July

21

How do you do a girth up on a dressage or saddle with no flaps?

Comments(4) | Undedr: dressage

How would you do the girth of a dressage or saddle with no saddle flaps?

The girth would attach to the billets, not the flaps, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Racing saddles, for example, have very short, small flaps but have billets that are equivalent to any other saddle. If you are missing billets on your saddle you would need to have a saddle builder make them for you.


4 Responses to “How do you do a girth up on a dressage or saddle with no flaps?”

  1. chaoticly_sycotic Says:
    July 21st, 2010 at 7:59 am

    saddle flaps aren’t needed to fasten a girth. but if you don’t have any, get a saddle that has them, as they are important. i’m not really sure if someone can put some on…. but if you mean that there are no billets, then you might still be stuck getting a new saddle. even if you could find somebody to sew them on, i don’t know if i’d trust that the stitching will hold very long. so in short, if there are no saddle flaps, you could fasten it normally, but if there are no billets, you can’t do it period. a western saddle is different though. some have a loop that you "weave" the girth strap through. i don’t think info on western saddles will help you much though, in this case.
    References :

  2. Carly Says:
    July 21st, 2010 at 8:39 am

    The girth would attach to the billets, not the flaps, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Racing saddles, for example, have very short, small flaps but have billets that are equivalent to any other saddle. If you are missing billets on your saddle you would need to have a saddle builder make them for you.
    References :

  3. saddlefitter Says:
    July 21st, 2010 at 8:51 am

    I’m not quite sure what you mean here – are you talking about a monoflap (single flap) dressage saddle? There should be billets hanging down, either from the bottom of the flap or from a sleeve underneath / inside the flap itself.

    Most dressage saddles (and all monoflap dressage saddles) requite a short dressage girth – usually about 20" shorter than your long girth size.
    References :
    10 years as a professional saddler / saddle fitter, http://www.trumbullmtn.com, http://www.saddlefitter.blogspot.com

  4. zakiit Says:
    July 21st, 2010 at 9:24 am

    Gosh, how things must have changed since my day! Then dressage saddles had long straight flaps, long girth straps and a short girth.
    References :