# Best cinch for trail riding



## OutOfTheLoop

Can never go wrong with a good ole mohair girth.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ThisGirl

OutOfTheLoop said:


> Can never go wrong with a good ole mohair girth.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


i dont really know too much about them.  could you post a pic or website for the one you recommend? A lot of people have told me to try one but i am not one for change i keep with the smart cinch neoprene.


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## Lonestar22

I like mohair or felt. Not a fan of neoprene at all. I have a felt smart cinch that I looovvvee. Never rubbed or anything and I often take my horses to the beach, through muddy creeks, and tough terrain.
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## smrobs

I second a good mohair string girth. That's all I use and I can't complain at all.

I've got a couple of smart cinches (hate them with a passion) that I'm trying to wear out right now, but as soon as I'm through with them, I'm going to start buying these
CLASSIC - Classic Roper Nylon Center Cinch - NRSworld.com


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## tim62988

Lonestar, just curious why you don't like neoprene?

I have the airflex and love it, wife just switched her pony to a neoprene girth and loves it too...


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## ThisGirl

smrobs said:


> I second a good mohair string girth. That's all I use and I can't complain at all.
> 
> I've got a couple of smart cinches (hate them with a passion) that I'm trying to wear out right now, but as soon as I'm through with them, I'm going to start buying these
> CLASSIC - Classic Roper Nylon Center Cinch - NRSworld.com


why dont you like smart cinches? i have the neoprene and felt and i love them? i will try the mohair string cinch tough. But i just wanna know whats so bad about them.


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## smrobs

My biggest problem with the smart cinches is the fact that the bottom roller is so wide. Whenever I cinch up, as the latigo tightens, it often slides off-center so that the latigo holes are offset from the buckle tongue. It wouldn't be a big deal except it takes me a minute to re-adjust...and since I ride a lot of young horses who can sometimes be unpredictable the first time the cinch is done up, that minute can become a big deal in a hurry.

Also, the ones I've got (though this feature isn't exclusive to the smart cinches) have the leather middle in them like this









Unfortunately, that leather gets wet...constantly. I have to double check it every morning after it has dried to make sure that the leather hasn't curled up around the edges. Made that mistake once and ended up with a gall the size of a quarter on a horse. Very not cool. So now, I'll only buy cinches with the nylon center in them.


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## ThisGirl

smrobs said:


> My biggest problem with the smart cinches is the fact that the bottom roller is so wide. Whenever I cinch up, as the latigo tightens, it often slides off-center so that the latigo holes are offset from the buckle tongue. It wouldn't be a big deal except it takes me a minute to re-adjust...and since I ride a lot of young horses who can sometimes be unpredictable the first time the cinch is done up, that minute can become a big deal in a hurry.
> 
> Also, the ones I've got (though this feature isn't exclusive to the smart cinches) have the leather middle in them like this
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, that leather gets wet...constantly. I have to double check it every morning after it has dried to make sure that the leather hasn't curled up around the edges. Made that mistake once and ended up with a gall the size of a quarter on a horse. Very not cool. So now, I'll only buy cinches with the nylon center in them.


If that would happen to me i probably wouldn't like them much either haha. but i really want to try out the mohair cinch i will order it in the next day or two.


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## GamingGrrl

I'm a big fan of neoprene cinches.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Joe4d

smart cinch has changed the buckles, they do do that anymore. If I had to grab a girth and use it untested it would be a genuine 100% mohair, if you can try it out an dont have skin issues I like the smart cinch neoprene or felt. I give the edge to neoprene for endurance as it doesnt pick up debri and is easy to wipe off after dropping saddle at vet checks. If I wasnt doing that i like the smart cinch felts.


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## Lonestar22

I've had a neoprene girth rub my horse until she bled. Bless her heart, she never even flinched. I didn't notice until after our ride and she must have been in pain. 

I don't like the way they feel against my skin. They don't slide easily, take one and rub it across your stomach, even when wet they tend to stick more causing pinching and pulling. Butbthats just my opinion.
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## RiverBelle

I like the neoprene girths for trail riding. You have to make sure your girth is in the right place (not too far forward or too far back) Because that is when they start getting sores rubbed into their skin. But I find that if you walk them for a minute before you start out to make sure it's in the right place and isn't pinching anything, you don't have any problems.

I like the neoprene girths mainly because I don't have to worry about them slipping on me! I had a saddle almost turn me all the way under the horses belly one time when he miss stepped and I lost my balance! Horses like to puff out when you cinch them up, and even if they do, the neoprene hold on so you don't have to worry about slipping when riding.


