Mohair Cinches
Whenever I’m at a craft show with folks from different backgrounds, I’ll hear someone ask what the stringy thing with two buckles on the end is. Usually a horse savvy person will explain to the non-horse person that ‘it’s the belt that keeps the saddle on the horse’. Well, basically!
A cinch is a western term, originating from the Spinach ‘cincha’. English riders will call the same piece of tack a girth. Either term is correct.
This essential piece of tack can be made from many different materials, but there is one that’s superior and that’s mohair.
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Mohair is the hair of an Angora goat. They have been around for probably thousands of years and the hair is highly prized in making textiles.
Mohair cord is both breathable, soft, and durable. It has some stretch, but not too much. It’s the gold standard for cinch cord.
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The world is awash in synthetic materials, they’re widely available and cheap. One of the bits of wisdom often passed around barns is that neoprene is preferable when riding multiple horses, or sharing tack, because it’s easy to clean and disinfect compared to a string cinch.
Personally, I clean my cinches in a stock tank, so I don’t have much experience in a world where I’m concerned about fungus and expensive horses. What I am concerned about is keeping the only horse I have sound and comfortable. There have been times in my life where as a back country cook and wrangler, I had one horse and that one horse had to stay sound through back to back ten mile days, and the only other option would have been the pack mule carrying my kitchen.
Neoprene definitely has its place in the horse world, but it isn’t on long rides or on days where a horse stays saddled from sunrise to sunup. It cannot breathe or dissipate sweat, it would be a lot like working in a rubber bra. Mohair cinches can move with the horse and wick sweat away, cooling the horse down, providing greater comfort over long, challenging days.
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I am currently working on a PDF guide for making mohair cinches. I’ll update the website once it’s finished. In the meantime, check out U-Braid-It for educational resources and supplies.
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Fill out the custom cinch order form on the home page here or reach out to me via email (squiresskay@gmail.com) or phone 304-702-4423.
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If it’s a cinch, I can make it. I have made straight 17 strand cinches, roper cinches, pack cinches, Y-cinches (combination front and rear cinches), and English girths.