Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Tack Review: Total Saddle Fit Dressage Girth


If you ever use the horse-y part of the internet (RAISE YOUR HAND, ALL OF YOU), you've seen ads for this girth. It claims to be anatomically correct and better for both horse and saddle (and other things I didn't really read). Unlike other anatomic girths, it rings in at $125, which is a drop in the bucket of the $200 straps you can also buy to hold your ass platform on your horse.

I have one. Is it time for a review? Yes. Yes it is.

Total Saddle Fit Dressage Girth in Black, size 26".
Retail price: $124.95 + $9.95 shipping
What I paid: $85 shipped from a used site
Note: new price includes 110% money back guarantee, so if you need beer money, well, you do the math.

saddle is a hair back in this shot
I don't know how much I buy all the anatomic marketing going around right now, but I definitely kow tow to basic physics. Courage's dressage saddle first him well, but the billets hang a bit awkwardly.

I can either launch a multi-national search for THE MOST PERFECT SADDLE or I can buy a contoured girth. I chose option B.

There are some mixed reviews of the TSF girth online, so I didn't know what to expect.

Let's be real: it is a $120 strap. It serves to hold the saddle on very well. Some people are like "OMG BEST LEATHER I'VE EVER FELT" (which is sad) and others are like "THIS IS ISN'T FRENCH" (which is true)(but if it was French, it would cost hella more than $125).

Look at your Dover catalog--this is pretty reasonable for an all-leather, double elastic girth with roller buckles. Consider the contouring a free bonus.

Things I love about this girth:

1. Elastic and roller buckles. It's 2015, people. These things should be a given.

2. Nifty attachment ring in the middle. I haven't used it, but I like to know that I could if I wanted to.

3. Keepers. Dressage billets are notoriously long and hard to corral. I feel like the keepers on this girth hit the fine balance of looking tidy while not being a massive PITA to use.

Things I don't love:

1. Not really anything. I mean, it's a girth. As long as it serves to hold your saddle on without unduly rubbing, pinching, or irritating your horse, what's to dislike? I don't adore the leather quality, but I already covered that. I don't worry about it rubbing. It cleans up nicely. The construction is solid.

2. Sizing? I dunno on this one. The girth measures a 28". It's sized as a 26", which means if you're between sizes, go down. I'd probably rather have a slightly smaller size, but at that price, I wasn't going to quibble over details.

Conclusion:

If you're in the market for a decent dressage girth that doesn't break the bank, this is your ticket. I can't speak to it's supposed magical abilities at making a saddle fit better, because shark fin withers=my saddles stay put.

I have lots of other things on my to-buy list right now, but I'm certainly interested in playing with a TSF jump girth when the time comes. :-)

23 comments:

  1. Thanks for this review - I've been sort of vaguely thinking about one of these, but it sounds like I can just stick with my perfectly functional Wembley girth and be fine. You know, since this isn't made from unicorn tears and didn't immediately get Courage going Grand Prix. ;)

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  2. I felt one while I was at Rolex and just couldn't get past the leather. I'm a bit spoiled - the dressage girth I have now is stunning. That being said, I'm still curious to see if it would do anything for Fiction's movement. I don't think it would, but meh.

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  3. I have the jump girth and it's made a big difference for my pony with a forward girth groove and a laid-back shoulder. My saddle gets to go where it should (behind the shoulder) and nothing shifts around! I think for the price the leather quality is excellent! Definitely much softer than other leather girths in that price range.

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    1. Alli, just curious, did your saddle move at all before you tried this girth? My mare is built downhill with a forward girth groove so it means that when I get the saddle back off her wither where it belogs, it just slides forward onto her wither and into the girth groove. I've been wanting to try one, but I kind of want to know there is a good possibility it will work before I go through the hassle of ordering and returning. :-)

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    2. I am interested in this as well! Same problem when Estella goes through her downhill growth phase. Can't keep my saddle back to save my life!

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    3. It didn't move forward so much as his shoulder pushed my saddle pad back because the girth wanted the saddle to be ON TOP of his shoulder. What helped was having the tree widened to accommodate his shoulders (I own a Prestige), adding a sheepskin halfpad to take up the empty space behind his shoulder blades, and using the TSF girth. While each of those things helped on their own, all 3 together make the saddle fit perfectly securely!

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    4. Thanks Alli! I have done all of the above (Thank goodness for adjustable trees!) minus the TSF girth, I think you have inspired my next purchase...after the PS of Sweden High Jump bridle of course!

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  4. Hahaha, ass platform! I refuse to call it a saddle from this point forward. It will now be known as an ass platform.

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  5. Everything negative I've heard about it has been either the leather quality or that it gapes at the front instead of having even contact across the whole surface. The gaping thing seems to happen A LOT, which makes me think they really only work well with a certain type of conformation, which is why I didn't buy one. Does your sit flat?

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    1. I have one of these and it does exactly as you say - gaps in the front.

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    2. I haven't paid much attention. I'll check and get back to you.

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    3. Mine lays flat on both horses, but I could see how it might gape on some. I think that they've improved the leather from what they originally used. It was better than I expected it to be :)

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  6. Is this the shoulder relief one? If so, how was shoulder? If not, feel free to ignore.

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    1. Yes. It's quite a name--the total saddle fit shoulder relief girth. They should maybe slim that down.

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  7. Great review! I bought one about a month ago. Honestly, I was skeptical, but Indy has honestly been so much better since I got it. She doesn't get cinchy anymore and feels a lot looser in her shoulders. The saddle feels a bit more stable than it did before even though my saddle is pretty balanced in her. It's definitely worth giving a try :)

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    1. To be fair, I have never ridden Courage in a dressage saddle with a straight girth, so I can't compare across the two. Because of how the billets hit him, a straight girth would be counter intuitive.

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  8. I just got one used, but I'm a dumbass and measured wrong and got a 22" instead of a 20" (tiny horse). I can concerns about it gaping in the front, but even with a too big girth I got a better appreciation for the fact that it should lay mostly flat on my horse. I am worried that the 20" will still be too big though, because the 22" actually measured more like 23" from buckle to buckle. I plan to look for a 20" though and buy new if I can't find used. Like you said, if it doesn't work out then at least I'll have beer money!

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  9. interesting! my saddle fitter doesn't love these girths but didn't say why. instead she recommended a synthetic gel girth that clocks in at $36... so i'm gonna give that a try first haha.

    but yea, the billets hanging awkwardly is a very real problem that my mare is a touch impatient about me fixing (she strongly dislikes the saddle being pulled up onto her shoulders... can't really argue with that!)

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  10. I've seen this on every single horse website. It sounds really great that it keeps the saddle off the shoulder, which frees the shoulder. I haven't used a contoured girth, though I try to set the saddle back enough it doesn't pinch the shoulders.

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  11. Would like to hear how it actually sits on the horse - I've heard that there is a lot of gaping from the "contoured" portion and causes pressure points.

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  12. Glad to hear you approve - you know I like them!

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  13. I think I like mine more than you like yours, at least in terms of leather quality. But mine is newer, I suppose. And my choices of a brown dressage girth are much more limited.

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