The Effect of Girth Design and Girth Tension on Saddle-Horse Pressures and Forelimb Stride Kinematics in Rising Trot

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of girth design and girth tension; six horses regularly ridden were used. Each horse underwent four experimental sessions in an unbalanced Latin-square design with two girth tensions (8 kg or 16 kg) and two girth designs (straight girth (S) or anatomical girth (A)). Pressure between the saddle and the horse was measured at 100 Hz with a pressure mat (0.5 sensels per cm²). Notably, 2D limb kinematics were determined from anatomical markers placed on the fore and hindlimbs. Video was collected at 240 fps. There was no significant effect of girth type, girth tension, or girth type*tension interaction for any of the measured variables, with the exception of carpal flexion, which was significantly greater for A8 (median: 103°, 25th-75th percentile: 100-112°) than S8 (101°, 96-106°; p = 0.043). There was no effect of girth type (A or S) on mean saddle pressure for either cranial or caudal regions (p > 0.05), but caudal average pressure was significantly lower than cranial average pressure both at 8 and 16 kg tensions (p < 0.05). For both mean and peak pressure, the ratio cranial: caudal was significantly higher with 16 kg tension (p < 0.05), indicating that as the girth tension increases, the pressures shift towards the cranial aspect. In conclusion, neither girth tension nor girth type significantly influenced 2D limb kinematics, but higher tension has shifted the load towards the cranial area significantly, which could contribute to cranial thoracic back pain or injuries.