Dressage Girths

A dressage girth should be solid, comfortable and elegant. It should effectively hold the saddle in place, remain stable in the girth and allow the horse freedom of movement. There are now many dressage girths on the market in many colors, materials and designs. A good girth doesn't just hold the saddle in place. A good dressage girth should not give the horse sores in the girth; there should be good freedom for the elbows; the saddle should be stable; and there should be a pressure relief effect so that there are no sore stress points in the girth.  

The type of girth your dressage horse needs is individual. Some horses are very sensitive in the girth area and get girth cramps easily. Girth cramps are something that can be remedied - both by choosing the right girth with good pressure distribution and by tightening the girth a little at a time. A dressage girth from Matrix can be a good choice. Matrix designed both the base and the girth with pressure distribution and shock absorption.  

Girth spasm is when the muscles in the girth go into spasm. It's a very painful condition for the horse, and mentally it can be deeply ingrained so that the horse will be apprehensive about having the girth tightened in the future. By tightening the girth gradually each time you put on the saddle and re-tightening as you warm up, you can prevent your horse from getting girth cramp. A quality girth with good pressure distribution is a great advantage for all horses, but especially for the sensitive horse that suffers from girth cramps.  

A dressage girth is often short, as dressage saddles typically have long girth straps; whereas a jumping girth is typically long, as the jumping saddle has short girth straps.  

It is important that the girth fits the horse, an incorrect girth can do just as much damage as an incorrect saddle can. If the girth doesn't fit, you run the risk of the saddle sliding forward, so it sits too close to the shoulder, leaving no room for the shoulder blade to move. The shoulder blade moves 4-5 cm when the horse moves its front leg, so there should be plenty of room for this movement. When you have tightened the girth, the buckle should be above the elbow so that the elbow does not hit the buckle, as this is uncomfortable for the horse.