Girth trials and tribulations
Ever since I got back from Horse Camp, I’ve had trouble with the saddle on Kasane. She had most of July off because of the heat and gained weight. Good grass and less work = chunky monkey. The Arc de Triomphe anatomical girth has been rubbing behind her elbows. My dressage saddle, a Prestige Venus K Monoflap, has been fitted to Kasane about every six months.
Kasane has a well-sprung rib cage, a short back, and a narrow area for the girth to fit. When she is overweight, then the space for the girth is even smaller. Her larger belly can push the saddle forward.
I bought two girths from Amazon to try. The two girths I tried today are the Total Saddle Fit Shoulder Relief girth and the Tekna contoured dressage girth. Here is a picture comparing those girths with my Arc de Triomphe dressage girth (bottom).
The Tekna girth (middle) has a very wide end, but it’s soft, so I thought I would try it. The Shoulder Relief girth (middle) also has a wide end behind the buckles. I hadn’t realized how much an issue these would be when I ordered the girths.
The Tekna girth was not a good fit for Kasane. The large end hit her elbow. The entire girth moved when she walked. 
Here is what the saddle looks like with the girth on.
The Shoulder Relief girth was a better fit, but still too wide at the ends. I had hoped that the shape of the girth would bring provide more space. Unfortunately, her confirmation isn’t built for this type of girth. 
Here is what the Arc de Triomphe girth looks like on the saddle. It has the narrowest ends and fits her best of the three. 
The other two girths will go back to Amazon. I’ll use the girth cover until I figure out a solution so she doesn’t get girth sores.
