Customizable Mattès short girth — choice of sheepskin and color
Taxes included.
Shipping costs calculated at checkout.
Why sheepskin?
The lambskin cover is not for the rider’s comfort: it works for the horse. Its fibres distribute the girth’s pressure instead of concentrating it along a ridge, and eliminate friction where the skin is thin and moves with every stride.
It can be removed, washed and replaced. That is why the cover can also be ordered separately: the girth lasts for years, while the cover wears out. You only repurchase the part that has been used.
Lambskin must not be cared for like a textile: ordinary detergent dries it out. The method can be summed up in three lines — see “How do you care for sheepskin?” below.
What shape for your horse?
The shape is chosen based on the horse’s conformation: the position of the girth groove and the line of the body.
- Anatomical — for a horse with a well-defined girth groove. Slightly contoured at the front and back, around the elbows.
- Asymmetrical — for a horse whose girth groove is close to the elbows or not very pronounced. The cutout provides ample clearance around the elbows. The horse gains greater freedom of movement.
- Half-moon — for a short-backed horse with rounded ribs or a narrow chest, where the girth tends to slide forward. The curve prevents this and frees the elbows.
- Athletico — for an athletically built horse that tapers toward the rear. The cut prevents the saddle and girth from sliding backward.
If you are unsure, our size guide explains how to measure and choose the shape—and we will confirm your configuration with you before production begins.
What you put together
A girth made for your horse, not for a standard size. You choose the shape that suits its conformation, the length to the centimetre and every colour: the preview updates at each click, so you see your girth before you order it.
- 4 shapes — anatomic, asymmetric, half-moon, athletico, depending on the position of the girth groove and the line of the body
- 15 lengths, from 50 to 120 cm
- 38 fabric colours, 33 lambskin, 57 binding, freely combined
- Lambskin cover detachable or sewn on
- Options: Silver Reflex reflective binding, buckle covers, girth elastics
The complete girth can also be ordered as separate parts: the base girth alone, or the lambskin cover alone to replace one that has done its time.
Each piece is stitched to order in the Mattès workshop, in Poland. We confirm your configuration with you before production starts: a doubt about length is settled by a message, not by a return. Allow about a month.
How do you care for sheepskin?
Everyday care — let the girth dry, then brush the sheepskin with a stiff brush to remove dried sweat. That is the essential care it needs.
From time to time, or as soon as it gets dirty, machine-wash it with a special sheepskin detergent. These detergents clean and recondition the sheepskin, just as you grease a saddle’s leather: this is what ensures the sheepskin’s longevity.
Never use ordinary detergent or fabric softener. Standard detergent dries out the sheepskin: it cracks, and the sheepskin eventually tears away. This is the only real way to damage a Mattès cover.
Your girth comes with a care booklet and a detergent sample. We also sell the appropriate detergent — feel free to order some with your girth.
About Mattès ...
The house of Mattès, since 1867
E.A. Mattes is a German family business founded on 1 April 1867, independent ever since and still run by the family — Peter Mattes and Elke Jordan-Mattes, joined in 2020 by Richard Mattes and Simon Feuerstein. Working hide and leather is the original trade, not a sideline.
Products are developed with professional riders and saddlers and — Mattès states — with the equine department of the University of Zurich's veterinary hospital and the German Institute of Equine Osteopathy in Dülmen.
The material
Australian lambskin exclusively, selected on the fineness and density of the fibre. Mattès states that only about 3 % of Australian production meets its criteria, and has sourced there for close to forty years.
The making
Assembled in Europe, in the group's own workshop. Every personalised piece is stitched to order, not taken from stock.
Automotive
According to the brand, its lambskins also line car seats, and Mattès is one of the few approved suppliers to Mercedes-Benz for lambskin seat covers.
Aviation
Again according to the brand, its lambskins are also used by Bentley and Boeing. Durability specifications with nothing equestrian about them — which the same material has to meet.
That is what a Mattès girth pays for: a sorted material, assembly one piece at a time, and a cover that is replaced instead of condemning the girth.
Photographs: E.A. Mattes GmbH.
