The Rear Cinch

(First of all for English riders, Cinch is the western word for Girth).

I’ve written about the rear Cinch very briefly in my latest article for Western Horse Uk. But only in relation to the purpose of the article, which was the first time introduction of the western saddle to an English broke horse. Minor spoiler for the article - it’s never a good idea to introduce a rear cinch first time whilst starting or re-starting a horse.

So what purpose does the rear cinch hold? In a nutshell it is a tool to help stabilise the saddle under certain conditions.

In the normal course of life a rear cinch is not generally required on a western saddle. Most western riders can go through life without the need to consider owning or using a rear cinch.

The times a rear cinch becomes useful or necessary are; If you are travelling over very steep and gnarly terrain. If you have a horse with odd conformation which demands that the saddle requires a little extra stability. If you are roping cattle in a style that necessitates the use of a rear cinch.

Most western saddles are built on long trees. Around 25 inches (compared to a 18 to 20 inch dressage saddle tree). There is a benefit to this however in the way a western saddle transfers weight across a larger area of a horse’s back. But sometimes the conformation of a horse or the positioning of the rigging (where the cinch is attached) lends itself to having a degree of instability to the back of the saddle. You can see this whilst doing groundwork or lunging a horse wearing a western saddle. Often you will see the back of the saddle flap up and down on the horse’s back during trot or canter. By attaching a rear cinch this problem will go away. (Although i don’t actually consider this to be that big of a problem).

What the rear cinch is doing is holding the rear of the saddle in place to the back of the horse. This can have some benefit to the horse especially as mentioned in groundwork under saddle. If I do not want my horse to feel the saddle bumping around - I can stabilise it with a rear cinch - and make things feel more consistent for my horse.

The second way the rear cinch can help stabilise a saddle is in the fact that because the saddle is held in place both front and back now - the saddle will slip less. This is not a problem on a horse with a good whither. But on mutton backed horses (round flat whither) keeping the saddle in place can be slightly more tricky - especially when mounting or dismounting (or roping). The rear cinch stabilises the saddle from slipping sideways as well as lifting at the back. It has the same effects as someone holding the opposite stirrup for you when you mount from the ground. It keeps the saddle in place better on very round backed horses. This is one of the reasons I would normally use a rear cinch.

For travelling over rough country - up and down steep hills and over uneven terrain - a rider may find that their position in the saddle becomes compromised at times, even with the best of intentions. A rear cinch can help keep a saddle from slipping in these rare instances.

The most common reason given for the existence and use of a rear cinch is that in the task of roping cattle. Unsurprisingly throwing a loop over a moving cow then dallying the end of the rope around a saddle horn will produce a strong pull on the saddle when the rope is taut. The rear cinch can help maintain the saddles position by preventing the back of the saddle lifting when a cow is roped.

It is a common sight to see a rear cinch hanging a couple of inches loose - the idea being that when the pressure of the rope becomes taut on the horn, the saddle will tip a little, then the rear cinch will come into contact and prevent the saddle from tipping too far. However, this idea is a little dubious in my opinion. The fact is if the cinch was snug (not tight) to begin with it would prevent the saddle from being able to be lifted at the back at all - and therefore cause less damage to a horse’s wither area in the first place. If the back of the saddle is lifted a couple of inches before the rear cinch comes into play. Then the front of the saddle is digging down into the wither area before that cinch contacts the horse’s underside. Not to mention that the act of the rear cinch grabbing into the horse’s belly would be uncomfortable as well.

I have always fitted my rear cinch snug. Not tight, but not loose, as a loose cinch is potentially a hazard for a horse to get a leg/foot caught up on.

It is worth noting that I know people who rope entirely without the need of a rear cinch. Doing this will depend in part upon the type of saddle being used, as well as the conformation of the horse.

The rear cinch should always be attached to the front cinch using a hobble strap. An unsecured rear cinch making its way backwards on the belly of a horse will normally lead to an episode of bucking.

A rear cinch is usually entirely leather, but I have seen some mohair ones in use.

The use of a rear cinch is down to personal preference more often than necessity. Some people swear by them, some people say they are not required.