Surcingle the withers area. It usually has padding to relieve pressure on the horse's spine. A variation of this design is used for equestrian vaulting. Many trainers first teach a young horse to accept girth pressure by strapping on a surcingle before a saddle and girth. The surcingle is commonly used for longeing, often as a base from which to attach training equipment such as side reins, overcheck, lauffer reins (sliding side reins), or chambons. A surcingle is also important in long lining or ground driving, as it provides rings for the long reins to run through. Double longeing, using two
Tree girth measurement of the tree. In these cases the measurement should be taken there and the height above the base of the tree noted. Some trees have branches at or lower than a height of . Since the purpose of a girth measurement is to get a full measure of the tree’s trunk, measurements should be taken at the narrowest point below any significant branching. When taking a girth measurement at a non-standard height the height of that measurement above the base of the tree should be noted. Epicormic sprouts, suckers, and dead branches can be ignored. Some guidelines have suggested that