I have a mare who everytime I ride gets really bad girth sores and lots of swelling behind her front legs. I use a neoprene girth and I stretch her front legs after I saddle her to straighten out any pinched skin. I use the same girth (saddle) on my gelding and I postion the saddle the same on both horses, but it doesn't seem to bother him as much. Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do to correct it?
Posted 2006-09-17 10:11 PM (#48686 - in reply to #48680) Subject: RE: Girth
Veteran
Posts: 187 Location: KS
Is it a smooth neoprene or a pvc coated one. I had a gelding that everytime I used the pvc coated neoprene he would sore up, but switched to the smooth neoprene and have had no problems.
Posted 2006-09-17 11:07 PM (#48688 - in reply to #48680) Subject: RE: Girth
Veteran
Posts: 127 Location: PA
I know this may sound silly to some.....but are you over tightening your girth? Your mare may be more sensitive than your other horse.
Also you may have to try other kinds of girth material for this particular horse. I have a mare that is much happier with a wooly girth that is snug but not too tight. She does not like neoprine, even though all my other horses do.
Posted 2006-09-19 6:32 AM (#48760 - in reply to #48680) Subject: RE: Girth
Regular
Posts: 59 Location: Rushville, Indiana
I am having the same problem with one of our mares. I am trying to find a girth that works for her, but having problems finding one. I will keep searching.....Let me know if you find one that works!
Posted 2006-09-19 7:24 AM (#48767 - in reply to #48680) Subject: RE: Girth
Elite Veteran
Posts: 954 Location: Hagerstown, MD
What works for one horse, will NOT work for another horse. By example:
20 year old arab gelding; sweats a lot and does really well in a neoprene girth.
12 year old arab/paint mare; does o.k. with neoprene, but not on long rides. Likes a string girth on long rides.
5 year old perchron/quarterhorse gelding; does o.k. with neoprene for training and short rides. Prefers a roping style string girth for the extra support since he's big and has come action about him.
Like I said, what works for one, will not work for another. My mare is sorrel and she has one little white spot about the size of a quarter behind her right front leg where the girth rubbed her on a long trail ride a couple of years ago. It was a two day trail ride, and I didn't ride her the second day because of the girth.
Posted 2006-09-19 12:17 PM (#48786 - in reply to #48680) Subject: RE: Girth
Veteran
Posts: 209 Location: pensacola, fl
Thanks everyone for the replys. I have been going round and round with this mare since I have owned her. I Love her to death but she is a handful. I am hoping that the girth has been the problem all along and I didn't know it. The first time it ever happened she swoll up real bad on one side and slightly on the other. She had started acting up and I had to get off her because I didn't know what she was gonna do next, when I went out to feed the next morning I found the swelling and went back to where she had acted up and found a wasp nest so I just assumed she was stung, but this time about 15 minutes into the ride she kept trying to turn back to camp and acting stupid, she actually ran head first into a Pine Tree. I rode her a while longer and then cooled her down and put her up. The next morning I was gonna ride again and found the swelling again. I have 2 Neoprene girths, 1 is smooth and the other is textured, the smooth one gives her sore spots but the textured one gives her horrible sores with lots of swelling. I think I am gonna go with a rope girth to see if this helps. I think I may call her last owner to see what he used on her.
Posted 2006-09-19 1:28 PM (#48792 - in reply to #48680) Subject: RE: Girth
Regular
Posts: 59 Location: Mt. Vision, NY - waaay upstate
Are you trail riding? Going up and down hills? Get the horse crupper broke and use one if this is the case. I use cruppers on all my trail horses because the hills they have to climb up and need a breast coller for, they also must come down - and need a crupper. Horses with no withers are exceptionally prone to girth gall no matter what material the girth is made of. BethW
Posted 2006-09-28 7:39 AM (#49281 - in reply to #48680) Subject: RE: Girth
Veteran
Posts: 209 Location: pensacola, fl
Well, I went out and purchased a 100% sheep skin girth cover for my girth. It has made a 100% difference.No sores or raw spots!! My mare even rides better, she is in less of a hurry to get back to the barn now. She actually seems to enjoy the trail ride.
Girth
