Instructions
Set the saddle pad or blanket on the horse's back about three or four inches in front of the withers.
Slide the saddle pad or blanket back a few inches to keep the hair smooth.
Set the saddle atop the saddle pad or blanket, leaving about three inches showing in front of the saddle. Pads and blankets often shift with movement and this arrangement allows for it without necessitating tack rearrangement.
Take down the girth from across the saddle.
Confirm that the saddle pad or blanket is laying flat and smooth on the off, or right, side. The right side of the horse is referred to as the "off" side, or "wrong" side, because it is not the traditionally correct side to mount or dismount a horse. However, modern horse trainers emphasize the importance of training a horse to be mounted and dismounted from either side for his own safety and the safety of his riders.
Return to the horse's near side. The near, or left side, of the horse is traditionally the side from which a rider mounts and dismounts. The near side is most often the first side approached for grooming, clipping or bathing and is the side stood on for haltering, saddling, bridling, leading, mounting and dismounting the horse.
Reach under the horse for the cinch, making sure to keep it flat and straight across the horse's belly.
Insert the end of the cinch strap through the rigging on the saddle, sliding it downward toward the horse. The term "rigging" refers to how to the cinch strap attaches to the saddle, such as a D ring, circular ring or flat plate.
Pull the cinch strap completely through the rigging on the saddle as well as the ring on the cinch.
Repeat this looping motion, depending on the length of the cinch strap, leaving enough to form a tight knot.
Loop the cinch strap through the saddle ring, over itself and back up through the ring to tie the knot.
Take up any slack remaining in the cinch strap by gradually pulling, starting with the innermost loop, to tighten and secure the saddle.
How to Use a Half Breed Cinch Strap
Front and rear cinches are critical for securing a western saddle on a horse. However, cinches are only effective if the straps fastening and tightening them to the saddle are in good shape. Generally, straps called off-billets, half-breed billets or half-breed cinches are used to secure the front cinch tightly and safely to the saddle. These straps can be made from a variety of materials, including nylon and latigo.