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[melissah]

Seriously, what is the difference. I am looking for a wool cinch for Mercy. The only Merino Wool I found is by Professional Choice. I do a lot of ordering from Riding Warehouse only because they are so close I get it next day and free shipping. But they don't sell that brand or that particular cinch. But they carry a shearling cinch.

If you had to pick one for comfort of the horse which would you pick? I HATE the neoprene and it pulls so much hair off her.

Scroll down to fleece....which would you recommend? I want it by this weekend so I can ride without putting her in pain.

http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Western_Cinches/catpage-WCINCH.html

[kathypa]

I'm cheap. The straight one with the roller buckle that's on sale.
 Banjo picked a fabric backed felt one I bought for $5 at a tack swap.

[Kellie in OR]

This is the one I would pick from that page….

http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Toklat_Woolback_Fleece_Roper_Cinch_with_Roller_Buckles/descpage-TWRCRB.html

[loneelk]

Actual style prob'ly depends on what she likes best.  And it may take a few different tries to get that right.  I have to say that I was VERY happy w/ a Toklat woolback saddle pad that I ordered a year or so ago--first one that actually worked (size & shape wise) w/ my Orthoflex Express.  Unfortunately it still didn't fit right, AND I discovered in allergy tests early last summer that Skeeter is allergic to wool :-(
But if you don't have allergy issues to deal with, Toklat woolback is an awesome material.  As I understand it, it's made like the "wool" mattress pads that are used for bed-bound folks to minimize pressure sores.  It's not actually "sheepskin" but rather wool fibers turned into fleece on a knit backing.
I have a bias for the "roper style" because it spreads pressure over a wider area, but prob'ly depends on what Mercy prefers.  Some horses do fine in a "straight" girth/cinch.
What I like about neoprene compared to fleece in our part of the country is that we have LOTS of little sticky plants that like to stick to fleece, and if we ride through a bunch of them, it's nearly impossible to get them all out.  But that really does have to go w/ what your horse likes best. 

[melissah]

Thanks! Now the question is size.

This is the video from RW on how to measure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me_YnbtJ4bg

according to their way she should go with a 34" and I got some feedback that a 32" was too long.

They say a 34"....she measures 73" what say you? All? 

[KysaSD]

I cannot imagine a 34 on horse as small as mercy.  My stocky gals wear a 28.

[melissah]

I cannot imagine a 34 on horse as small as mercy.  My stocky gals wear a 28.

Thanks Kysa! This is just what I needed! I remember someone mentioned you had said this. I will have to go out and measure Mercy this way. So I should measure from under here to these points you have documented? Yeah, I read this 10 years ago.....but never looked back. Looking at how high her cinch now makes me uncomfortable. I did an image search and many did their cinches as you did. The western way is not right.

[kckc]

go to the equipedic site and read about shorter girths.... my 16' twh wears a short English girth (I think it's 24"), my stocky mares both wear the same girth - your mare should be smaller in the girth area than mine

[RackinRocky]

Agreed- 34" would be WAY too long for your mare. It's actually better to go smaller; as the pic shows, it doesn't put pressure in a sensitive area, and it will keep the saddle more securely in place. I also prefer the roper style, as it spreads the pressure out, and a plain string cinch, "roper" style is the only kind of cinch I use now. It "breathes" too and is more comfortable for the horse, as it has openings. I also tried the Neoprene and HATED it, especially in summer. They really make a horse sweat, and it has to be uncomfortable.  I've known people who use merino wool as well as fleece, and honestly, they are a lot more expensive than the plain, simple string cinches that have been used at least since I was a little girl--50 years. They are also super easy to clean. Just rinse after you ride and hang up to dry! Why pay a lot of money when these cinches are time-proven?

[melissah]

I've always heard that string cinches can pinch a horse.

[melissah]

go to the equipedic site and read about shorter girths.... my 16' twh wears a short English girth (I think it's 24"), my stocky mares both wear the same girth - your mare should be smaller in the girth area than mine

That's the site I been going to reading all this info. In fact, I think this is how I was taught 10 years ago. Now to wait for Hannah to get home and help me with the tape measure. Unless Storm will hold one end for me lol

[Iceangel]

I use the Toklat like Kellie posted. Great cinch/girth.

[melissah]

I use the Toklat like Kellie posted. Great cinch/girth.

I like that one....but they only have it in 36 

The length of a girth/cinch is based on the length of your billets, or saddle - for western - which is the long length of leather thingy on the other side, and how far it comes down.  Also has to do with how big around your horse is. 

You measure the size of a girth/cinch by where you want it to reside at the bottom/under of your saddle flaps.

