Get a Grip: My Top Tips for Side Saddle Girths & Balance Straps

Girths: Three fold leather girths are generally the most suitable and 'correct' girths to use with a side saddle. Most three fold leather girths are wider than your standard astride girth, making them great at distributing pressure over a wider surface area and helping to assist in preventing the saddle from shifting and pinching. However, leather requires some extra maintenance to keep conditioned and in good order which can be time consuming, especially with every day use. Synthetic Girths: Are a perfectly suitable everyday alternative, so long as they meet a few criteria: ensure there is no elastic attached directly to the buckles. The stretch from the elastic can reduce the stability of the saddle on the horse. Synthetic girths also need to have at minimum a keeper in the middle of the girth, something a lot of modern day synthetic girths don't have. A keeper is incredibly important to ensure the balance strap does not slip back off the girth. If it does, not only can it become so loose that it's purpose is void but it can also irritate the horse, causing potentially unsafe behaviours. Other Girths: Leather and synthetic aren't your only options! Many riders also use other styles of girths like lampwick/cotton girths, string girths, other variations of leather girths or even girths with sheepskin covers on them. So long as it has a keeper, no elastic attached to the buckles and is SAFE, use whatever your horse is most comfortable in!

From Top to Bottm: Three fold leather girth with central keeper. Synthetic girth with central keeper. Synthetic girth and leather balance strap with make-shift keepers.

#toptip ➡️ do you know there is a right and a wrong way to put a three fold girth on? Always ensure the 'opening' of the fold is facing the back of the horse.

#toptip ➡️ using a synthetic girth that doesn't have a keeper? Old leather dog collars or spur straps make great keepers in a pinch. #productrecommendation ➡️ Wintec make a great synthetic girth with not one but THREE keepers! These are great for everyday use. You can purchase them by clicking here or at any saddlery that stocks Wintec products. (While they're described as elastic, they do not have elastic attached directly to the buckles).

Balance Straps: In addition to the girth, side saddles have a balance strap or balance girth. The balance strap is an incredibly important safety feature and a vital component to correct side saddle fitting, it should not be forgone. It is buckled near the front of the saddle under the rider’s legs, runs over the girth, under the horses belly, through your keeper and then attaches to the cantle on the opposite side. Its function is assisting in stabilising the rear of the saddle and keeping it central on the horses back, specially during tighter turns and fast work as you do not have a leg on either side to do so. It should be fastened snug but not as tight as the girth.

#toptip ➡️ have a horse who won't tolerate wearing a balance girth? Please don't just ditch the balance strap altogether! You might have more success managing their comfort with a girth that has a short balance strap attached to it. Keep in mind their adjustability is limited, so they generally cannot be used on multiple horses. They may also prefer what is referred to as a Y balance strap, which are generally found on older side saddles.

Example of a Y Balance Strap

Three fold leather girth with attached balance strap. This one is for use with a side saddle that has 'outside' girthing. You would typically have these made to measure for your horse and side saddle specifically. Photo courtesy of www.sidesaddle.co.uk

Sefton Girth on a Champion & Wilton side saddle

#funfact ➡️ some side saddles, especially Champion & Wiltons, have what is called a 'Sefton Girth'. This refers to the balance strap set up by where there is a buckle that is attached to the long tree point of the side saddle and used with a strap that has a buckle on one end and holes on the other as opposed to the commonly used balance strap that has a buckle on either end. It was named as such in reference to the Earl & Countess Sefton who were patrons of Champion & Wilton.

Of course, the above is only a small component in the fitting of a side saddle to horse and rider as a whole. A side saddle that fits both the horse and the rider is imperative to ensure a comfortable, balanced, secure and SAFE ride for both. Happy and SAFE side saddling! 💚

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