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## Lonestar22

Eh, to each their own! I always check my girth during my rides so in not too worried about slipping. I ride long miles so I'm more worried about the horses comfort.
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## phantomhorse13

Fleece is all I ride in. Personally love the Toklat girths, but they are spendy. I have a couple knock-offs that I use for training, but for a race, its the Toklat fleece every time. So far, never had an issues with rubs. They do pick up stuff sometimes, but it easily picks or brushes off.


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## Joe4d

you using cool or woolback ? or dont notice a difference ?


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## phantomhorse13

Joe4d said:


> you using cool or woolback ? or dont notice a difference ?


I use woolbacks simply because that is what I have found when I have been shopping. If I could find coolbacks on sale, I would be happy to try one!


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## gunslinger

My choice is alpaca, second is Mohair.

Neither of these stretch....


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## OutOfTheLoop

I want to buy a real mohair cinch so bad I can taste it. But I can't make myself spend until my current cinch wears out. I don't know what its made of, as its the only one I have seen, but I dug it out of a barn 15 years ago. And it is still going strong. I habe borrowed the mohairs and used other people's, but I want one permantly on my saddle. Sigh. Maybe that darn one will accedently get cut in half.
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## phantomhorse13

gunslinger said:


> My choice is alpaca, second is Mohair.
> 
> Neither of these stretch....


You don't want the girth to stretch? Do you mean long term because it wears the girth faster or short term because you don't want the saddle to loosen (or maybe even both)?

Personally, I won't use a girth that doesn't have elastic on at least one end, but preferably both. While I ride with a fairly loose girth, I like the stretch as I feel it makes the horse more comfortable to have something that at least sort of moves with them as they go down the trail.


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## cpr saves

Mohair string. Better grip, breathes and doesn't slip like a sweaty neoprene does.


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## pasturepony

Anyone used the mohair endurance English style? My mare can't seem to keep a saddle in place (it slides drastically back) with English rigging...I don't want to spend the 100 bucks if it won't help


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## flytobecat

I ride in a Smart Cinch Airflex. It's not my favorite though. It rubs a little if I ride for a really long time. Just a couple small places, but it still bugs me. I prefer woolback cinches. I've never had a problem with them rubbing, but you got keep them clean and debris free.


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## Faustinblack

I hate the mohair cinches. The neoprene is ok, but I really want a toklat cinch to match my pad. I love my toklat pad, it's a royal blue coolback.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stevenson

I have a neoprene cinch. Its okay, advantage : does not allow brush or stickers to stay on , 
disadvantage : they seem to get sweatier / hotter . 
The mohair or rope cinches breath better but i have seen them pinch some. 
the felt helps with the sweat, but stickers love it.


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## KigerQueen

I use a neoprene. I like it, and its the only cinch that wont give my mare girth gulls or rub the hair off -_-'. w/e its easy to clean XD.


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## Skunkworks

My vote goes to either mohair or alpaca. I managed to snag an almost-new classic equine alpaca cinch for $15 at a tack swap. It's been through a couple of 10+ hour trail rides with nary a rub mark on my horse at the end of the day. I've seen the neoprene severely gall too many horses even after just an hour or two.


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## smrobs

Skunkworks said:


> I've seen the neoprene severely gall too many horses even after just an hour or two.


LOL, and I've seen people get pile-drived by a sensitive or thin-skinned horse because of a dry neoprene cinch.


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## nvr2many

Weaver felt, not the smart cinch one (not a fan). I go to the beach, mountains and all around the ranch. Love it.


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## 6gun Kid

Well since I make them im gonna have to go with mohair


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## 6gun Kid

some examples.
















the top is mohair the bottom one is actually yak


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## Dustbunny

^^^^^^ Holy cow! That's gorgeeeeeous!

I like mohair the best.


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## FlyGap

10 years ago I went out and bought all neoprene... Pads, girths, all high quality when it was "in".
So far haven't had a problem and I used them HARD. Only had one small gall on one horse, but I hate how they don't breathe.

Still trying to wear them out, darn things still look brand new! When they do I'm going back to a felt pad and mohair.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 6gun Kid

Dustbunny said:


> ^^^^^^ Holy cow! That's gorgeeeeeous!
> 
> I like mohair the best.


