Breast collars

I am asked a lot about breast collars. 
Both English and western.

Nobody seems to know what kind he or she need.

Draft horse riders can find ones large enough for their horses.

Light horse owners are simple confused by the dizzying array of styles and options.

So here is my take on breast collars...

I do not use them at all.

I used to when I did a lot of jumping and roping.

Now that I do not do so much of that, I find it un=necessary.

In my personal training program, I use no breast collars of any kind anymore.

If my horses are properly saddled

Properly cinched

Properly padded

I do not need a breast collar

This applies to the following disciplines

Western pleasure and horsemanship

Pattern western riding

Reining

Trail both casual and show

Huntseat pleasure and equitation

Saddleseat pleasure and equitation

In the event, you do...  Want to do a lot of jumping for roping...

A breast collar is almost a necessity

At least in my book

When your horse is pulling some massive “g”s

You should not be distracted by being careful of your saddles position

You have enough other thinks to worry about

Some people tell me they use a breast collar because their horse is sooo fat...

If they do not, their saddle will not stay put

It slides off to one side or the other constantly

Yes, I can relate to this problem.

My horses too have a tendency to be a bit thick waited.

My answer is neoprene.

Start with it in the pads you use.

If that is not enough...try it in the cinches you use.

Always remember as soon as your horse cracks a bit of sweat, the neoprene will get stickier...until your horse gets

Super sweaty

They the neoprene gets slippery again

The best advice I can give you is this:

Learn how to pull your cinch tighter from sitting on your horse

When I first set my saddle on my horses back, I spend extra time adjusting the pads

I make sure they re pulled up into my saddle gullet as far as they can.

I make sure my pads are laying contour to my horse

This is really important

As the seasons change, so does your horse

My horses start out the spring pretty fat

They end the fall on the thin side

You don’t pad a fat horse the same way you pad a thinner horse

Please repeat