The Equestrian Blog

Saddle Girth – How tight is too tight?

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 saddle girth to keep a saddle on a Thoroughbred racehorse is around 13kg but researchers found anything over 10kg could alter the horses performance.

Although they still have to work out why, 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.

As yet, no-one knows for sure. Some horses don’t seem particularly affected by girth tightness but others do. Saddle placement also played a part, so more research is needed. Whatever the effects of your saddle girth just make sure you don’t leave your girth too loose.

Quote Of The Day – HRH Duke of Edinburgh

Posted by rji | Filed under General Info, Worth Mentioning

A horse which stops dead just before a jump and thus propels its rider into a graceful arc provides a splendid excuse for general merriment.

Duke of Endinburgh

Prince Phillip - HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, 10 June 1921) is the husband and consort of Queen Elizabeth II.

Originally a Prince of Greece and Denmark, Prince Philip abandoned these titles shortly before his marriage. At the time of his engagement he was known as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

In 1947, he married Princess Elizabeth, the heiress to King George VI. Prince Philip was a member of the German House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, which includes the royal houses of Denmark, Norway and Greece.

The day before his marriage, George VI granted him the style of His Royal Highness and, on the morning of the marriage, created him Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich.

In 1957, Philip was created a Prince of the United Kingdom. When he became a British subject Prince Philip took the surname Mountbatten, which is an anglicised version of his mother's German family name, Battenberg.

Joining the Royal Navy in 1939, Prince Philip saw active service throughout the Second World War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. He was present in Tokyo harbour when Japan surrendered.

After Princess Elizabeth became Queen, Prince Philip gave up his naval career to support The Queen in her duties. The Duke of Edinburgh has no constitutional role other than as a Privy Counsellor, and sees no State papers.

But through his active support of a wide range of charities, and through his own initiatives for young people, The Duke of Edinburgh has played a major role both nationally and internationally.

Like The Queen, Prince Philip is a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria. The Queen and Prince Philip are also related through his father's side. His paternal grandfather, King George I of Greece, was Queen Alexandra's brother.