 Thanks! 
I like mohair best too. I just asked myself which would I rather have next to my skin all day in the hot texas sun, a soft natural fiber ....or a wetsuit?


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## gunslinger

phantomhorse13 said:


> You don't want the girth to stretch? Do you mean long term because it wears the girth faster or short term because you don't want the saddle to loosen (or maybe even both)?


No, I don't want to constantly be getting off and tightening the cinch. I want a cinch that has no stretch and no relaxation. Cotton is an example of a material that will give overtime and stretch when under stress.


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## LesandLily

There is a reason that every outfitter I have worked with uses the same cinches...mohair or soft fiber strand. They don't gall horses like neoprene...Yuck, I hate them. There are some nice looking ones out there that work great, even on long trail rides, but use one day in and day out in the mountains and I willalmost guarantee it will end up giving a sore. Strand are easy to clean, you don't have to suck the wind out of the horse to keep it in place and they last a long time. If neoprene were the best choice for long rides, every outfitter camp would be full of them. 

Cheers.
Les
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## thenrie

Thought I'd weigh in here.

Years ago, my mother bought herself a nice neoprene cinch, because she thought it looked like it would be more comfortable to the horse. Nice and wide and padded and soft.

I started using her horse and saddle for some pack trips while I was in college and couldn't keep a horse and gear. Found the neoprene almost always left galls on the armpits of the horse during a long trip. Went back to string cinchas (mohair) and never had the problem again.

Neoprene is great for eventing or an afternoon of easy trails, but for putting mileage on a horse they just don't do well. Most people buy them (like my mom) because they _look_ soft and cushy. Fact is, they don't breathe, they hold heat, cause the horse to sweat, then the sweat against the neoprene causes rubs and galls. I've had the same experience with the heavy felt cinchas.

A mohair string cinch breathes, sheds water, dries quickly, does not hold heat against the horse. Yes, they stretch a little when new, but not so much after they've had a few miles put on them. I've never noticed any trouble from the stretching. I tend to ride with a loose cinch anyway, but every time I take a break I loosen the cinch, then re-tighten it before I re-mount. 

One caveat for string cinchas - for long rides, stay away from the wide "roper" cinchas. They can rub under the armpits on some horses, particularly with a full or 7/8 rigging. They also often have leather keepers in the middle that can cause galling after getting wet and drying a few times. The straight cinchas are better for long trails. This is one thing where cheaper is actually better!

I have observed that a lot of folks ride with too tight a cinch, and it makes horses "cinchy". If your saddle fits and you don't use too much pad, and you are a balanced rider...and your horse has withers...you really don't need the cinch very tight. If you can't mount the horse without your saddle turning, you might need to adjust your mounting technique.

I once had a mustang that was so barrel-chested that I had to use a breeching (butt strap) on him when I took him into the mountains. Before I learned that lesson, I was coming down a sidehill once and the saddle slid right over his withers and up onto his neck. Lucky for me he was a pretty calm horse. Could've pitched me right over his head and down the hill!


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## Horsesaplenty

Okay, so I'm looking at getting a mohair one to try. I want it short (about 26" total length as I already use a neoprene and I think its a bit long at 28" as it almost reaches my saddle flaps) and I want the buckles leather and the backs real fleece lined. Where can I find one like this? And no leather in the middle, but I do need d-rings to attach breastplate and rear cinch if wanted.
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## nvr2many

Don't think Mohair comes fleece lined. I could be wrong. :shock:


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## Horsesaplenty

No no, the back of the buckles with leather behind them and fleece on the back of that so that everything is comfy on the horse. 
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## Horsesaplenty

Horsesaplenty said:


> Okay, so I'm looking at getting a mohair one to try. I want it short (about 26" total length as I already use a neoprene and I think its a bit long at 28" as it almost reaches my saddle flaps) and I want the buckles leather lined and the leather backs real fleece lined. Where can I find one like this? And no leather in the middle, but I do need d-rings to attach breastplate and rear cinch if wanted.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## thenrie

Horsesaplenty said:


> Okay, so I'm looking at getting a mohair one to try. I want it short (about 26" total length as I already use a neoprene and I think its a bit long at 28" as it almost reaches my saddle flaps) and I want the buckles leather and the backs real fleece lined. Where can I find one like this? And no leather in the middle, but I do need d-rings to attach breastplate and rear cinch if wanted.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Use a measuring tape (a cloth one, like for sewing, is easiest). Your horse has a flat spot on the sides of his chest barrel, just a little higher than the elbow/armpit. Measure from the middle of the flat spot from one side to the other. That's the correct length of your cinch. For an average size horse it will be about 28-30" If your cinch is correctly sized, so that the ring lands in that flat spot when you cinch-up, you won't need any extra padding for the ring. Those little add-ons are pretty, cosmetically, but in many cases actually add a pressure spot where there shouldn't be one. 