I just bought a brand new saddle.  My old saddle had short billets.  New saddle long billets.  HOWEVER, the new saddle does not have long long long billets like some other dressage type saddles have.  This is not a dressage saddle (but similar)(it is another Lovell & Ricketts saddle btw), but typically long billets are seen on dressage saddles, and some newer saddles

I own a 23" dressage girth. No way it would fit this saddle.  I bought a 30" girth and that is perfect.  It fits about in the middle of the holes on the leathers.  If the horse gets fat or thinner there is room to groove above and below.  Same if I want a thicker or thinner pad under the saddle. 

Roller buckles are the only way to go.

As to wool and what is the difference?  Some wool is fine, like cat hair. Some wool is like wool on a woolback pad.  You want the latter.  It will hold up to washing, and wear very well.  If you can can elastic in the girth buckles, this is very good.  It will give equal pressure on both sides, which is what you want for your horse.  You do not want fleece, which is polyester.  You can also do a neoprene girth.  They have changed alot over the years.  When I started to use them they galled.  Things have progressed, Wintec has really great girths out.  My new girth is a wintec dressage, double rollers, elastic both ends. 

I have many girths.  Leather, woolback.  The leather, and woolbacks have lasted a lifetime.  The old style neoprene has been tossed out long ago.  The wintec girths of today are holding up nicely.

BTW for my rocky who is 985#'s, 15.1HH, a traditional stocky RM, and she does take in my saddle, with the billets lengths the saddle came with, a 30" dressage girth.  I think this saddle maker put long billets, but yet they are not as long as other saddles.  Why?  The maker recognized the fact that owners had issues with finding small enough girths due to the long length of the billets.  However with that said, some saddle makers with the really long billets punch holes above and below, as to give the saddle owner and option on girth length.  Some horses with a girth that attached way down low, the owners couldn't find a short enough girth. So the maker (L&R) shortened it a bit.  That way the owners of the horses didn't have to have custom made teenie tiny girths made.  However, the buckles are still lower, and not under the flap of the saddle.  With all that history/trivia I have said, remember, you can have your billets replaced to whatever length you need.  OR if you have long billets and no high up holes, then punch some in there.  And this same mare in my other saddle (they are pretty much identical except one has short billets the other long billets) uses a 48" girth.  And for even more trivia, with the SAME shorter billet saddle, my QH, 15.3HH and he was 1300#'s, he used a 56" girth. 

Ok, I know I have more than likely not answered your question(s).  I will delete if inappropriate.   

O

“Words are far more damaging than any weapon. The body heals and the scars fade, but the internal damage is eternal.”

“Only if you wish to make it that way.  I will not intrude where I am not wanted.”

Okay.....I need 3 more cups of coffee then I can re-read this. 

LOL....It is way too early.


Where should I be about here.....this saddle?


"There is only one way to measure the size cinch/girth that is correct for your horse. The buckles of the cinch must be clear of the elbow and yet still be below the apex of the curve of the rib cage. Looking at this closer look of the horse’s front leg, we can see where the elbow is. We can also see where the shoulder and the point of the shoulder is. This is not where the cinch/girth should be. The lowest point it can be is about 3-4" above the elbow. This will allow for clearance when your horse brings his leg back. There will be no interference at this point. If you take a string and hold it on one side of the horse at a point 3-4" above the elbow, and then run it under your horse to the opposite side at the same point (3-4" above the elbow) you will have measured the length of the cinch/girth you horse needs. Simply place the string against a yard stick or tape measure and you will have the exact length. May people who use 30"-34" cinches/girths will be very surprised by what they find. The length for most horse’s will be between 24-26" no matter how tall, big, or type of confirmation. Some horses will be less."

[Cassidy]

for years we used neoprane which did not bother our horses like it does Mercy.  But with the new horse we have switched to Alpaca string girths and love them as do the horses.  The Alpaca is a bit softer then the Mohair which is still nice.  Alpaca can stretch a bit the first few times but I have not found that to happen.  but it does seem to have more give so that it isn't too tight.  but we all have our likes and dislikes so you may try a few before you find "the" one.  Oh, and I have always thought string girths would cut into a horse so hated them .. I will NOT use cotton or nylon ever, but the Alpaca or Mohair are both nice just hard to find small.

[loneelk]

I'm thinking that Oncidium may have pointed out an interesting dilemma to the "shorter is better" concept.  Which is that the length of the girth you use will be influenced by how far the billets come down (unless you replace your current billets w/ longer ones).  When I first got the CR Ovation, the 34" Supra-Cinch that we'd been using was barely long enough.  I don't like nylon rigging straps so I replaced the standard nylon w/ leather on the front, and new rear billet straps in leather are next on my "wish list". 
So that's another consideration.  Before I completely gave up trying to use my "one size fits all" (NOT!) Orthoflex, I learned about the "short girth" concept, but then realized that I was going to have to put extensions on the girth straps, and the more I thought about it, the less that made sense.
What happened to the good ol' days when I just went into the tack room, grabbed a saddle and saddle blanket and off we went?