Breastplates - elastic or no?

[Redlei44]

Somewhere along the line, I picked up the idea that it is better not to have elastic in a breastplate that is being used to help keep a saddle in place (as opposed to being used just as an anchor for a running attachment, for example, or just as an oh-sh** strap). The reason being that the elastic (obviously) allows some amount of stretch/slip, at which point it’s pulled too tight for general comfort. Better to have a properly fitted leather breastplate that is stable.

True or not (in your experience/learning)?

[CHT]

I have never used a regular breastplate to keep the saddle in place in general: that means the saddle doesn’t really fit. An exception would be a horse that really stretches over a fence, and so the breastplate only needs to work when the horse has its shoulders pulled forward over the jump, so doesn’t need to be snug in general, just be there for those exceptional jumps.

I use an elastic so the horse doesn’t feel a strong pull if the really reach forward with their shoulders over a fence.

[Highflyer]

I’ve used both elastic and leather traditional breastplates and an elastic 5 point and have never found that to be an issue, but I don’t put them particularly snug to begin with. I did feel like it was an issue with the jumper breastcollar I had as a kid (the kind that was just a band of elastic that ran from saddle dee to saddle dee across the horse’s chest.) I know GM used to rant about elastic in his columns.

[173north]

I wouldn’t use a breastplate without at least SOME elastic, as you risk impeding the motion of the horse’s shoulder.