We sometimes tend to want to "accessorize" our horses and gear, like we do our trucks and trailers. A lot of those things have little real use, but we love the bling effect.

Once cinched-up, your latigoes will end up being about 12" long, or so, on each side, depending a bit on the configuration of your saddle rigging. An additional point to watch is how many loops of latigo you put through the rings. I have seen at least one instructor who said to just keep putting the latigo through as many times as needed to get it short after you tie it off. She ended up with about 4 loops through before tying off with a Texas-T. That is not a good idea. Two loops through will hold it and will not make a pressure spot for the horse or for your knee. The excess can be looped through a "keeper" located below the front left swell, or looped through the back cinch ring...or cut it off so it's not too long, as long as you won't be using that saddle on other horses.


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## Dustbunny

Horsesaplenty said:


> Okay, so I'm looking at getting a mohair one to try. I want it short (about 26" total length as I already use a neoprene and I think its a bit long at 28" as it almost reaches my saddle flaps) and I want the buckles leather and the backs real fleece lined. Where can I find one like this? And no leather in the middle, but I do need d-rings to attach breastplate and rear cinch if wanted.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


You might try Wind Rider Tack.
I bought an English mohair from them and have been happy with it. Mine has the leather behind the buckles but not the fleece. You could always add that if the option is not available.


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## Horsesaplenty

Endurance racing tends to require us to go a little extra in the comfort department to avoid any rubbing issues at all 


thenrie said:


> Use a measuring tape (a cloth one, like for sewing, is easiest). Your horse has a flat spot on the sides of his chest barrel, just a little higher than the elbow/armpit. Measure from the middle of the flat spot from one side to the other. That's the correct length of your cinch. For an average size horse it will be about 28-30" If your cinch is correctly sized, so that the ring lands in that flat spot when you cinch-up, you won't need any extra padding for the ring. Those little add-ons are pretty, cosmetically, but in many cases actually add a pressure spot where there shouldn't be one.
> 
> We sometimes tend to want to "accessorize" our horses and gear, like we do our trucks and trailers. A lot of those things have little real use, but we love the bling effect.
> 
> Once cinched-up, your latigoes will end up being about 12" long, or so, on each side, depending a bit on the configuration of your saddle rigging. An additional point to watch is how many loops of latigo you put through the rings. I have seen at least one instructor who said to just keep putting the latigo through as many times as needed to get it short after you tie it off. She ended up with about 4 loops through before tying off with a Texas-T. That is not a good idea. Two loops through will hold it and will not make a pressure spot for the horse or for your knee. The excess can be looped through a "keeper" located below the front left swell, or looped through the back cinch ring...or cut it off so it's not too long, as long as you won't be using that saddle on other horses.


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## thenrie

I should have mentioned that I was referring, in general, to western tack. My specialization is pack trips - looong distances at a walk. I expect endurance riding and other disciplines require some specialization in some of their tack that actually has some functional value over and above the bling.


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## Horsesaplenty

thenrie said:


> I should have mentioned that I was referring, in general, to western tack. My specialization is pack trips - looong distances at a walk. I expect endurance riding and other disciplines require some specialization in some of their tack that actually has some functional value over and above the bling.


 I figured that's where you were coming from. I do trail ride a lot to help my endurance horse stay fit and used to all sorts of things, plus he loves it. His regular neoprene girth works well and he's not had any problems with rubbing yet, but I'd like to try another girth to see how he likes it. Many of our rides are between 10-15 miles and some trotting thrown in for good measure.


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## spookychick13

smrobs said:


> LOL, and I've seen people get pile-drived by a sensitive or thin-skinned horse because of a dry neoprene cinch.


My horse lost his mind in a neoprene girth...we had a full out rodeo.
He is like the princess and the pea, though.


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## Faustinblack

phantomhorse13 said:


> Fleece is all I ride in. Personally love the Toklat girths, but they are spendy. I have a couple knock-offs that I use for training, but for a race, its the Toklat fleece every time. So far, never had an issues with rubs. They do pick up stuff sometimes, but it easily picks or brushes off.


