Forward Girth Groove (stolen From Nr!)

[Mrs P]

Hello, I'm more of a lurker than a poster but I have a query which maybe you can help with so here goes.  There's a thread on NR as we speak about horses where the saddle sits quite far back relative to the girth groove, one of the posters has described it as the horse being built 'forward'.  My horse has this sort of build, here is a pic:



With the saddle positioned so it's not interfering with her shoulder, the girth has to be pulled quite a long way forward from the vertical to sit in the girth groove.  I don't like this, but she hates having the girth further back.  I'm using a humane girth because this seems to me a least less likely to create a pressure 'gradient' across it's width.  I don't know if I'm doing the right thing though.

Anyone got any thoughts, experiences, suggestions etc that might enlighten me a bit!?

[DollysMum]

What saddle do you use?

[Bebe1]

Hiya

I have the same problem with B, it's been the case with each treeless saddle I've used though I'm not sure if the same was true for the treed ones (so long ago I can't remember and don't have many pics of back then).

I pull the girth forward into the groove  but it always, without fail, slides backwards so I can get a good handspan (at least) between her girth groove and the actual girth.  She doesn't seem to mind but I do believe it contributes to the saddle slipping backwards when we do hillwork.  Personally I'd rather it didn't have to be angled forwards or move back but I've yet to find a solution.

I use a humane girth too. The only other girth that I've tried and that Bebe has liked is the stubben string girth but it doesn't come in dressage style unfortunately.

[Mrs P]

Bebe - ta for your thoughts, should have known you'd have experience of this.  I was getting mildly paranoid about the humane girth because some people seem to hate them but I like them & so does P, glad someone else does.

Dolly's mum - we've got an Ansur KK (bought for my old horse) but that's going on eBay, I've had real trouble getting enough wither/spine clearance with it on P & she's only 4, so we're not going to do much jumping for a year or 2 anyway.  I'm borrowing a Fitform which we like but the billets on that are positioned in a way which seems to aggravate the problem if anything.  I'm having a Saddle Co working hunter saddle fitted on Saturday so I'm hoping that might help, being quite straight cut, but I'm not sure what's the best girthing option for it.  Hopefully Poohsmate can help!

 

[Numbat]

Well, the Fhoenix has the girth billets attached in such a way that you can just angle them forwards. On a horse with quite a pronounced groove like one of mine, the girth does seem to stay there, but maybe on another shape it would move. I see that the Freeform is coming out with some new sort of "adjustable" girthing attachment this year: maybe they've thought of a good solution.  I would ask Helen at Goldfinch about that if I were you.

You can also get the very expensive Logic girth, designed so that the belly part of the girth is forward of the buckle part, and there is a cheper UK knock-off somewhere, but I have never tried these.

[Appy2quarter]

I have exactly the same problem Mrs P (or should I say had).  Any saddle I used had to be pulled forward and although it was ok, I wasn't sure it was the best solution.  I think my horse is even more built forward....and downhill!!!

I now have one of the newer Fhoenixes which has the billets designed so that you can pull the girth forward without altering their function (if that makes sense!!).  There was a thread all about it a while back..will see if I can find it, or search the forum...

2 of my friends also have the same issue - one of whom also has long, set back withers - and they both find the newer girthing system works well.

Hope you find a good solution

Appy

 

[DollysMum]

It sounds like your best bet would be to go for a saddle with either forward girthing or adjustable girthing.

The pre-2007 Freeforms came in a choice of standard or forward girthing and from now on they have free swinging girthing which is very clever. it's set roughly half way between the old standard and forward girthing points and set on rings to that the straps can swing into the correct place without affecting the positioning of the saddle.

You could also try a banana girth if you don't want to use the humane one.

[martini55]

Chloe, just out of curiosity is it the new girthing system I have with my Freeform?



 

[Fizzbw]

My old pony has a very forward girth groove, with deep armpits and wide sprung ribs.

He's been almost impossible to girth with a dressage saddle because of this, although the phoenix is way better. I did have some success with an Amerigo dressage girth - with very exaggerated atherstone shape. However, lately I have been using an anatomicaly shaped girth - neoprene double elasticated one and its been brilliant. I also use it on my wide Conney who has a normal girth area and its brilliant for him too - they make sense to me and has improved lateral stability for him as well.

I just got mine from ebay.

Niki xxx

[minkymoo2]

I tried the freeform, Free'N easy and the FFa but only have only found that the WOW works for my fella.  it has a foregirthing system and doesnt rely on the girth being tight to stay in place (which is the problem I found with all of the above saddles).


My advice (as always) is to try before you buy....  It sounds expensive but works out a lot cheaper in the long run!
 

[DollysMum]

Yep Martini - that's the new girthing! How are you finding it?

[martini55]

I really like it. Martini has quite a forward girth groove and her freeform likes to sit back abit so it's good that I can pull the straps right forward. When we had the trial SB with the forward girthing the straps wouldn't sit as well as they do now, so thumbs up from me

[Madams Walk]

my ex racer has a forward girth groove, or even very set back (and very high) withers.
I had a kk on her and didint pull the girth forward, just did it up where it fell, put a prolite girth sleeve on it and she was fairly happy with it, she is girthy anyway (from racing i believe) but she stopping being as girthy when using it.  the girth wasnt righ tin her armpits but set back a bit.
with her fhoenix the girth straps do go forward, but i often think the saddle is to far forward on her withers.
 

[nicxf]

I really like it. Martini has quite a forward girth groove and her freeform likes to sit back abit so it's good that I can pull the straps right forward. When we had the trial SB with the forward girthing the straps wouldn't sit as well as they do now, so thumbs up from me

oooooh, I like the look of the new Freeform girthing system.  Do you reckon it might go some way toward solving the slippage problems I had?

*daydreams about selling old Freeform to fund shiny new one*    - anyone have an idea about what I could realistically expect to get for it? It's the one with the removeable, fixed width wither plate.


Oops, sorry to jump in your thread Mrs P.  Your horse is beeeyootiful though.

[mrsmurchin]

Here's a picture of the new girthing system on the Fhoenix.  My mare has a forward girth groove, hence why we went from an SBS to a Fhoenix.