If you have been to my booth at a trade show you have probably heard my line that brings people in - "Come on in, the story is free!" As I watch people approach my booth I can see that my girths/cinches have caught their eye but they don't quite "get it".
My specialty has always been the OTTB and bringing horses along from barely broke to successful competitors (you can read more about my equine experience in other blogs). It was my last OTTB that I purchased from a student in 2014, Majestic Tribute, that I thank for the Tapestry Comfort Girth design.
When I would bring the tack to Magic's stall, which at the time was a custom fit saddle and a classic traditional leather girth with elastic at both ends, Magic would go to the back of the stall, drop his head and pin his ears. Clearly signs that he hated what was about to happen.
On the lunge line Magic had no issues moving forward but once the girth was on he really resented moving forward, and it was so bad in the winter and at the canter. I actually thought "am I going to need to put you away for the winter?"
It was at this time in 2014 that I thought I needed to redesign the girth to be much more comfortable and to accommodate a horses anatomy and physiology. A girth really should fit like a bra - it should allow the horse to breathe and move and not be at all restrictive.
I trained thoroughbred racehorses for 10 years. I liked the use of elastic on the racetrack girths but there is nothing central in those girths, hence the need to tighten them so the saddle doesn't slip (but boy does that ever cause "girthy" horses!). That's why my Tapestry Comfort Girth has elastic and a central sternum pad - that way the girth is symmetrical, breathes with the horse, and you don't need to over tighten the girth.
Back in the day when we steeplechased we would use an over girth. I liked the idea of a backup elastic system, hence the elastic pieces that cross.
A local but since retired leather maker made me my first Tapestry Comfort Girth and while I was telling him the design he said "I think you are on to something!" I also took the my prototype girth to a top equine researcher at the University of Guelph who took one look at it and said "what took so long for this design to be invented! (I have the international patents on this design).
I was so excited to put it on Magic but really didn't know what he would do. Well! Over a span of 3 weeks he no longer went to the back of the stall, he would actually stand right at the front door as if to say "hurry up, let's go. He happily moved forward, so much so we showed him jumpers in the winter!
And it has been quite the journey since I launched the original, patented Tapestry Comfort Girth in 2015. We have helped 1000's of horses around the world and I'm excited to help so many more!
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