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Anatomical Girths
Premium Anatomical Girths for Optimal fit and comfort
Discover the Mattes Anatomical Girth, expertly shaped to accommodate your horse’s natural movement. Available in short, long, and western cinch styles, with a choice of quilted cotton or elegant Slimline leather.
Anatomic girths helps reduce pressure and improve saddle stability, especially in horses with well-defined girth grooves or strong shoulders.
Showing all 6 results
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Mattes Custom Long Anatomical Sheepskin Girth
price from: £121.06 View ProductQuilt Colour OptionsPlus Binding & Sheepskin Options -
Mattes Custom Long Anatomic Slimline Leather Sheepskin Girth
price from: £121.06 View ProductMain Leather ColoursSheepskin Colour Options -
Mattes Custom Slimline Anatomic Leather Sheepskin Western Cinch
price from: £121.06 View ProductMain Leather ColoursSheepskin Colour Options -
Mattes Custom Short Anatomic Slimline Leather Sheepskin Girth
price from: £121.06 View ProductMain Leather ColoursSheepskin Colour Options -
Mattes Custom Anatomic Cotton Sheepskin Western Cinch
price from: £105.94 View ProductQuilt Colour OptionsPlus Binding & Sheepskin Options -
Mattes Custom Short Anatomic Sheepskin Girth
price from: £105.94 View ProductQuilt Colour OptionsPlus Binding & Sheepskin Options
What is an Anatomical Girth?
An anatomical girth is designed to contour around your horse’s chest, curving slightly forward behind the elbows and back around the ribcage. Unlike straight girths, the anatomical shape helps reduce pressure on sensitive areas, such as the sternum and elbow pockets, allowing the horse to move more freely and breathe more easily.
For horses with good conformation and a well-defined girth groove, that sits far enough away from the elbow, an anatomical girth helps prevent forward slipping of the saddle and minimizes girth-related discomfort—improving performance, stride length, and overall comfort. Anatomical girths are cut back in the front and rear in the elbow area, and due to its elliptical shape can be rotated.
Why Choose the Mattes Anatomical Girth Range?
- ✔ Relieves pressure behind the elbows and sternum
- ✔ Improves saddle stability and rider balance
- ✔ Suitable for horses with forward girth grooves
- ✔ Choice of short, long, and western cinch styles
- ✔ Fast options: 2-week dispatch on black or brown
- ✔ Free expert fitting consultation available
✔ Anatomical Shape
The Mattes anatomic design is slightly contoured, making it suitable for horses good conformation and average to slightly forward girth grooves. The shape helps anchor the girth in the correct position, especially for horses where a straight girth would otherwise pull forward or cause pinching.
✔ Three Functional Styles
- Anatomical Short Girth: Ideal for dressage or monoflap saddles.
- Anatomical Long Girth: Designed for jumping or GP saddles with standard billets.
- Anatomical Western Cinch: For western saddles with cinch rigging, maintaining the same ergonomic benefits.
✔ Two High-Quality Styles
- Cotton Quilted Version: A soft, breathable base with unique pressure spreader plates covered by Mattes traditional cotton quilt. Customisable in colour, perfect for everyday use.
- Slimline Leather Version: Pressure spreader plates wrapped in elegant padded leather with a narrow profile for a sleeker look and for competition or riders, or riders whose horse has a narrower girth grove.
✔ Removable Lambskin Lining
Each Mattes girth comes with removable genuine lambskin covers for the ultimate in pressure distribution and comfort. This feature makes cleaning and replacement easy while offering maximum padding under the sternum.
Which Horses Benefit Most from an Anatomical Girth?
- Horses with good conformation
- Horses with a forward girth groove
- Horses with a well-defined ribcage or prominent sternum
- Sensitive horses experiencing discomfort with straight girths
Note: Anatomical girths are not ideal for all horses. If your horse has a wide barrel or saddle that slips backward, the Mattes Crescent or Asymmetric girths may be more suitable. Learn more in our Anatomical Girth Guide.
Not sure if the anatomical shape is right for your horse?
We offer a free personalised girth consultation to help you choose the best shape and fit. Learn more →
Helpful Links
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do custom Mattes girths take to arrive?
All Mattes girths are handmade to order in their factory in Poland, with most custom colour combinations taking around 4–6 weeks to produce.
However, if you’re short on time, Mattes hold a limited stock of black and brown girths in standard sizes. If you’re happy to match your saddle colour rather than fully customise, we can often supply these in as little as 2 weeks.
We also carry a selection of Mattes girths in stock at our UK showroom—if you need something urgently, just contact us or phone us on 01386833050 and we’ll check availability for you.
It’s a great way to find the right fit faster, and we’re always happy to help.
How do I know if my horse needs one?
Consider an anatomical girth if your horse shows girth sensitivity, saddle slipping, restricted stride, or elbow discomfort when riding. They’re particularly useful when regular girths don’t solve these issues. Still unsure? We offer a free girth fitting consultation to help you decide the best shape and style for your horse.
Are Mattes girths customisable?
Yes! Both Mattes anatomical girth styles are fully customisable.
The cotton quilt version is available in over 30 stunning colours, with your choice of binding and matching lambskin trims.
The Slimline leather version offers 4 leather colour options and more than 30 lambskin shades—perfect for coordinating with your tack, competition gear, or team colours.
With Mattes, you can create a girth that’s not only functional, but uniquely yours.
Why are Mattes custom girths more expensive?
