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.

Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies for Your Horse

Posted by admin | Filed under Equestrian News, Worth Mentioning

PetAlive, by Native Remedies, the leading online source for herbal and holistic remedies for pets, has announced the release of new equine herbal and homeopathic remedies.

These new remedies are 100% natural, proven, safe and effective and are designed to maintain and support horse health, as well as address common ailments.
A range of 9 new equine products will include ...

EQuine Joint Relief, a formula to relieve stiff and sore muscles;
EQuine Horse Calm, to soothe the highly-strung and anxious horse;
EQuine Colic Calm, for acute colic relief;
EQuine Healthy Hoof Oil;
EQuine Fly Repellant.

The PetAlive EQuine line will available by the end of January, 2009, at PetAlive.com and through selected retailers.

"Humans are coming to realize that nature often has the answers - Natural medicine can help your pet just as it can help you. While there is always a place for conventional veterinary medicine, natural medicine can complement conventional veterinary care and in many cases, cure your pets just as well - without the side effects and damage to health that can accompany synthetic drugs and antibiotics..." - Says Michele Carelse, who guides the company's team of herbalists, naturopaths and homeopaths in formulating remedies.

Visit PetAlive.com, for 100% Safe, Natural Herbal Remedies for Pets