How to Position the Breast Collar on a Horse
- 1). Place a halter and lead rope on your horse and tie him to a sturdy post. Place the saddle pad on your horse's back right behind the withers. Flip the girth up over the top of the saddle and sit the saddle in place on top of the pad.
. - 2). Attach the sides of the breast collar to the rings on each side of the saddle. If you are using a western saddle, these will be the rings that the girth and the cinch are attached to. An English saddle will have two small rings on the front for attaching a breast collar.
- 3). Slide the end of the breast collar under the horse, between his front legs, then bring the girth down and slide the girth through the loop in the breast collar. Tighten the girth as you normally would.
- 4
Be sure that your breast collar fits properlysaddle image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
Adjust the sides of the breast collar so that the front of the breast collar lies in the middle of the horse's chest. Be careful not to over-tighten the breast collar--it should not be so tight that it is uncomfortable for the horse. The breast collar should be snug enough so that the saddle cannot slip back too far, but not so tight that the horse's movement will be restricted. If you cannot comfortably insert your hand between the breast collar and your horse's chest, the breast collar is too tight. - 5). Ride your horse for a few minutes, then dismount and check the tightness of both the breast collar and the cinch. Make any necessary adjustments, then remount your horse and continue your ride.
