Cinchas and Cinchas Ties

I received the following questions from a gent concerning cinchas and latigo straps: "I looked at several of your videos and photographs and I am trying to determine how you secure your cinch. I have a hard time with my cinch strap and the belt buckle on the cinch. Also what type of cinch(s) do you prefer or recommend? I used to have a cotton rope traditional cinch but have since went to a neoprene cinch as my saddle keeps slipping. thank you in advance for answering my question. Lawrence."

Hello Lawrence, I am assuming that the problem you mention is finding the right hole in your latigo where the tongue of the buckle can keep the cincha tight enough but not too tight. I haven't used the buckle tongue on a cincha for decades now. I just use a friction tie from the cincha buckle through the saddle D ring to the keeper. In fact, on many of my cincha, I cut the tongue off the cincha buckle. Once I was doing a demo in a indoor arena and one of the ladies got my attention to tell me my cincha latigo was not secured through the buckle tongue. I replied "I cut the tongue off the buckle, I don't ever use it." She looked at me like I was a heathen. Anyway, the pictures below are closeups of the 'cowboy knot' and the fleece cincha buckle.

I am not, by any means, saying that this is a better method. I've ridden with a bunch of people, much better than I'll ever be, and they use the cincha buckle as designed. I was just tired of chasing the right hole to get the right cincha tension. The way I secure the cincha, which I have heard people call a 'cowboy knot', works for me, at least in part, as my saddles fit my horses very well and all of them have at least a little bit of withers to help the saddle stay positioned.

Years ago I used to secure the cincha latigo with a girth knot. I see people do that all the time and its a legitimate way, but for me it place too big of bulk under my leg. The pictures below show that method of securing the cincha.

For the past twenty or more years, I have used mostly fleece lined cinchas unless I was riding someone else horse and equipment. I have a couple Mohair cinchas and felt cinchas, but again I prefer fleece lined. I am just not a fan of neoprene cinchas or saddle pads for that matter. I think they build up heat too much.

You did not mention what type of saddle pad you are using. While you likely can't fix a really poor fitting saddle by using pads and blankets, I think you can make it better and the horse more comfortable. I use CSI pads that are formed for the withers and have vent holes, as well as plastic pressure plates to even out the pressure from the bars of the saddle. The pads are two piece, felt on the bottom and automotive carpet on top. However, there are several different makers of formed pads like 5 Star Equine. I would start by setting the saddle of your horse's back and see how it fits his back conformation, and go from there.

I hope this helps, good luck and safe riding.

Best Kind of Cinch?

Aaron wrote to ask about cinches. “My saddle tends to twist quite a bit on my paint gelding even when I tighten down so much that I think I may be hurting him. Do you have an opinion on the rubber cinches that are supposed to keep the saddle from tourquing to the side?”

Aaron, since you are writing you are obvious aware of the dangers of a loose saddle rolling onn the horse. Saw that on a high dollar horse and higher dollar saddle and it wasn't good for either. Sometimes a horse will hold air in his lungs or otherwise tense up a little as you saddle him up and once he relaxes the saddle will be a little loose. I always warm my horses up, usually in the round pen, then I’ll check the cinch and it always tends to need a little tightening. If this is not the case for your saddle rolling problem, then maybe it’s a saddle fit problem,.....too much (too thick) of a saddle blanket,.....bars of your saddle too narrow for your horse, or if you have a mutton withered horse, then maybe too wide of bars can all contribute to this.

As far as Neoprene cinches go, I don’t like them. However, alot of professionals I respect use them. I don’t use a Neoprene saddle pad either. I’m worried that the horse’s back or belly can’t breathe as well as other material. And as traditional as I’d like to be, I don’t use Mohair or cotton cinches either. I use a sheepskin lined cinch. I think it is more comfortable to the horse.

However, I would think that a Neoprene cinch would hold the saddle in place better than a traditional cincha or the sheepskin lined ones. I would also look into your saddle fit. See if they are any gall marks on the horse’s back such as spots where the hair is turning white as the saddle rotates and rubs. You can put white marks on a horse’s back even on one ride with an ill fitting saddle or even a saddle pad that has been caked with sweat and now has a sand paper type area that can run the horse raw. Good luck and safe journey.