When you saddle your horse, secure your horse’s saddle’s points of attachment in the proper order to keep the saddle in place.

When you saddle your horse, secure your horse’s saddle’s points of attachment in the proper order to keep the saddle in place. If your horse takes a step when the saddle isn’t properly secured, he may feel a shift or roll, and spook. If your horse becomes entangled in the saddle, he may develop a fear of saddling and even risk breaking a leg.

To keep the saddle in place as you tack up, first attach the front cinch, then the back cinch, and lastly, the breastcollar and/or crupper. (Tip: Connect the front and back cinches with a string or lariat so the back cinch doesn’t slide back and irritate your horse’s inner thighs.) To remove the saddle, reverse the order: Undo the breastcollar/crupper, then the back cinch, and finally, the front cinch.

What did you think of this article?

Thank you for your feedback!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Horse&Rider provides all you need for today’s Western horse life. Learn from top professional trainers, clinicians, and horsekeeping experts.

Related Articles

image

4 Simple Steps to Clean Your Saddle Pad

No matter what type of saddle pad you ride, cleaning and maintaining it is an important part of keeping your horse comfortable.
Read Now
AdobeStock_313045002-scaled

A Guide to Saddle Rigging

Finding the right saddle fit is important - understanding rigging and the different functions can up your saddle shopping game.
Read Now
line of saddles

Saddle Shopping Secrets: Find the Perfect Fit

The smell of leather and saddles galore - the tack store is a wonderful place. Put these tips to the test to saddle shop like a pro.
Read Now