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Best cinch for trail riding

36K views 63 replies 27 participants last post by  AnnaHalford 
#1 ·
what are you opinions on which cinch is the best for trail riding. I am moving my horses up to my house in the country soon and i want a good cinch for trail riding for hours and up and down hills. There will also be walking across creeks. What do you guys think would be the best cinch for this?

thanks!!!!!:D
 
#8 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
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.
 
#12 ·
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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#13 ·
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. :)
 
#15 ·
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.
 
#20 ·
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.
 
#19 ·
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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#22 ·
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 :(
 
#23 ·
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.
 
#25 ·
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.
 
#27 ·
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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