english or western girthing

[No_Angel]

my new treeless western saddle is on its way to me, its just occured to me that i dont have a cinch for it, but as i was browing ebay, i noticed a pair of cashel western converters and wondered if western girthing, or english would be more stable? and which is easier to do up as hes still a bit figity at the moment and thinks its time to go when saddles on his back:rolleyes:

[Shadowlark]

Neoprene Cinch all the way

once you learn the knot properly.. you find yourself changing your english rigging to western instead ;)

[KateWooten]

Neoprene english girth with converters all the way. Why on earth anyone still insists on tying a knot decades after the invention of the roller buckle, I have no idea. Check out the hole spacing on the western rigging ... there's just no way you can get fine adjustment with that system ... and I know, I'm no expert, but I simply can't adjust the tie safely from the saddle. To my mind, the western rigging is just obsolete and potentially dangerous.

[Shadowlark]

:O

Who uses the holes??? LOl ok I use them on the right side, but always tie my left side - I can get MUCH finer adjustment, let in or take out easier under saddle - and never have to struggle "up to the next hole". With Very arthritic hands I can't even imagine going back to buckles :)

Good thing we can all go with what works for us ;)

[KateWooten]

:p ... so for real, from the saddle, you can loosen the knot, slide the webbing/ leather through a little and tighten it ... without feeling like you're about to go flying ?? (Perhaps I should have persevered with it a little longer .. stuck with it twice, watched DH slide gently to the floor once, and gave up !!)

[Shadowlark]

HAHAHA I really can! Heck I can do it without taking my foot from the stirrup!

[KarinUS]

I am guessing you are getting the same saddle that Shadowlark got so you should be okay but I wanted to mention that while we did do the tie thing with our treed Western saddle we find the treeless saddle (Torsion with a western cinch- got a wool back Toklat with elastic on both ends) doesn't work the same and turns out much better is we use a Western cinch the English way (holes).

[Jessey]

It depends on the saddle, I much prefer a western cinch, find I get more fine adjustment and can do it up more gradually rather than hiking it from one hole to the next ;) I also find that because its on a large ring the cinch can settle at a different angle to the straps which is good for my forward girth grooved ponies :D

J x

[gypsygold]

Just a rather novicey question but if you fasten the western girth on the right side by buckle then knot it the left side (this is how it works yeh?) then once you are on can you make further adjustment tightening on the right buckle side:confused: . Surely this way you are using a western style cinching but with a more english adjusment style? Or am I completely clueless thinking of giving western a go type person:o ?

[KateWooten]

It's more difficult to adjust the buckle side from in the saddle, than with an english girth ... and the holes are much further apart - 3-4 inches ? So people tend to do the fine adjustment on the knot side, so I hear, although I can't manage it.

[Shadowlark]

Knot side is easier - you wouldn't have a roller buckle so it won't slide up, and the rigging would usually have a hole spacing of about 2 inches - so not a fine adjustment
Knot side I littlerly just bend down, pull my excess straight out to gather the slack - pull up on the corresponding side of the knot -then straight down on my excess strapping and adjust what's up in the keeper if I am feeling "tidy" I can do it without really thinking now :)