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.

Is Any UK Horse Tack Guaranteed ?

£4bn Spent on horses and nothing guaranteed?

According to the National Equestrian Survey (NES) commissioned by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), UK horse owners and riders spend around £4 billion per year on horse riding euipment and activities.

The survey shows that there are 1.35 million horses in Britain, which are looked after by 720,000 private owners and professional establishments. It also states that around 2.1 million people ride at least once a month, with a further 2.2 million doing so during the last year. 

That's a total of 4.3 million riders, riding 1.35 million horses and spending £4,000,000,000 pounds on horses, horse riding, horse tack, feed, bedding and equipment.

Equestrian activity is the second largest economic activity in the British countryside.

Which, made me ask... Who does offer a full guarantee on horse tack and riding equipment?

Well, I called various UK tack suppliers including Robinsons, R&R Country, Ingatestone Saddlery, Fal Pro, Ride-Away, Matchmakers International and quite a few others. I visited the websites of online tack shops including Derby House*, the Saddlery Shop, Tackanory, Eileen Douglas Tack Shops** and all the above, plus other horse rug and horse tack sellers... and the short answer appears to be... NO-ONE.

In a full day of calling and searching I couldn't find one horse tack website or one horse rug or tack manufacturer that provided a genuine full guarantee on the products they sell... NOT ONE.

* Derby House were called twice on 0800 048 0114 and 0800 048 0113. I held on for five minutes each time and got no answer. However the Derby house Terms & Conditions do include the following, although I was unable to find out what the single asterisk refers to ...

Fair Wear & Tear Guarantee*
Our products are guaranteed for 12 months from the date of receipt, providing they are used in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations. If we feel it is necessary goods will be returned to the manufacturer for their comments. Please allow 30 days for an exchange or refund in these instances.

In accordance with the manufacturers recommendations can mean a lot of things, especially when you've never seen them, don't know who the manufacturer is (ie. company in China or India or the Importer or Derby House themselves), or whether there actually are any published by the manufacturer.

** Eileen Douglas Tack Shops Terms and Conditions states....

What do I do if an item fails once it's been used?
All goods supplied by Eileen Douglas Tack Shops are from official sources within the UK and are covered by the normal manufacturers warranty. If you feel that an item has failed prematurely, please advise us.

Not a product guarantee by any stretch of the imagination.

As in my previous post, Masta Horse Rugs - No Guarantee, where Matchmakers International, (Masta product manufacturers), told me they provide no manfacturers warranty or any form of guarantee to the consumer, I simply asked if the manufacturer or tack shop selling the goods could point me to the details of the guarantee they provide for the products they manufacture and/or sell to horse owners.

Some of the answers I got included...

Oh! I don't know you'd have to talk to the boss about that and he's not available.

Sorry, you don't have a guarantee with us your sales contract is with .....

Well that's difficult, horses are hard work and they roll.

Jane, he wants to know about our guarantee, do we have one?

Well you know, the material is waterproof when it's made but when they stitch it, it leaves holes. But you can buy proofing things...

We pass on the manudacturers guarantee. (Do all the manufacturers you use provide a guarantee?) Hmmm, I'd have to get back to you on that.

Compare the above with U.S. tack supplier Dover Saddlery, who proudly display an 'Our Guarantee' link in their left side navigation which, when clicked says simply...

Dover's Customer Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind the quality of our products. If you find you are not satisfied with your purchase, simply return it and we will refund, replace or exchange it for you.

WOW !! We stand behind the quality of our products... Could you ask for anything more?

Don't you think injecting £4 billion into the UK economy means UK horse owners deserve products that are guaranteed to do the job manufacturers say they will?

Shouldn't you, the UK horse owner, ask the simple question...

What guarantee do you give with this?