We know that some pieces of tack—from bits and reins to saddles and pads—put various pressures on our horses. But what about that one piece of equipment that we're taught as youngsters to make as tight as possible? How does girth pressure affect horses' welfare and performance?

A group of British scientists say girth pressure can affect them quite a bit. So much, in fact, that they've created a new girth shape that curves around the primary high-pressure area, including on the horse’s barrel just behind his elbows—a common place for girth sores.

Rachel Murray, PhD, researcher at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, United Kingdom (UK), and Vanessa Fairfax of Fairfax Saddles in Walsall, UK, developed the low-pressure “Girth F,” which dips around the high-pressure point behind the elbows and provides cushioning around this area. Murray said the new design didn’t just redistribute pressure—it actually reduced peak pressure levels from the girth.

“Girth F in this project did not produce such high pressures (as a classic girth) at any point,” Murray said. “This is probably related to the design because of the shape of the girth and the pressure-absorbing material lining the underneath of the girth and the front edge where there were high pressures on other girths