Your girth is part of your horse’s everyday tack and plays an essential role in helping to hold your saddle securely in place. This seemingly simple piece of kit has been in the spotlight for several years now, and has undergone a transformation in its design. Manufacturers use different materials to help your horse be as comfortable as possible so that he can perform at his best.
If you’re on the lookout for a new girth and not sure which one will do the best job for your horse, our review of a selection of different girths will help you. Our team of testers has put a selection of different girths to the test assessing them out of five for fit, performance/comfort and whether they offer good value for money. This gives an overall rating out of 15.
Our winner is…
Pictured: Thorowgood Dressage Girth
1. THOROWGOOD DRESSAGE GIRTH
RRP £27.95. For stockists: thorowgood.com
Colours: black, brown
Sizes: 18in-32in
Fit: A great fitting girth that has just enough shaping around the elbow area. The material is soft and flexible, plus it’s elasticated. There are keepers to keep your girth straps neat and tidy. 5 stars
Performance: A great synthetic girth that really does a good job — my horse seems to be happy wearing it and it doesn’t rub. The material just needs wiping over with a damp sponge to remove dirt and grease, which is super easy. 4.5 stars
Value for money: You won’t go wrong with this girth – it’s great value. 5 stars
Total score: 14.5
2. KM ELITE MEMORY FOAM DRESSAGE GIRTH
RRP £50. Buy at kmeliteproducts.co.uk
Colours: black, brown
Pictured: KM Elite Memory Foam Dressage Girth
Sizes: 20in-32in
Fit: This girth fits well and although it doesn’t have much shaping, it does sit nicely around the elbow area. The girth straps fit neatly out of the way. It’s elasticated at both ends, which makes it easier to get even pressure. 4.5 stars
Performance: The memory foam in this girth is really soft and squidgy. The two horses that I’ve tried this girth on are both a little sensitive but I’ve had no problems with rubbing and both horses appear comfortable. Even though it’s a synthetic girth, my horses don’t get too sweaty wearing it and it’s quick to clean too. 4.5 stars
Value for money: A very reasonable price tag for such a smart, practical girth. 5 stars
Total score: 14
3. MATTES CRESCENT SHORT GIRTH
Pictured: Mattes Crescent Short Girth
RRP from £141.16. For stockists: zebraproducts.co.uk
Colours: black, with lambskin cover available in selection of colours
Sizes: 50cm-90cm
Fit: A smart looking girth that is a great fit for my horse — it’s well shaped around the elbow area. The removeable sheepskin cover is lovely and soft. It’s a little fiddly to tuck your girth straps away inside the girth to make it look neat. 4.5 stars
Performance: This girth has been a game changer for my horse. Her wide barrel pushes most other girths forward onto her elbow — this has caused punching and rubbing, but since using this girth this is no longer a problem. The crescent shape holds the girth in the correct place — my horse seems much happier and more comfortable since using this girth. 5 stars
Value for money: Not the cheapest but well worth considering if you’re struggling to find a girth that doesn’t rub. 4 stars
Total score: 13.5
4. WINTEC ANATOMIC GIRTH
Pictured: Wintec Anatomic Girth
RRP £99.99. For stockists: wintec-saddles.co.uk
Colours: black, brown
Sizes: 55cm-95cm (short), 100cm-150cm (long)
Fit: A well-shaped girth that is made from a soft, synthetic material. It’s important that the widest part of the girth is fitted in the middle of your horse, so you need to make sure you adjust it evenly on both sides. 4.5 stars
Performance: The air-filled middle section of this girth seems to suit my usually quite girthy horse. He is much happier having his girth adjusted since I’ve swapped to this one. It’s easy to clean — just wipe it over with a damp sponge. It has a smart leather look; you wouldn’t know it is synthetic. 4.5 stars
Value for money: A good price for a quality girth. 4.5 stars
Total score: 13.5
5. AMERIGO PROTECTOR DRESSAGE GIRTH
Pictured: Amerigo Protector Dressage Girth
RRP £322. For stockists: zebraproducts.co.uk
Colours: black, brown
Sizes: 55cm-80cm
Fit: This girth fits really nicely but you do need to make sure that the wider plate sits over your horse’s sternum. It looks smart and is very well made. 4 stars
Performance: My horse is particularly sensitive, and some other girths have rubbed him. The shape of this one has meant that I no longer have this problem and he seems happier too. The softly padded leather and shaping at the side means this girth doesn’t interfere with your horse’s elbow, which is another problem I had previously. 5 stars
Value for money: This is an investment, but it’s worth it if your horse is very sensitive. 4 stars
Total score: 13
6. STUBBEN EQUI SOFT GIRTH
Pictured: Stubben Equi Soft Girth
RRP £238. For stockists: stuebben.co.uk
Colours: black, ebony, tabacco (leather, neoprene or lambskin pad)
Sizes: 40cm-150cm
Fit: The fit of this girth is really important: the centre piece has to be positioned symmetrically on your horse and you need to make sure you adjust the girth equally on both sides. 4 stars
Performance: The design of this girth is a system of elastic strips (plus a pad; the leather version was tested) which distributes pressure evenly as your horse moves and breathes. I’ve used it on a sensitive Thoroughbred who wasn’t keen on his girth being fastened. Since using this girth he’s much happier — still a little reactive but not as bad. 4.5 stars
Value for money: An expensive girth, but it seems to work on sensitive types. 4 stars
Total score: 12.5
Pictured: Le Mieux Integrated Web Dressage Girth
7. LEMIEUX INTEGRATED WEB DRESSAGE GIRTH
RRP £64.96. For stockists: lemieuxproducts.com
Colours: black wool, natural wool
Sizes: 22in-30in
Fit: A smart looking girth that’s flexible, soft and fits nicely. It’s not overly shaped but it suits my horse.4 stars
Performance: I did find that this girth moved a little, and the keepers that you thread your girth straps through aren’t quite in the right place for my saddle. Having said that, however, the merino wool lining is soft and I had no problems with rubbing. My horse did get sweaty wearing it but it washes really well. 4 stars
Value for money: Fair value for a smart girth. 4.5 stars
Total score: 12.5
