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.

UK Horse Sales – Seller Beware

Posted by debbie | Filed under Equestrian News

It seems the UK Sale of Goods Act is starting to bite, with horse dealers having to take extreme precautions to ensure there are no comebacks six months after a horse has been sold.

The Sale of Goods Act says that if something is not suitable for the purpose for which you bought it, you are entitled to get your money back. That's okay when you are talking about a car or a piece of equipment, but when you are talking about an animal, it makes life very difficult.

If I sell a horse as being quiet in traffic, I will video that horse riding up the high street of the local village with cars and trucks passing because, if the new owner comes back months later saying the horse is spooky, I have video evidence that when I sold the animal, it was quiet....... read full article

So; with the rules being the same for both private and trade sales do individual sellers have to go to the same extent to ensure inexperienced horse owners don't mis-treat or undo the horses training, then demand their money back when the horse acts up or does something perfectly natural but frightening if you don't understand horses.

I am in court next week over a horse that got ringworm six weeks after I sold it and now the owner is suing me for £7,000! ....... read full article

Or; is the onus truly on the seller to ensure that they only sell a horse or any animal for that matter, to an owner that is competent and has horse care or horse riding experience ?