Comments on: Avoiding Girth Galls http://www.western-saddle-guide.com/blog/2007/06/09/avoiding-girth-galls/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=avoiding-girth-galls Tips, trends, and musings on western saddles and riding Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:00:05 +0000 hourly 1 By: Carol http://www.western-saddle-guide.com/blog/2007/06/09/avoiding-girth-galls/comment-page-1/#comment-601 Carol Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:57:26 +0000 http://www.western-saddle-guide.com/blog/112/girth-galls/#comment-601 You are so right about string girths being one of the best choices to avoid girth galls. You can certainly buy a more expensive, hi-tech girth if you want to, but they aren't necessary. Plus, string girths are so much easier to clean. I use the contoured leather ones for shows but much prefer the string version for all other uses. I even have one for my English saddle. It's got to be a million years old by now and still chugging along happily. I think another cause for sores is a girth that's too loose. Out of a mistaken feeling for kindness or forgetting to tighten it up after walking a few minutes, some people leave them too loose which causes excess movement and rubbing. Dangerous for the rider too! When you first start saddling a yearling or two year old, they can also be a bit sensitive. Just keep an eye on that area and saddle times short but frequent. That will always do the trick. Carol You are so right about string girths being one of the best choices to avoid girth galls. You can certainly buy a more expensive, hi-tech girth if you want to, but they aren’t necessary. Plus, string girths are so much easier to clean.

I use the contoured leather ones for shows but much prefer the string version for all other uses. I even have one for my English saddle. It’s got to be a million years old by now and still chugging along happily.

I think another cause for sores is a girth that’s too loose. Out of a mistaken feeling for kindness or forgetting to tighten it up after walking a few minutes, some people leave them too loose which causes excess movement and rubbing. Dangerous for the rider too!

When you first start saddling a yearling or two year old, they can also be a bit sensitive. Just keep an eye on that area and saddle times short but frequent. That will always do the trick.

Carol

]]>