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Sue - how tight do you tighten up your girths?
I like to be able to get my hand underneath the girth easily when mounted. I used to work with Int. Grand Prix SJ and their girths were never over tightened. I have seen horses burst out of an over tight girth from expanding their belly when jumping.
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Unfortunately, it's still a common sight to see someone cranking on a girth, forcing it to go just one more hole, before going into the ring. And for that reason I'm not a fan of elastic-ended girths either. Oddly enough, it is they that are more likely to be over tightened. For showing I like a supple leather girth or a German cord (not nylon string!) one. For schooling /hacking I tend to use the Cottage Craft- type machine washable girth. Several of my students have opted for the humane girth, which has sliding ends that breathe with the horses movement.
As for the girth not being tight enough to mount...Either tighten it and loosen it off again once in the saddle or as I have done for the last 20 odd years, get a leg up or use some sort of mounting block.
In my first job as a working pupil, I led my first horse out into the yard and prepared to get on from the ground. My boss told me to use the mounting block (I thought they were for wimps!). She said untold damage could be done to the horse, the saddle and my body trying to heave myself up onto a 17 hh hunter.
For these reasons, and not laziness, you don’t see many top class riders mount from the ground.
Warmly,
Sue Morris
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