Instructions
Making sure your girth is tightened properly is the most critical part of saddling your horse. The girth, or cinch as it is often called in the Western saddle, is the belt that holds your saddle onto the horse. You need to make sure it is tight enough, but not so tight it encourages your horse to buck you and the painful saddle off.
Go ahead and tighten the girth as normal. Once tightened, untie your horse and walk it for several minutes. Stop in mid-stride and go back and check the girth. Some horses will hold their breath while you are tightening the cinch, so that once they walk a bit and let the air out, the girth is then loosened.
To check the tightness of the girth, place three fingers alongside the girth and push them under. This should be done midway between the top of the girth and the bottom, where the girth runs under the belly. You should be able to squeeze your fingers just under the girth. It should be a tight fit, but you should be able to do it. More than three fingers and it is too loose, less than three and it is too tight.
Always check the girth before you mount and after each rest-stop. When you stop to relax, be sure and loosen the girth on your horse and allow him to rest too. Think of your tightest pair of jeans after you have eaten a large meal. Loosening those jeans is a must for comfort whenever possible. You can button them again when you have to get up. It's the same idea with the girth--tighten it for business, and loosen it for comfort.
How to Check the Girth On a Saddle
Riding horses is fun and great exercise but it is important to do it safely. One of the most important and basic steps of riding is to saddle and girth your horse properly. Here are some tips on how to make sure that the girth is tightened properly.