Ovation Gel Body Form Dressage Girth

I never thought much about girths until a saddle fitter recommended using anatomic girths for Isabel. Very conveniently, Tack of the Day had gorgeous Pessoa anatomic leather girths that same week and I giddily snatched up a 46" for Isabel's jump saddle. 

'we do the dressage thing, yes?' - isabel

Unfortunately Isabel quite explicitly told me that it didn't work for her - she's too narrow through the chest and the anatomic curve doesn't quite fit between her elbows. So back to her owner's Lettia CoolMax fleece girth we went. (and for anyone interested - that lovely Pessoa girth is for sale here. It's currently on eBay, but I'm entertaining any and all offers).

But I revisited the anatomic girth idea after buying a dressage saddle and an inexpensive Wintec dressage girth that Isabel also thought was nooooo bueno (think, big puffed up belly, snippy snarky faces with curled up nostrils, pinned ears and tail swishes... I mean, yes she's a red mare but this was a bit excessive).

'no moar, plz! no moar dressage, k?!?' - isabel

Many other blogs are abuzz about the Total Saddle Fit but I was pretty hesitant to shell out those dollars on another big ticket girth after our first failure. So my saddle fitter stepped back in with another recommendation: the Ovation Gel Body Form Dressage Girth ($36.99 from Dover).

This girth isn't as extremely offset as many other anatomic girths on the market, but it's pretty flexible and the unique 'C' shape allows for clearance at the elbow. The widest part of the girth in the center has a gel insert that feels nicely squishy to the touch.

The girth has elastic at both ends and is made of a neoprene-y type material that the Dover rep (who owns one) said cleans up perfectly well with a hose and some soap. And there's just one big stretchy loop to keep the billets in place, rather than multiple smaller loops that can be annoying to thread the billets through if you're like me and adjust the girth after getting on. 

Really, it's a pretty simple non-leather girth with an interesting design that fits the horse well. The reason why I am SO FREAKING EXCITED about it? Isabel straight up did not notice when I put it on the first time (on the loosest hole). And proceeded to give zero fucks while I tightened it. 

poor princess got relegated to the cross ties for the first time EVER bc she could.not.stand.still

Um, that's actually pretty ground breaking in my world bc Isabel has an opinion about EVERYTHING - and especially anything that has to do with her belly region. So for her to not care at all about a girth when she's historically been very clear about what she doesn't like is saying something. 

still danced tho haha

So this girth is absolutely sticking around as our go-to. Reviewers say they've had the girth 2 years and counting and it's still in good shape. But at this cost, it's not exactly a big deal to pick up a second to be used exclusively for showing. 

I bought a 24" (the smallest size offered through Dover) and my saddle fitter recommended sizing down if you're in between sizes since the material may stretch.