If you are new to western riding, all the horse gear that comes with the discipline can be confusing. Especially if you are used to standard english saddles. An english saddle has an easy adjustable girth while a western saddle comes with a cinch. A latigo is usually used in the process to ensure that the cinch is well anchored. In this blog, you will learn more about how best you can be able to cinch a western saddle.
How To Cinch A Western Saddle
This guide will help you to understand that the kind of rigging on your saddle will help to determine how you will cinch. Sometimes you may use a cinch together with a buckle or make a cinch knot.
The Following Are The Steps Cinch Strap And A Latigo
First, make sure you place a saddle pad on the horse and then a western saddle on top. Ensure that you stand on the left side of the horse. Then you should hold the stirrup on the left and ensure you hook it gently over the horn of the saddle. This is very important because it helps to ensure that there is nothing on your way to disturb your process. Horses are flight animals and too many straps flapping can easily frighten a young horse. The next step is to slowly grab the cinch under your horse, locate the cinch and hold it in your hands. Make sure that you examine the cinch very carefully to ensure that it is not twisted at all. There is a latigo made of leather which is usually found tied to the cinch. You should ensure that you locate it and hold it. Then after ensuring that it is not twisted, and ensure that you pass its tip through the ring found in the anterior part of the saddle making sure it goes in from outside going inside and then direct it such that it gets to the left side of the ring usually near the front shoulder of the horse. The next step is to add more wraps as above depending on the length of the latigo.
Cinch Knot
Make sure you pass the one loose end of the latigo making it pass through the ring and finally across the wraps Get the latigo end in the right and pass it through the ring and then towards the ring on the left. After making the horizontal loop get the latigo end and let it pass through it and then pull the end of the latigo downwards. This helps to fasten it. Find the innermost loop of the latigo and let it pass through the cinch gently and then follow with the others to make the cinch stronger.
Cinch Buckles
Ensure you make the loops as they pass through the ring Ensure that the cinch buckle’s tongue is well hooked to a hole in the latigo. Ensure that latigo layer at the top is pulled down to make sure that the tongue is Well placed in the ring on the cinch.