Everything You Need To Know About Horses

How Tight Should The Girth Be

The Big Squeeze

Are you guilty of doing up your horse’s girth as tight as you can in the belief it gives your saddle and you the best security?

Well Australian researchers have found that a girth done up too tightly can have a negative effect on your horse’s performance. The usual tension applied to a girth to keep a saddle on a TB racehorse was around 13kg yet they found anything over 10kg could alter performance.

They’re not quite sure why yet but it’s thought that it may force the horse to adopt different breathing patterns involving a greater use of the diaphragm which in turn affects performance. Alternatively, the soft tissue and fluid in the thoracic wall (the part between the neck and abdomen, enclosed by the ribs) could be displaced during exercise. But no-one knows for sure. Some horses didn’t seem as affected as others and saddle placement also played a part, so more research is needed.

Having said this, don’t leave your girth too loose, your security and safety is at stake !