# What size cinch do you use?



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

A 22", as I have a dressage saddle  I also use 20".


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I think ours is a 28" but it's too small. Luckily my best friend is using our saddle and it fits her mares.
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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I use a 28" on our Appy, and a 30" on my Arab. If & when I buy another, they will both be 26" (if I can find one).


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

I use a 28" on most horses I ride, my BO's big thoroughbred mare takes a 34". I could probably get away with a 30" on all but my arab.

After using a variety of cinches, by far my favorite are from Bork and Sons.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Depends on the horse and the rigging on the saddle. Ideally the rings are even. If you have a short off billet, you will need a longer cinch.


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## LilWillie (May 3, 2013)

For me, it depends on the saddle I'm using. When I ride in a western saddle, I use a 26". When riding my endurance saddle, I use a 24".

It's hard to find smaller sized girths in my area as well. 

I read an article regarding girth fit and according to the article, it says most people are using girths that are too big....don't know if it's true, but it might explain why there are so many big girths out there.


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## LilWillie (May 3, 2013)

^^^ It also depends on the horse I'm riding...I left that out.

The horse in my avatar requires a 30" or 32".


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## MiniMom24 (Mar 13, 2013)

30" for my appy mare in Summer and a 34" in Winter when she's fat since I don't ride her as much.


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## ThunderingHooves (Aug 10, 2013)

I think my 28" is still a little too big. So like bsms I think I'm going to need at 26", which after looking online is pony size. I find it's kinda weird Angel uses such a small girth because she isn't a small horse. My neighbor has a mustang who is like 14.2 on a good day and not very chunky and she uses like a 30" or 32". Although she may not have it adjusted correctly, I haven't really paid any attention. Something else I found kinda funny is that Angel uses about a 50" english girth, which seems to be a little on the bigger side, from what I've seen.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I primarily barrel race. I've almost always used a 34" cinch on my horses. Usually the exception is the younger horses (2 and 3 year olds) that need a smaller cinch. 

Most of my horses have a pretty decent heart girth and need that 34". I also don't like to have too much latigo, because I feel that's what the cinch is for.


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## Larissa (Jan 25, 2014)

I use a 34 (western) on my Morgan


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Says 32 on mine.


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## ThunderingHooves (Aug 10, 2013)

So it sounds like most people use a 30" and up. That's probably why they don't carry anything smaller. Which is a bummer because I've been looking at getting a new cinch, but need a 28". Although I've been thinking about getting a 5 star cinch.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

TNRiderChic said:


> For me, it depends on the saddle I'm using. When I ride in a western saddle, I use a 26". When riding my endurance saddle, I use a 24".
> 
> It's hard to find smaller sized girths in my area as well.
> 
> I read an article regarding girth fit and according to the article, it says most people are using girths that are too big....don't know if it's true, but it might explain why there are so many big girths out there.


Curious... how do they define "too big"? If the girth is the right tightness (holds saddle in place, but not suffocating the horse) then why would it matter? In the English world there's a drastic size difference between long and short billet saddles, so I don't see why it would make a difference.

My dressage girth is a 26", close contact saddle is a 48", and I think my western is a 32". It seems like it could be smaller and do just fine, but I'm not gonna go out and buy a smaller girth just cause I can! It also seems that because of the design behind western rigging that there's more flexibility in the length.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

On most my horses, I have a mohair cinch that was 28" when I bought it...it's 30" now and it works fine.









However, on my Dad's horse (15.3 hand, 1300 pound QH), this cinch was a 32" and it was far too small...he really needs a 36".









I use a 36 on my draft cross, but he could probably do with a 38 (good news is, that's how long it will be when it finishes stretching, it's a new cinch LOL)


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

DuckDodgers said:


> Curious... how do they define "too big"? If the girth is the right tightness (holds saddle in place, but not suffocating the horse) then why would it matter?...


In my case, I need to loop the latigo 3 times so the shortest hole reaches the buckle. Then I needed to cut a foot off the end to keep from having a huge chunk of leather flopping around, even after I ran it thru the keeper. With drop plate rigging, tying off a leather latigo is a pain. I've switched to a nylon latigo and started tying it off instead of using a buckle because nylon bends better.

If I need to modify a store bought latigo to match my cinch, my cinch is probably too big for my horse.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

ThunderingHooves said:


> So it sounds like most people use a 30" and up. That's probably why they don't carry anything smaller. Which is a bummer because I've been looking at getting a new cinch, but need a 28". Although I've been thinking about getting a 5 star cinch.


I'd be willing to part with my neoprene 28" cinch. My best friend isn't riding right now (shoulder surgery) and she has mohair cinches she can use once she does start riding again. Besides, I want to convert my Aussie saddle back to Aussie (or at least English) rigging anyway, so I won't need that cinch. Let me know if you'd be interested.
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## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

I use a 28" on my 14.2hh 3 year old who hasn't bulked up yet - it was difficult to find that small a size! I have a 30" and 34" in my stash from previous horses.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

bsms said:


> In my case, I need to loop the latigo 3 times so the shortest hole reaches the buckle. Then I needed to cut a foot off the end to keep from having a huge chunk of leather flopping around, even after I ran it thru the keeper. With drop plate rigging, tying off a leather latigo is a pain. I've switched to a nylon latigo and started tying it off instead of using a buckle because nylon bends better.
> 
> If I need to modify a store bought latigo to match my cinch, my cinch is probably too big for my horse.


Well that seems like a common sense situation right there  I doubt that this is the case for the majority of western riders.
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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

I ride my Arab in a 26" cinch. A 24" also fits him.
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## kimberlyrae1993 (Mar 20, 2013)

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## kimberlyrae1993 (Mar 20, 2013)

To determine the best size cinch for your horse for all of our Western saddles: Measure your horse from the center of the underside of his chest in the girth area. Bring the tape up to just below the widest part of his ribcage (about 4" above and behind the elbow). Multiply this measurement by two and you will have a good idea of what size girth your horse needs.
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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

I use a 30" because it was the smallest cinch I could find that wasn't a cheap string cinch. She could easily be more comfortable with 26", because the cinch almost reaches the rings on both sides when she's in shape. I think they should end above the elbow but a distance below the rings, I've ridden in saddles with the metal on the cinch ended at my knee and rubbed the fender and my leg badly, (the rigging was back further than some saddles but not sure of the name).


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## tinaev (Dec 2, 2012)

My horse is just over 16 hands, no idea on weight but he is narrow, and I ride primarily in an endurance saddle and use a 28" cinch. When I ride in a western saddle I do have to move up to a 30".


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## SaskGal (Apr 18, 2012)

I use a 36" on my roping saddle, but I would really like a 38" but the are sooooooo hard to find. Don't call my horses fat, the are well taken care of! Hahahahahaha
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## sparks879 (Apr 14, 2013)

I use a 34, my horse is about 14.3 and 1000 lbs


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