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Back cinch??

D

Denny

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Joined
Feb 10, 2005
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Location
Mn usa
I notice in alot of pictures on here that alot of people ride with their back cinch loose.I have been taught to tighten them up due to the damage they may cause to the short ribs on the horse while roping.Any thoughts?
 
Denny said:
I notice in alot of pictures on here that alot of people ride with their back cinch loose.I have been taught to tighten them up due to the damage they may cause to the short ribs on the horse while roping.Any thoughts?
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I agree with you, Denny, that the back cinch should at least be "snug". They can be snug first thing when saddling up, but they tend to get loose as the day progresses. Without tightening them up , they can get quite loose. I try to stress to my wife and son to keep them tight, but they don't always heed me. :? :wink: Whenever we rope something, we adjust the back cinch so it is quite tight.

On the other side of the coin, too tight of a back cinch right off the bat can sure get a horse "cinchy". They are more apt to buck if the back cinch is too snug.
 
Around here back cinches are snugged up, not tight, but not leaving room for sticks and tree branches to easily get underneath it. Each to their own I guess.
 
I agree with Soapy. A back cinch should be snug.

I have never seen it but have heard that a loose, floppy back cinch can catch a back leg if the horse happens to kick at a fly. I've also heard that the same thing can happen while traveling down a steep slope.

Besides, I just don't like the way it looks to have the thing hanging so low. Take the darned thing off if there's no purpose in having it on. In fact when I'm riding green colts, I will remove the back cinch to avoid problems.
 
I assume the pictures my wife posted recently inspired this thread :???: Yes back cinches should be snug Soap,DJL and JF give good reasons they've been there done that. I always pull tight going out of the barn or trailer or when I dismount to open a gate or before roping a critter. My kids aren't of roping age yet so back cinch is not a big deal :P As for myself horses shrink when your gathering punchy cows out of fourteen thousand acres of badlands I'll try to do better next time :oops: I never let the back cinch get loose on my computer chair though :P
 
I didn't notice this detail in your pics; my comments were general, and my back cinch gets loose throughout the day too, and requires tightening. Horses do shrink a lot in a long day. If everyone starts evaluating every little detail for perfection before taking a pic, we're going to get far less pics, and that would be a shame. Life ain't perfect in ranch country.
 
Yup, if it ain't going to at least be snug, then take it off.

When I go to rope something, I tighten both front and back, tho' I never cut one in two with the back, or probably even the front, but I want that saddle to be secure.

When I am done roping and doctoring a critter, I loosen both cincha's some. Most times, they are usually looser when I am done doctoring, anyway.

The next one I see to doctor, I again tighten and then loosen afterwards.

A loose back cinch is kind of like an unloaded gun, it ain't doin' anybody any good at the time and when you need it , it's not going to do much good, either, especially if you are in a hurry. :wink:

JMHO

I have sure been guilty of gettin' busy and my cinch gettin' loose, while we were sorting or something, and had it pointed out by my son or someone I am riding with. Thats OK, they are just lookin' out for me. And us forgetful, old poops, need lookin' out for.

:)
 
JB, I had to read that one line again.

What I thought you said was, "When I see a doctor I tighten and then
loosen." :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :P :shock:

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I agree with the back cinch snug advice. We all forget from time
to time unless it's time to rope something.

In an arena it should be snug all the time you are planning to rope.
Our neighbor was a heeler and he had a real nice little JB King
bred mare. He would not keep that back cinch tight. He'd go in and
catch a steer and the saddle would pop up in the back and dig the
mare in the withers. She got so when she would go in for the heels,
she would turn her head way to the left and you could almost see
her close her eyes waiting the hit. She was gonna start refusing
to go in for the heels. I started going over and tightening his back
cinch before he roped. He never did notice any difference, but the
little mare sure did.
 
