"What kind of cinch should I use?" You may be asking yourself this question if you are a beginner, or wanting to try something new. Shopping for a cinch can become overwhelming when there are so many options on the market. I tried a variety of different cinches in the past- a felt straight-lined cinch, mohair straight cinch... and then I wanted to try something different.
When it came to purchasing a new cinch, I looked at many options. I first considered the quality and material. Felt and mohair can be difficult to clean, so I was looking more toward a neoprene cinch. As a western rider, I looked online at the highest rated cinches that western riders prefer to use. This is what led me to discovering Total Saddle Fit, products that are anatomically designed for the horse. After researching their cinches, reading reviews, and watching videos on YouTube... I thought this cinch was worth a try.
What's so special about Total Saddle Fit cinches?
While my purchase of the Total Saddle Fit StretchTec cinch was not a cheap one, I knew that it would be worth it in the years to come. The more expensive it is, the higher quality it is... therefore it will last you longer. I believe this to be true for all products, no matter if it's for your horse or yourself.
So, what made me decide to purchase the Total Saddle Fit StretchTec cinch? Total Saddle Fit cinches and girths are made to give your horse ultimate movement and a free shoulder. What I noticed with my past cinches is that they were getting in the way of my horses' shoulder. The way that Total Saddle Fit cinches are designed, the center of the cinch sits in the natural girth groove while the buckles are placed farther back to keep the saddle in a position away from rotating shoulder blades. This allows your horse the freedom of movement while keeping your saddle off the shoulder blades.
It's all in the details
Total Saddle Fit has regular options for a shoulder relief cinch, but I opted for the "StretchTec" which has an added feature of elastic in the center. This triangular center elastic allows the cinch to expand with the chest expansion that horses experience while breathing. Not only does it help with this, but it also allows it to stretch to easily contour to a horse's barrel. Cinches I have used in the past would slide forward because of the shape of my horse's barrel. Ever since I've used the Total Saddle Fit StretchTec cinch, I've had no issue of it sliding forward on my horse!
Aside from the cinch being leather, there are high quality buckles that are made of stainless steel, unlike others on the market that are usually plated iron. Total Saddle Fit cinches also allow you to customize it how you like - with different liner options such as fleece or neoprene. Another great feature of these cinches is the ability to remove the liner to clean it or change the liner. It's simply attached with velcro for easy on and off maintenance. Although these cinches are traditionally available in black or brown, they do have limited edition colors available as well.
Not sure what cinch or girth is right for your horse? Their customer service is so helpful, and you can easily send them photos through Messenger or email to figure out what cinch would work for your horse!
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