I 'm on a mission to make the horse as comfortable as possible when being ridden.
Throughout my 40+ years working with horses: as a competitor in eventing and dressage, as a thoroughbred racehorse trainer, as a coach and an eventing official, I noticed horses very often exhibit constant and repetitive negative reactions to having the girth put on.
Many horses and ponies "talk" during the process, some softly: by bloating (to protect their intercostal muscles); some more aggressively: ears pinned, teeth-gnashing, attempting to bite. Other horses have been known to dance and even sit down in cross-ties while getting the girth tightened.
We all know what they are going through. When is the last time you put on a tight leather belt? You know how uncomfortable it is. Now try running and jumping with your tight leather belt - good luck! The horse is absolutely no different and has every right to express themselves when we are girthing them up.
My background is in Biology (I have a B.Sc. with a major in Wildlife Biology) so I am cognizant of anatomy and physiology. Traditional leather, neoprene or fleece girths incorporate the elastic at each end of the girth where it doesn't benefit the horse.
A horse breathes and extends from the sternum UP the ribcage, not from the spine down. As well, horses take a breath every time they take a canter stride, the gait most important in competition horses.
I designed the TCG with the elastic over the ribcage so that it expands as the horse breathes. A game-changing design!! Horses wearing this girth can exhibit decreased anxiety when being tacked up, they exhibit a longer stride, and deeper breathing all a result of the increased comfort when wearing this girth.
Read what equestrians using the Tapestry Comfort Girth have to say... read more