Mattes anatomical girths cost more because they’re custom made by hand to your exact specifications, with premium materials, precision shaping, and bespoke craftsmanship.
Every Mattes girth is built to order—not mass-produced—ensuring both superior performance and a truly tailored fit for your horse.
What are Mattes anatomical girths made from?
Mattes anatomical girths are available in quilted cotton or Slimline leather, both featuring plastic spreader plates, and removable lambskin linings for comfort and skin protection.
Should I choose the quilted or Slimline version?
The quilted version is breathable and customisable, great for everyday. The Slimline leather option is sleeker, easy to clean, and more elegant for competition use, but also 2cm narrower, great if your horse has a narrower girth grove.
Why should I choose a Mattes anatomical girth?
Mattes anatomical girths are among the best-designed girths available today. Engineered for comfort and performance, their shape offers precise pressure relief and optimal saddle stability—making them ideal for horses with forward girth grooves or girth sensitivity. Trusted by professional riders and everyday equestrians alike, we’ve helped hundreds of customers find the perfect fit with Mattes, earning consistently positive feedback on both comfort and craftsmanship.
What is an anatomical girth?
An anatomical girth is a girth that is specially shaped to sit further back on the horse’s barrel, curving forward behind the elbow and under the sternum. This relieves pressure on sensitive areas while improving saddle stability.
Which horses would benefit from using an anatomical girth?
Horses with good conformation, a forward girth groove or sensitive elbows benefit most. The shape helps keep the saddle stable and relieves pressure behind the elbow.
Is the anatomical shape right for every horse?
Not necessarily. Horses with wide ribcages or shifting saddles may be better suited to Crescent or Asymmetric girths. Use our fitting guide to choose correctly.
Are there any downsides to using an anatomical girth?
Anatomical girths are often more expensive and require more precise sizing than straight girths. Incorrect fit will reduce their benefits or cause slipping.
Featured Reviews
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One happy Girl!
My mare is one happy girl in her new girth! After having a foal and changing shape I was struggling to find a girth that fit her well with fluff that ...More
My mare is one happy girl in her new girth! After having a foal and changing shape I was struggling to find a girth that fit her well with fluff that would stay in place covering her sensitive armpits. Because of this she was getting a little sore during girthing up, but her new custom made mattes girth has made her happy and comfortable again! Thank you
We Love the Mattes Girth
We LOVE the mattes girth, utter life saver and of course the sheepskin is beautiful quality and the horse is fully recovered from his girth gall issue...More
We LOVE the mattes girth, utter life saver and of course the sheepskin is beautiful quality and the horse is fully recovered from his girth gall issue. My girl groom, Lou, says she has used the cheaper ones with a fabric? girth rather than leather and that they were excellent too. Your kind and cheerful service is a tonic and you explained exactly why we couldn’t get this girth sooner!! The frustrations of horses 🥴. We will order a spare sheepskin soon in the natural but tbh this sheepskin washed like a dream and dried very quickly so not an issue yet!!
Many thanks
Rebecca
PS will get a photo soon but we are lambing at the moment and said horse is not remotely white as we are walking around like zombies due to feeding orphan lambs every 4 hours! Somerset, UK.
Many thanks
Rebecca
PS will get a photo soon but we are lambing at the moment and said horse is not remotely white as we are walking around like zombies due to feeding orphan lambs every 4 hours! Somerset, UK.
Girth Received thanks
Hi Pink Equine. I received the girth this morning and it is beautiful, I love the platinum sheepskin colour. Can't wait to try it on my horse and will...More
Hi Pink Equine. I received the girth this morning and it is beautiful, I love the platinum sheepskin colour. Can't wait to try it on my horse and will let you know how I get on. Thanks. Colorado, USA.
Mattes girth is amazing
Just a quick message to say thank you for helping me choose the right girth. The quality is superb and the sheepskin is so thick. The girth fits beaut...More
Just a quick message to say thank you for helping me choose the right girth. The quality is superb and the sheepskin is so thick. The girth fits beautifully as you said it would.
Hertfordshire, UK.
Hertfordshire, UK.
Beautiful Girth
I just ordered the Mattes Athletico girth from you and am emailing to thank you for the 1st class recommendation. It has completely stopped my saddle ...More
I just ordered the Mattes Athletico girth from you and am emailing to thank you for the 1st class recommendation. It has completely stopped my saddle from slipping, just wish I had found you sooner!!
Sheffield, UK.
Sheffield, UK.
Mattes Anatomic Girth
Living in the US I haven't ordered much from the UK so was a bit nervous, but all received ok and the girth is absolutely stunning and fits like a glo...More
Living in the US I haven't ordered much from the UK so was a bit nervous, but all received ok and the girth is absolutely stunning and fits like a glove thank you for a first class service.
Texas, USA.
Texas, USA.
Mattes girth is a perfect fit
Just to say thanks. I was struggling to find a girth to fit my horse Bobby who is short and compact and this girth fits beautifully, plus the sheepski...More
Just to say thanks. I was struggling to find a girth to fit my horse Bobby who is short and compact and this girth fits beautifully, plus the sheepskin is so soft. He is going so much better in it. Hertfordshire, UK.
I think this is my fifth matching set
Denise I think this is the fifth matching set I have purchased from Pink Equine. As usual, the quality is top notch and the colours are amazing as is ...More
Denise I think this is the fifth matching set I have purchased from Pink Equine. As usual, the quality is top notch and the colours are amazing as is your customer service. I tell all my friends and wouldn't go anywhere else. Look forward to seeing the new bridles! Florida, USA.
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