When it comes to cinch and rigging placement, there are many different theories or opinions. The old cowboy way explains that you should have your cinch/rigging forward, so it hangs vertical in the cinch groove. If not, it will pull your saddle out of place. Many people still use this technique, but from a saddle fitter's perspective, it does more harm than good. Everyone has a right to their opinions and techniques to use with their horse, we just want to offer guidance and help educate. Our goal is to keep riders safe and their horses happy!

The trouble with wanting your cinch/rigging hanging straight down is every horse is built completely different. With that being said, many people set the saddle WAY too far forward to obtain this placement. Not only does the saddle get set on top or over the shoulder, but we have even seen it being set up on the neck to make sure the cinch is in this spot. This not only raises safety concerns, but it will also make your horse tremendously uncomfortable.

Like we have mentioned before, you should line up the back edge of the horse's shoulder blade with the front edge of your saddle concho. That is the proper placement for a western saddle. That shoulder blade needs room to move naturally. It should not be sitting on or over the shoulder, nor up on the neck. When you ride, your saddle will naturally slide back into the "sweet spot", which is where it should be sitting. Many people are alarmed by this and take action to prevent the saddle from moving back. A lot of times, they add a breast collar and tighten it up to prevent the sliding and to keep that cinch straight up and down. This prevents your saddle from sitting in the correct spot and will cause more harm than good. 

Position should be determined by the tree shape matching the horse's shape, not the cinch or rigging placement. Having your cinch or latigo angled, will not pull a saddle out of position if your saddle fits correctly. As long as your saddle is in the right spot, your rigging/cinch is just cosmetic. Now, if your saddle does not fit properly, then yes, the rigging can affect your saddle position. However, if your saddle does not fit, having your rigging sit straight isn't going to fix that problem either. 

Something else to consider, if you have that rigging/cinch sitting straight down, that puts tremendous pressure on the front of the horse's back. Having it placed properly and further back will allow an even pull on the tree. This disperses the pressure instead of putting it all in one place. 

The main point of today's blog is to say, an angled cinch will not pull a good fitting saddle out of position. Each horse's body is completely different, just like people. It is important not to force something that goes against their natural movement. It is important to keep an open mind in the horse world. What works for some may not work for other's, but at the end of the day, making sure your horse is comfortable is key! Old techniques are also not always the right way, nor are they set in stone. Give this a try and see if it makes a difference for your horse! Having blinders on to other ideas puts you at risk for missing out on something amazing. 

(picture credit: https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/tree-and-saddle... )