changed to new felt girth and
put>vasilene on whole girth area.  he didnt get worse but sensitivity was
>still>there.  same next morning.  by now he isnt sore but the skin looks
>like its>flaking off everywhere the girth touched.>kinda little black
scaly pieces of skin that rub off and skin 
>underneath>looks fine. 

Anita,
I'm replying to the list because I want everyone else's input on this. 
You know I had the same problem after Biltmore. I remember we used to see
the same thing in the Spring after the War Eaglez (mid March).  The
"flaking of the skin in the girth area" I mean.  I remembered hearing
some Dressage guru say that horse's skin becomes more sensitive during
the "change of coat" from winter to summer or summer to winter stage and
that he gave them that time off.  Duh.  Wouldn't help us much since
that's our entire competition season in the Southeast.  

I remember the first year we clipped for War Eagle and our whole crowd's
horses did this "scurfing" (don't know where I got that word, but that's
what we called it).  We thought the blade cleaner might have caused it. 
I'm not sure we need to change girths permanently, but we might need to
find a substitute during this time of year.  I'd like to try a mohair.  I
have the second Ortho-Flex that has English billets so I guess I could
use it, even though I prefer the one that my seat bones have worn the
nice little hollows into. >g<

Anybody out there had the same symptoms?  I would not describe Kaboot as
a horse with sensitive skin.  He's never had a problem with his girth on
a 100.  Somehow it seems to be speed related, so either cantering is more
irritating, or there's more heat build up.  He did have his worst case at
the same ride as Anita (last  spring) so I would think perhaps some sand
might be a factor.  Even though I wash his girth at every vet check
(neoprene) and sponge his girth area, maybe I didn't get below the
surface.  The worst  girth sores I've seen this year was the horses who
did the first day, plus other days of the Big South Fork ride, and they
said there was quite a bit of sand the first day there.  I only did the
second day (not sandy) and had no problem.

I'm planning to be twice as conciencious about brushing and sponging the
girth area, then taking Karen Chaton's advice of rearranging the
placement of the buckels.  I also left it a little looser yesterday, rode
all the mountain part of the Longstreet course and had no problem with
slippage, so I think that will be O.K.  

Let me know what you try.  The problem is, if it is due to the "stage of
their coat" they'll get better regardless and we'll think what we did
fixed it.  I guess the test will be if you do the same ride at the same
time of year next year and it doesn't happen. 


Angie McGhee & Kaboot
on the TN/GA line.

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