How to Measure the Girth for a English Saddle

Measure your horse for the proper girth size to assure proper fit of the saddle.

Properly fitted tack is vital to a safe and enjoyable ride with your horse. Tack that is improperly fitted can cause behavioral problems with your horse as well as an accident for you. Both English and Western saddle girths and cinches are measured in the same manner.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Assistant

Instructions

Measure for Girth Size

1. Stand your horse on a level surface to obtain an accurate measurement.

2. Wrap the tape measure over the horse's withers (the point where the neck and back meet). Ask your assistant to hand the tape back to you under the horse's barrel (the area just behind the front elbow).

3. Pull the two ends of the tape measure together tightly. This measurement is the horse's heart girth in inches. The tape measure will be at a slight angle with the top point at the withers being a few inches further back then the bottom point at the belly.

4. Divide the heart girth measurement by two. Subtract three from the answer. (Example: Heart girth is 71 inches. Divide by 2 gives you 35.5 inches. Subtract 3: the answer is 32.5 inches)

5. Round the number up to the next even whole number since girths only come in even numbers. The girth size would become 34.

Tips & Warnings

• Re-measure your horse for girth size throughout the year. Since their weight and size can vary from summer, when they are out on pasture to the winter, when they just receive hay.

• Do not use a metal tape measure. If you do not have a soft tape measure, use a piece of string or rope and mark the point where they meet.

References

• y Way: How to Measure Girth Size