I love the toklat stuff too! I have the english breast plate and the dressage pad in coolback purple. Their stuff is awesome.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## spookychick13

Alright, I am in the market for a new girth since His Majesty hates the Airflex I bought.
I am back to my felt smartcinch, which is a nightmare to clean and really really hot. 

It is a toss up between mohair and a toklat, both seem like they will be great.

My one weird issue is, I ride with a Skito pad, with shims, which compress when mounted. Sometimes I get off and tighten up again after being mounted for a bit. Would a breast collar be a good idea?
Also, His Majesty puffs up when I tighten the girth.

I know Toklat has some elastic 'play' to work with. 

I had some people tell me that mohair strings can pinch, but I am not sure I believe that.


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## thenrie

"I had some people tell me that mohair strings can pinch, but I am not sure I believe that."

Caveat: Again, I am talking only about western gear for a trail horse.

If a string cinch is pinching, it's probably because the rider is using too wide a cinch, or it is dirty and stiff. Comes back to the same problem I stated at first. WE look at a cinch and think it looks like it would be more comfortable, so we buy these wide, heavily padded, cushy-looking cinches. In reality, for a trail rig, a straight string cinch with about 20 or so strings will do the trick very well. When you start looking at "roper" cinches that are very wide and get wider in the middle, with 25+ strings, you are asking for rubs and cinch sores.

I find that with wider cinches I have to cinch tighter to get the same holding power of a narrower string cinch. Spreads the load over too wide an area - less pounds per square inch, means you have to tighten more to get the same amount of pressure. Now, I will admit, you can get too narrow with some pretty cheap cotton cinches, but most people err on the side of too wide.

After literally hundreds of miles on the trails, with pack horses packing heavy packs and saddle horses loaded with heavy saddles, riders, and gear, I have yet to have one single problem with a mohair or even a cotton string cinch. 

Ah, yeah...there was this one time, when a pack horse got loose and tried to run full-gallop between two aspens. The mohair string cinch on the pack saddle broke, but the two cotton string cinches on the hitch rope held. Slid the whole thing right back off his rump. So much for our eggs. That's the only problem I ever had with a string cinch.

On the other hand, I have had numerous problems with felt and neoprene cinches that have resulted in sores on my horses while out on trips where there was little I could do about them. They _look_ comfortable to us humans, but in reality they are not comfortable on a horse. I will say they hold pretty well, so they may do well for a competition horse, but I would not ever have one for a trail horse if I could avoid it. Occasionally I have to use one on someone else's gear, but when I do, I watch the horses for sores. 

Not sure why having elastic in a cinch would be desirable, when the main complaint against a string cinch is stretch. As for fleece covered cinches, again, IMO, it's just bling - makes the rider feel good.


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## spookychick13

This is the Toklat cinch I was looking at. I was honestly just interested because a few endurance riders I know seem to like it.
Toklat Coolback Fleece Cinch SS Roller Buckles


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## LesandLily

Since this thread came up I specifically had this conversation with my outfitter friend while we were sitting in camp in Yellowstone. Since 1968 he has run almost exclusively mohair or cotton string cinches on both his pack horses and his saddle horses. He has tried others over the years with somewhere between disastrous results (neoprene) to adequate results (felt cinches). However, he said that nothing has held a saddle as well as string cinches and he wished he could afford to run mohair on all of them but for cost reasons the majority were cotton string. He said that mohair gave the least number of cinch sores with cotton string coming in second. He had 2 horses in his string that due to their build, needed to be "V" cinched to move the cinch back out of their armpit but other than that he has the fewest issues with string and mohair.

I rode a cheap, straight Weaver (I typically hate Weaver products) 34 inch cotton string cinch on the horse I rode and for over 100 hard miles had no issues with saddle slippage, galling or riding up into his armpit. I think it was around a $25 or $30 cinch. One of the other things I like about string cinches is you don't have to suck the wind out of them to keep them in place. 

Neoprene, rubber and felt may have good places in arena work, short trail rides or maybe even endurance riding, but for me on pack trails and rough trail rides, give me a good old mohair or string cinch any day.

Cheers!
Les


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## smrobs

I've had a fleece backed cinch...it's still hanging in my tack room. The only 2 complaints I really had about it is I had to use a leather latigo (when the cinch is nylon, there's no give to them at all) and it picked up stickers and burrs like nobody's business. The one time I used it out on the trail, I spent over an hour picking out the pricklies when I got back.

