Page 876 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

• An allergic skin reaction to girth cleaning materials.

VetBooks.ir Treatment

Girth galls should be cleaned and the horse should not be saddled while the area is healing.
Any abrasions on the skin of the girth area should be carefully monitored as they are

particularly susceptible to ringworm infection. Recently healed skin can be hardened by daily
applications of surgical spirit.

Sensitivity of the muscles over the chest wall in the girth region can sometimes be
relieved with chiropractic treatment, physiotherapy (myofascial release techniques) and

acupuncture or acupressure (see Chapter 12, Cold Backs and Girth Pain, pages 366–9)

Prevention

Consideration should be given to horses with sensitive girth regions. The following may
help.

• Soft, supple leather girths are often the most comfortable for the horse.

• The girths should be tightened slowly over several minutes with sensitive animals.
• They should not be overtightened. With elasticated girths, the end with the elastic should

be attached to the right side (offside) of the saddle and they should be tightened on the
left side (nearside).

• Care should be taken that the girth is sitting in the correct position. It should be a short

distance back from the elbows where the chest is narrowest. The horse has a natural dip
here if you run your hand along the underside of the chest in the midline. This is known

as the ‘seat of girth’. Correct fitting and adjustment of the girth are important factors in
the prevention of problems. They have been described more fully (and are illustrated) in
the section on girths on pages 368–9.

• Pulling the forelimbs forwards one at a time will help the girth to sit in the correct

position. It also checks that the soft skin in this region is not being pinched underneath
the girth. Sensitive horses or those in pain often dislike this intensely, so an alternate
method of seating the girth correctly is to slide your fingers between the girth and the

skin and follow the girth line all the way down on each side of the horse. This should be
done each time the girth is tightened a hole before mounting with sensitive animals

(Figure 12.19b).
• When the girth is tight enough, the buckles should be at the same level on either side

• Cleanliness of both the girth and horse is important