Mattes Girth Selection & Fitting Guide
Introduction
When it comes to ensuring your horse's comfort and performance, selecting the right girth is just as crucial as a correctly fitted saddle. Mattes is renowned for their innovative designs and exceptional craftsmanship. They offer a range of girths tailored to meet the unique needs of each horses' confirmation.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the different girth shapes available and provide tips on how to measure your horse correctly for the perfect fit.
Benefits of Mattes girths
Girth shapes depending on your horses confirmation
Girthing to combat common saddling issues
How to measure and fit your Mattes girth
Why Mattes?
Mattes girths are not just about fit; they’re about comfort, performance, and durability. Each girth is hand-crafted with the highest quality materials, including a washable sheepskin cover, which provides natural cushioning and breathability. The innovative design with four different shapes for varying horse conformation ensures that pressure is evenly distributed in a way appropriate to a horse's build, reducing the risk of soreness and enhancing your horse’s overall comfort.
Understanding Mattes Girth Shapes
Anatomical
- For horses with a well-defined girth groove, far enough away from the elbow. The girth is contoured a little at the front and back around the elbow area. (Girth is reversible)
- Commonly Used For: Modern sport horses and warmbloods
Asymmetrical
- Ideal for horses with a forward girth groove, this design positions the saddle more securely without pulling it forward onto the shoulder. This helps to maintain better balance and comfort during rides.
- Commonly Used For: Uphill, high withered horses; large shoulders
Crescent
- For horses with a broader ribcage and a tendency to have the girth slide forward, the crescent shape provides a secure fit without causing discomfort. This design ensures that the saddle stays in place, even on horses with a more rounded barrel.
- Commonly Used For: Arabians, cobs, typey Baroque horses, stock breeds.
Athletico
- Designed for wedge-shaped horses with a well-developed chest, the Athletico girth features a unique shape that allows for greater freedom of movement, particularly in the shoulders. It's perfect for horses that require additional room to perform at their best.
- Commonly Used For: Thoroughbreds and thoroughbred crosses.
How to measure your mattes girth
To ensure the best fit for your horse, it is essential to not only find the correct shape, but to also make sure the girth is the appropriate length for your horse's conformation and your saddle.
Too many riders use girths that are far too short, resulting in rubs, girth galls, and cranky horses; it is absolutely critical that the buckles sit well above the horse's elbow to prevent rubbing and saddle shifting, and to allow freedom of the shoulder and ribcage!
Measurement Example
Flap-to-Flap Measurement: 101 cm
Final Long Girth Length: 105 cm
Subtract: 101 - 30 cm = 71 cm
Final Short Girth Length: 75 cm
STEP 1: Before you start
Always measure girth length on a saddled and girthed horse. Both sides of the girth must be buckled evenly.
STEP 2: MEASURING
Measure from the lower edge of the saddle flap on one side to the same point on the other side.
For a long girth, this is your length; round up to the nearest 5 or 10cm.
STEP 3: SHORT GIRTH
For a dressage/short girth, subtract 30cm from the length you measured in Step 2, then round up to the nearest 5 or 10cm
If I change saddles, do i need a new girth?
It depends. We always advise to follow our measurement guide which is based on your saddles flap length, meaning the recommended girth length may change between saddles.
However, as long as the flap doesn't interfere with tightening the girth and the girth sits within a couple inches from the bottom of the saddle flap (above the elbow) you can typically use the same girth.
Sometimes I use a half pad, does that change my girth length?
Yes! The use of a half pad can certainly impact girth length. You should be sure to tack up using all your regular equipment when taking the measurement.
how do i accommodate fluctuations in weight?
It is common for horses weight to vary season to season or throughout rehabilitation periods. You will want to make sure the girth remains well above the horses elbow during every stage of fitness to ensure freedom of movement and optimal comfort.
If your horse commonly has minor weight fluctuations you can accommodate it by sizing up or down by no more than one size to better accommodate the range. If weight fluctuates more than one size, you should consider two girths of different lengths to rotate between depending on fitness level.
I can't tell what shape would work best, how do i get help?
You can reach out to us anytime at hello@piaffe.ca to discuss what style girth is best for your horses confirmation.
To aid the discussion we ask that you include a couple of side-profile photos, one with your saddle on and girthed up, and one without a saddle, both with the horse standing square.