I like to use nylon latigos because they don't get sticky or stiff and require a lot less care than a leather latigo. So, I have to use a cinch with a touch of stretch/give to it.


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## spookychick13

I went with this, hopefully His Majesty Brandon approves: 100% Alpaca Pro-Roller Cinches


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## smrobs

Ooh, I _really_ like that one. I especially like that it's got the rollers on both sides instead of just the near side since I have a latigo on both sides. I might just have to order me one of those. I need a new one anyway, all mine are too small for Rafe LOL.


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## spookychick13

RAFE!!! <3 <3 <3 What size is that boy anyway?


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## smrobs

LOL, ummmm 16.2 and right around 1500 :shock:.


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## thenrie

What's wrong with the cinch you have?

By the way, your off-side latigo (the one showing) is not attached the way you would normally do one. It should be a simple loop through the rigging ring with both ends hanging equal length, both coming out through the cinch buckle with the buckle tongue going through holes in both tail ends (like a double-thickness belt). That way you don't have the long end to tie up, like you have there. You should have only about 6" or so, hanging down past the buckle on the cinch, which allows some adjustability for fatter or skinnier horses. 

You don't need a roller buckle on that side, since the only time you would adjust that side is if you used the saddle on a much smaller horse as well as your monster.


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## smrobs

thenrie said:


> What's wrong with the cinch you have?
> 
> By the way, your off-side latigo (the one showing) is not attached the way you would normally do one. It should be a simple loop through the rigging ring with both ends hanging equal length, both coming out through the cinch buckle with the buckle tongue going through holes in both tail ends (like a double-thickness belt). That way you don't have the long end to tie up, like you have there. You should have only about 6" or so, hanging down past the buckle on the cinch, which allows some adjustability for fatter or skinnier horses.
> 
> You don't need a roller buckle on that side, since the only time you would adjust that side is if you used the saddle on a much smaller horse as well as your monster.


Nothing's _wrong_ with it except it's too darn short LOL. The buckles are just in the wrong spot and if my saddle rides up on him going down hills or whatever, they begin to interfere with his elbows.

I know that's not how most folks do their off-billets...but there's a reason I do mine that way. When you do a lot of roping and having to pull the cinch up tight in a hurry, it saves a lot of time and helps to avoid galling a horse.

With the way it is, whenever I have to step off and cinch up quickly, I don't have to worry about loosening the near side latigo, then going around to tighten the off billet, then going _back_ around to tighten the latigo back up. This way, I can just step off, look how the cinch is aligned, and tighten both sides accordingly to keep the cinch centered, and be back on in a hurry.

Or, if I'm in a _real_ hurry and already know how the cinch is sitting on the horse, I can reach down and tighten up either side without ever having to get off.

It just provides an easier and much faster way of adjusting your cinch to make sure that it always stays centered.

:wink:


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## bsms

smrobs, saddles and cinches are designed for HORSES! That thing is a TANK! Please tell me that sucker is hiding a diesel engine somewhere...:shock:

Dang. My biggest horse is 15.2 or 3 & 900 lbs.


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## smrobs

bsms said:


> smrobs, saddles and cinches are designed for HORSES! That thing is a TANK! Please tell me that sucker is hiding a diesel engine somewhere...:shock:


:rofl: Yes, he is! He's built like a tank and handles....well....like a tank, but he's calm and his gaits are smooth. He's certainly not going to win any agility contests, but he can cover ground with the best of them. :wink:


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## thenrie

Hmm. Learn something new every day.


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## 6gun Kid

smrobs said:


> It just provides an easier and much faster way of adjusting your cinch to make sure that it always stays centered.
> 
> :wink:


 I do mine the same way.


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## AnnaHalford

Above, on the brown, mohair string cinch with leather/felt backs to the cinch rings. Further away, packhorses using one or two cotton string cinches.

We've ridden more than 2000 continuous miles now in the same cinches. No rubs, even when wet with sweat or water, no girth galls, easy to clean and dry, don't pick up stickies much and are easy to clear of them if they do, don't pinch up the skin... If your horses lose weight, easy to shorten (although haven't had to do this). I wouldn't change them. 
I second avoiding a too-wide cinch around the barrel, they do seem to want to pinch more... However, we have found that a wider rear cinch works better on our sensitive-skinned roan packhorse than a normal-width one (in the photo, he's still wearing his v-cinched single-girthed saddle. We have since changed to the same setup as the grey has).


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