Does anybody have a good example of proper cinch length, or know what the general rule of thumb is? My current 36 inch cinch is too long now that my mare is a off of grass for the year, and has lost a bit of her belly. The tack shop suggested that I go with a 32, but to me it looks too short. It comes up barely to her elbows. Wondering if I should make the trek back to the shop to get a 34, or not (hour and a half round trip, so want to make extra sure before going).
Do you have a picture of the 32"? 32" is pretty “standard” for most 15hh-ish horses. 32" may even be on the larger side of standard.
Generally you want the cinch rings just above the elbow on both sides, so they don’t hit the rings when they’re moving. I’d estimate there’s generally 6-8" on both sides between the cinch ring and the saddle rigging.
36" is huge. Like…draft horse huge.
Here’s a fairly good article: http://www.equipedic.com/Measure_Cinches_Girths.htm
Well, she is a draft cross. She is 16 hands, so maybe I should go with the 34. I will have to double check when I ride today, but it looked like a lot more than 6-8 inches on either side.
Ahh, in that case the 34" might be best. But…just make sure the rings are out of the way of her elbows and if they are the 32" would be fine.
That article doesn’t make much sense to me. You have a band circling the horse made up of saddle, latigos (or latigo and billet) and cinch. Where one stops and the other starts won’t make the saddle slide from side to side. That depends on how the saddle fits the horse, not the length of the cinch. They make it sound like the cinch goes up to the widest part of the horse and keeps going straight up, so you can’t get it tight. No it doesn’t. It follows the curve of the horse, just like the latigos do. And having a short cinch makes no difference to how easily a horse can breathe. Having at least one component of that four part band made of natural material which has a bit of stretch, as opposed to all synthetic such as nylon, is what will make that difference. In fact, a longer mohair cinch will have more give than longer latigos or billets will, even if they are leather.
I agree I would like to see a shorter cinch on the horse, but primarily because it looks like it puts the cinch ring under the rider’s leg, putting more pressure on the horse from the ring and causing a hard lump under the rider’s leg as well, making them both uncomfortable. A shorter cinch would avoid this.
It’s kind of personal preference.
For the picture you posted, can you get your saddle as tight as you need? If so, then it’s fine. I wouldn’t worry about it.
I tend to ride with a longer cinch than most. I myself would rather have more cinch on the horse, than latigo or off-billet. I have no issues with a “lump” under my leg.
When Red is “fat” during the winter, I use a 34". When he’s legged up for summer, he needs a 32". My Shotgun has been going okay with a 34".
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/2015%20Horse%20Pictures/IMG_5734_zpsjf3gwemo.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/2015%20Horse%20Pictures/Shotgun%20May%202015%20b_zpso584nrpt.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/2015%20Horse%20Pictures/horses%20triple%20turn_zpsxbfn6kja.jpg
Also, your saddle is going to play a role in how long of a cinch you need. Some saddles have rigging that is set lower; some are higher. That is going to influence your cinch length.
[QUOTE=beau159;8329775]
It’s kind of personal preference.
For the picture you posted, can you get your saddle as tight as you need? If so, then it’s fine. I wouldn’t worry about it.
I tend to ride with a longer cinch than most. I myself would rather have more cinch on the horse, than latigo or off-billet. I have no issues with a “lump” under my leg.
When Red is “fat” during the winter, I use a 34". When he’s legged up for summer, he needs a 32". My Shotgun has been going okay with a 34".
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/2015%20Horse%20Pictures/IMG_5734_zpsjf3gwemo.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/2015%20Horse%20Pictures/Shotgun%20May%202015%20b_zpso584nrpt.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/2015%20Horse%20Pictures/horses%20triple%20turn_zpsxbfn6kja.jpg
Also, your saddle is going to play a role in how long of a cinch you need. Some saddles have rigging that is set lower; some are higher. That is going to influence your cinch length.[/QUOTE]
Your horses are adorable! I am able to get it tight enough, though it is pretty close to the bottom of my saddle. I think maybe a 34 inch would be better. Going to take the girth back and keep an eye out for another mohair roper cinch. My other issue was the straight girth ended up bunched up in her elbows where the roper girth seems to give her elbows more room.
[QUOTE=Draftmare;8329812]
My other issue was the straight girth ended up bunched up in her elbows where the roper girth seems to give her elbows more room.[/QUOTE]
Then I would say that you have your saddle (and girth) placed too far forward, if you have that problem.
Personally, I only like straight cinches b/c I find that a roper cinch or barrel cinch doesn’t give you any more support. When you’ve worn out a cinch, the “extra” part actually doesn’t even contact the horse, which makes me question if there is any contact in the beginning. So I stick with straight.