A loose back cinch scares me because of something no one has mentioned yet. Back quite a few years ago there was a fellow around starting colts and he told a story about a fellow he had known. He said the fellow was starting a colt in a round pen. The back cinch was to loose. The fellow was thrown and his foot slipped between the cinch and the horse. The cinch twisted around his leg and he was hung up. The colt was scared and started spinning in a circle with the fellow swinging to the outside. His head was banged against the corral posts numerous times and he died right there in the corral before anyone could get the horse stopped. I always try to keep my back cinch snug and the heavier something is that I'm going to rope the more I tighten it.
 
Since I see so little roping done around here (Really need to get down to that team roping just to meet some folks) most of the horses I see have a much more basic rigging goining on with just the front cinch and that is it.. I look at all the tack on these pictures and I gotta get out the book to figure out what is what... I guess that is what you get growing up where the only ropingyou have ever seen was at the Calgary Stampede, 18 years ago.
 
The fellow was thrown and his foot slipped between the cinch and the horse. The cinch twisted around his leg and he was hung up. The colt was scared and started spinning in a circle with the fellow swinging to the outside. His head was banged against the corral posts numerous times and he died right there in the corral before anyone could get the horse stopped.
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That reminds me of somethin else that i reckon needs some adressing,fellas packing a second rope on the right rear saddle strings.I saw a real close call once when a guy was stepping off his horse,his spur caught in the coils of that rope,and but for the grace of god,that old horse just looked back and snorted,and we were able to free him.I dont know how common it is to pack tworopes anywhere else,but its pretty common around here,just a heads up. :shock:
 
Saddletramp tells of a cowboy who was working on the same ranch that he did, back about thirty years ago. The cowboy had purchased a brand new saddle that didn't have a rope strap. The innovative feller just took an ordinary fence staple and pounded it into the right swell of the saddle, and attached a leather strap to hold his rope. One morning a bronc went to bucking, and in the fray, the cowpoke inadvertantly stuck his little finger through the staple. When the dust settled, his little finger was no longer attached to his hand. Ouch. :shock: :? :???:
 
There is an older lady that lives by herself over by Powderville. She is a known far and wide as a pretty salty hand. She was riding a horse that went to bucking. The saddle had what I think it is a 'cheater strap' (a buckle of some sort with a strap attached.) The same thing happened to her. Stuck her finger in the buckle and lost most of her finger when the dust had settled.

You said it, "OUCH."
 
Well, thanks for that gruesome tale of the loose cinch. We always rode pasture with loose cinches and when you had to drop a loop on something, you'd tighten up. Seemed to be more comfortable for the horse, as long as you weren't slopping around in the saddle.

Rod
 
ropesanddogs said:
The fellow was thrown and his foot slipped between the cinch and the horse. The cinch twisted around his leg and he was hung up. The colt was scared and started spinning in a circle with the fellow swinging to the outside. His head was banged against the corral posts numerous times and he died right there in the corral before anyone could get the horse stopped.
Click to expand...

That reminds me of somethin else that i reckon needs some adressing,fellas packing a second rope on the right rear saddle strings.I saw a real close call once when a guy was stepping off his horse,his spur caught in the coils of that rope,and but for the grace of god,that old horse just looked back and snorted,and we were able to free him.I dont know how common it is to pack tworopes anywhere else,but its pretty common around here,just a heads up. :shock:
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I have mine on the left rear and got tangled in it once.I normally only carry one rope.not that handy anyhow.
 
We ride with ours pretty snug most of the time-the luxury of getting off to adjust your tack when you need to rope something isn't always there. I did have to do a bit when I latched onto a ton Maine Anjou cow at the neighbors this fall-she was a drag on the pace of the cattle business.
 
Northern Rancher said:
We ride with ours pretty snug most of the time-the luxury of getting off to adjust your tack when you need to rope something isn't always there. I did have to do a bit when I latched onto a ton Maine Anjou cow at the neighbors this fall-she was a drag on the pace of the cattle business.
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In the wide open prairie you can take the time if your area is like our's open spots a to close to the Bush.
 

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