Equipment • Everything Else • Everything else

A New Invention: the Tapestry Comfort Girth?

9 years ago
6 Comments
by Kerry

Screen shot 2014-11-18 at 14.17.57Although we all have ideas here and there of things that might help our horses and ourselves, very few of us will ever push hard enough to get them into production. However, there is one person who does, and some of you may already know about the Spursuader, Linda Hauck’s excellent invention. Many horses hugely appreciate the different feel of these flat ‘coin’ ends, rather than the surely sharper feel of a spur. Why the FEI continues to disallow them in a mystery!

Linda’s latest invention is the ‘Tapestry Girth’, full details, including a video clearly showing the girth, are HERE.

Screen shot 2014-11-18 at 14.22.28

Linda’s very successful ‘Spursuader’

The girth is specifically designed to address symmetry, keeping the saddle secure and most importantly to “breathe” with the horse. There is a central 6″ sternum piece which has non-slip neoprene against the horse’s skin. From there there are 2 sets of elastic which minimize the pressure on the muscles in that area and expand with the horse’s chest as it breathes, which is something most girths don’t/can’t do.

 One of the equine researchers at the University of Guelph made this comment about the girth:
“Linda why hasn’t this already been invented, it makes total sense.”
If you have a look at the video (on the link above) you will see the design and how it sits on the horse.
Like Spursuaders, the Tapestry girths will be made in association with well-known manufacturer Shires Equestrian.
Linda is seeking support via crowd sourcing, a Kickstarter campaign, as fully explained in the top link. Full prototypes of the girth have already been made and extensively tested, so this product is well beyond the drawing board! This is a great way to help out a talented inventor working in the equine field, and secure a Tapestry Comfort Girth at a discounted price.
I am definitely going to go ahead and order one, I am intrigued to see the difference it might make to my horses. I am very encouraged by Linda’s assurance:

“With the Kickstarter campaign no one will be charged unless I make my target. If I don’t achieve my goal I will still honour the prices I am offering to those that believed in me. We are aiming for them to be on the market Feb/Mar of 2015.”

I think it’s definitely worth looking at if you have a girthy, or jibby horse. Perhaps a more comfortable girth, with real give, might make all the difference…

 

 

 

 

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Kerry

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6 Comments

  • Brilliant idea – I have backed it and hope you get to your goal.

    May be worth adding the link for people to donate should they so wish – I haven’t added it as I wasn’t sure if it was a conscious choice!

    • Hi Tracey,
      Just looked at the Flexi-girth site (we don’t have this in Canada) and they don’t look alike at all.
      I used to train thoroughbred racehorses and got the idea from the girths we used for racing, but wanted a central piece to keep the saddle from slipping or rocking especially with eventers and jumpers.
      Linda

  • Krista, the link to the page is right there. Donations can be made on the right of that page, it is very clear.

  • The flexi girth has a central elastic bit and then two separate straps either side made of seat-belt material. The above girth has a central part of neoprene and then the two straps either side are made of elastic, correct? So the only difference appears to be which material is used where.