Back in March, I asked my Social Media followers a question regarding girth straps and which side is the ‘right’ side.
Don’t Shoot The Messenger
Well, before you all shoot the messenger, what I am about to tell you is what is known as the ‘correct’ way.
Ask your Saddler/Saddle Fitter
This doesn’t mean that you have to go straight out and have your straps changed.
The ‘Correct’ Way
Girth straps should be stitched onto the
An awful lot of saddles are made with the girth straps the other way round (shiny side up).
This is predominantly due to consumer requests.
Whilst training for my City and Guilds Saddle Making qualification, I was taught to do everything the correct way.
This includes hand-stitching girth straps into saddles with the dull side up as this is the safest and most durable way for them to be done.
Customer’s Preference
Most customers don’t like the look of the girth straps this way round and therefore request that they are stitched with the shiny side up.
This is fine as long as the best British leather is used and they are checked on a regular (annual) basis.
However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will last as long and could be liable to split or tear through the holes.
Feeling Concerned?
If you do feel like you want to maintain your saddle girth straps for longer, then speak to your saddler or saddle fitter and they should be able to change them around or replace them if required.
Feel free to send them to me here if you don’t have a regular saddler or saddle fitter.
