Cinch Up Your Horse Saddle Right

When you saddle your horse, secure your horse 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.

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.

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