How to Tighten the Girth on the Western Saddle
- 1). Brush your horse thoroughly before placing a saddle pad and saddle on his back, paying close attention to his back and belly. Any dirt left in these areas will irritate his skin once the saddle is tightened, and will lead to an uncomfortable, irritable, ill-behaved horse.
- 2). Place the saddle pad and saddle on the horse's back. You want the saddle to sit just behind the horse's withers (shoulders) so he has freedom of movement.
- 3). The cinch should be attached to the right side of the saddle (preferably by an off billet, although some prefer to use another latigo tie-strap or half-breed off billet), and should hang down on the horse's right side, just behind his front leg. Make sure it's not twisted.
- 4). Reach under your horse from his left side and grasp the cinch. Make sure that the cinch is not twisted and is flat against his belly.
- 5). Insert the tip of the latigo tie strap through the cinch ring (on the side closest to the horse) and pull the latigo towards you. Pull the latigo snug, and make sure that the cinch and the latigo tie strap are not twisted and are flat.
- 6). Insert the tip of the latigo through the saddle's D-ring on your side. Pull the latigo through so it's flat. Your latigo tie strap should be long enough for you to run it through both the cinch ring and the saddle's D-ring once more for the saddle to be secure.
You can run the latigo through both rings a third time if it's long enough, but you always want to run it through both rings at this point, so you end with it through the saddle's D-ring. This is very important for the next step. - 7). Pull the latigo to one side of the saddle's D-ring, then pull the latigo across to the other side of the saddle's D-ring and insert the tip of the tie strap through the D-ring from your side. Don't pull the latigo tight just yet; thread the tip down, under the latigo where it crosses over from one side to the other.
- 8). Walk your horse around for a few moments and gently stretch his front legs out. This will help him relax, allowing you to tighten the saddle further for a snug fit. When tightening the latigo, do so gently. Don't pull it tight all at once as this will cause your horse discomfort and even pain, and is the reason many horses become "girthy," or irritable when being saddled.
When the latigo is tightened, you should be able to fit three fingers between either the cinch or the latigo and your horse.
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