LeMieux Girths and Girth Covers

What riders say about LeMieux girths

Riders tell us what they notice about LeMieux girths.

Choose by discipline first and by your horse’s skin second. LeMieux makes Gel-Tek anatomic and Arika contoured girths for jumping, stud work and everyday schooling, leather and integrated girths for dressage, and a hunter girth with a detachable liner. Once you know the line, the length and size follow your saddle and your horse.

Gel-Tek girths are anatomically shaped in soft oiled leather, with gel-impregnated pockets on the leading edge. Arika girths use soft, supple leather with double elastic on both sides, and the stud versions add a leather pad at the strike point. The fleece-lined anatomic girth is a synthetic option with a soft fleece lining, made with sensitive horses in mind. Hunter girths come in pre-oiled American leather with a matte finish and a detachable Merino+ or non-slip liner.

Every LeMieux product is on the LeMieux page, and more makes are on the horse girths and cinches page.

Girth length follows your saddle. A dressage saddle has long billets and takes a short girth, so the dressage options are short: the leather dressage girth, the leather dressage girth with a detachable Simuwool liner, the integrated dressage girth and the Gel-Tek anatomic dressage girth. The integrated girth is made for dressage saddles and for mono-flap saddles, with synthetic webbing, a faux fur lining and a center dee ring.

A jumping or all-purpose saddle has short billets and takes a long girth, such as the Gel-Tek anatomic jumping girth, the Arika contoured long girth or the leather long girth with Simuwool. Because the length follows the saddle, a short dressage girth does not turn into a jumping girth; pick the girth that matches the saddle you ride in. Stud versions come in long and short lengths for riders who stud up.

An anatomic girth is shaped to leave room behind the elbows rather than pressing straight across them. In the LeMieux range that means the Gel-Tek anatomic girths, with gel-impregnated pockets on the leading edge, the Arika contoured girths, and the fleece-lined anatomic girth for sensitive horses.

A horse with a forward girth groove can still pull a saddle forward, so an anatomic girth is one part of the answer. Have a saddle fitter check how the saddle sits as well as the girth, and use the size links above to see every length in your range.

Sizes depend on the style. Short girths for dressage saddles and short stud styles run from 18 to 32 inches in 2-inch steps. Long girths run from 40 to 57 inches. Covers and sleeves come in small, medium, large and extra large, and some styles are one size.

Fit the girth so the buckles sit around the middle of the billet holes on both sides, with room left to tighten after you warm up. Each product page carries its own size chart image, so check it for the style you choose. One rider notes the fleece-lined girth runs about an inch small, so compare with the girth you use now before you order.

A cover or sleeve adds a soft, washable layer to a girth. Merino+ covers are 70 percent Merino wool and 30 percent acrylic, each made for a specific Gel-Tek girth, trimmed to fit and held with touchtape fasteners. Machine wash them and air dry flat. Simuwool covers and sleeves are faux lambswool that washes and dries quickly.

Match the cover to the girth by name and length, then pick your size: a short stud girth takes a short stud cover, a jumping girth a jumping cover.