We’ve all seen the excellent marketing for shaped girths. Some of us may have fallen prey to them before. We see a “shoulder relief” girth and think “oh, hell yeah, my horse would move better in this!” Or the girth we’re using is just a little plain, and we think we need something more specialized. But here’s the thing - shoulder relief girths are almost never the right choice. Anatomical girths only fit horses with THAT anatomical structure. And the answer is often a straight girth. Let’s break it down…

In the photos you’ll see for each girth style, I have marked up the pressure line as well as where it would pinch or gap respectively. It’s important to understand that pressure will run in a straight line from buckle to buckle. This is why I’ve marked between the two buckles and straight across to the other side. If you can’t track a straight line from buckle to buckle without seam variation on either side, you will have gapping and pinching.

The Shoulder Relief Girth

As you can see above, the shoulder relief girth style is shaped rather than laying straight across from buckle to buckle. These are designed to sit further back along the side of the horse, away from the shoulder, while the curve comes forward toward the chest, supposedly to allow greater scapular movement. What this means for almost every single horse wearing one, is that it will apply pressure points and pinch along the line at the true girth area, and gap in the front curve. Often times, when you tack a horse up in a shoulder relief girth, if you squat in front of them and look at the girth from the chest between the front legs, you’ll be able to see gaping. If your girth is overnight, you may not be able to see it, but you can feel it if you run your fingers along the seam in the front and back of the girth.

The Anatomical Girth

This girth is marketed as being more anatomically appropriate for horses. It claims to allow shoulder relief while following the “natural curve” of the horse. And as you can see, compared to the shoulder relief girth, it’s got smoother lines and less drama. It seems less likely to cause gapping and pinching. However, if you check from buckle to buckle, our straight red line through the center of the girth (where the pressure will flow regardless of shape) will show you that there will be uneven pressure along the girth. This will cause pressure points, pinching, and gapping. Checking for gapping is more difficult with these girths, as you don’t have such a prominent swoop to the chest as with the shoulder relief girth. But, if you run two fingers along the front and back of the girth, you’ll be able to feel the pressure differences and pinching/gapping respectively.

The Shaped Girth

These have been around forever. Us aged hunters will remember the leather versions that get reeeeeally skinny at the thinner curves behind the shoulders. Thankfully, those seem a lot less popular these days. As you can see above, our trusty pressure line runs straight down the center of the girth, with even amounts of material and stitching on either side. However, these girths still have some potential for adding pressure points if they’re overtightened. There is a potential for a high concentration of pressure depending on the curvature of the girth. If it’s getting very narrow in this area, it’s applying lots of added pressure there. With gentle curves as with the girth above, you’ll have less variation in pressure.

The Straight Girth

‘Ol faithful. She’s generally gonna do a good job, and if your saddle and girth are placed where they should be and not overtightened, she’s gonna be your horse’s best friend. Pressure is applied in a straight line with even amounts of fabric and even stitching on either side. There won’t be odd pinching and gapping with this girth, and pressure points would generally only arise as a result of over tightening. This is the number one pick. Hands down.

I truly believe that the “special” girths we have these days - anatomical, shoulder relief, curved - are a result of misguided helpfulness. Horses were having issues with shoulder freedom, movement, comfort, etc. And the immediate fix (that also makes people money) is selling new, more expensive girths. Here’s the thing, though… The straight girth would be fine and not cause these issues IF the saddle was placed properly, the girth wasn’t hiked up beneath the elbow, and the girth wasn’t overtightened. As a bodyworker, I have had a disproportionate amount of horses with pressure points and discomfort from the “special” girths.

So, if you’re thinking of buying a new girth, be mindful of the line of pressure. Check it visually and physically once it’s on your horse. Be mindful of material, placement, and tightness when tacking up as well. Set your horse up for success, and don’t just spend money on new things willy nilly because they look cool or everyone else has them.

Girth Shape Matters

Tight vs Strong