What is a billet strap used for?

A billet strap is a piece of leather or nylon located on either side of a saddle and used to hold the cinch in place. English saddles commonly have billet straps on both sides whereas a western saddle will have a single “off-billet” strap on the off side and a latigo strap on the near side.

What is a billet strap?

Billets, or straps as they are called in the UK, do more than anchor the girth to the saddle. They have a lot of influence on how the saddle will fit the horse. There are point billets, balance billets, swing billets, center billets, Y billets, repositionable billets, long and short billets and more.

Where does a billet strap go?

The "off billet" is the leather strap attached to the front D-ring on the right side of the rigging on your horse's Western saddle. Its purpose is to support the girth, which wraps around the horse's barrel.

What is the difference between a Latigo and a billet?

And most saddles have a latigo (the long leather or nylon strap) on the on-side and an off billet (a shorter strap with holes in it) on the off-side.

What is a billet in horse tack?

The billets are three straps underneath the top flap, on each side of the english saddle. The billets are the straps which attach to the girth to anchor the saddle on the horse's back.

Which girth straps/billets to use. English saddle fitting help.

What are the straps on a saddle pad for?

Some saddle pads come with straps to thread your girth through and billet straps that have a hook-and-loop fastener, like Velcro, at the end. These fasten around a billet strap and keep the pad from slipping.

What is the back of the saddle called?

Cantle: The back of the saddle that gently curves upwards for backward seat support. Twist: The “twist” is the part of the saddle tree that sits just below the pommel in front of the “seat” of the saddle (circled in the image). This is a part of the saddle that determines how the saddle sits between the rider's legs.

What is a billet on a bridle?

Where the bit attached to the reins and cheek pieces they are referred to as the billets. These can be either hook stud billets or buckle billets. The hook stud billet always does up toward the horse and the buckle billet always does up away from the horse. The reins and cheek pieces should have matching billets.

What are the billets on a dressage saddle?

Dressage saddles come with either short or long billets. The billets, located under the leg flaps of the saddle, are the straps the girth attaches to. The differences in a saddle with short billets and one with long billets are subtle; neither length is necessarily considered better than the other.

What are the straps on a horse called?

Reins. Reins consist of leather straps or rope attached to the outer ends of a bit and extend to the rider's or driver's hands. Reins are the means by which a horse rider or driver communicates directional commands to the horse's head. Pulling on the reins can be used to steer or stop the horse.

What is a half breed saddle?

The half breed saddle is a modern development on traditional saddle types that delivers a highly comfortable, stable, and safe riding. The rider is seated in a 'balanced' seat, with the shoulder, hips, and ankles in a straight line.

Why is the horn on a Mexican saddle so big?

“The larger the horn neck, the more friction the rope has and the less dallys the roper needs to take to hold the critter.

How long does a horse saddle last?

A high-quality Western horse saddle can easily last 25 years, but you'll be lucky to get five good years from a cheap saddle. Saddles will start to show signs of aging and can be uncomfortable for horses relatively quickly when you don't take care of them.

What is the horn on a saddle called?

A pommel is the rounded knob on a horse's saddle that a rider grips with one hand. The raised front of the saddle itself can also be called a pommel. Some saddles, particularly the modern western type, have a metal grip at the front, known either as a horn or a pommel.

What's the difference between a western saddle and an English saddle?

The English saddle is much smaller than the Western saddle; it is made with thinner, lighter leather. This gives the rider greater flexibility to move in the saddle and closer contact with the horse. The English saddle gives the horse more room and flexibility to move in the shoulder than a Western saddle.

What are Australian saddles used for?

The saddle is suitable for cattle work, starting young horses, everyday pleasure riding, trail riding, endurance riding, polocrosse and is also used in Australian campdrafting competitions and stockman challenges.

Is a saddle pad necessary?

The saddle pad or blanket provides a bit of extra cushioning between the saddle and the horse and helps the saddle stay clean. Without a pad or blanket, a saddle will sit directly on the horse, where it will absorb sweat and pick up dirt from the horse's back.

Why does a saddle have 3 girth straps?

The 1st & 4th girthing can sometimes help with lateral stability on rounder horses. The 1st & & 3rd girthing options are sometimes good for ponies and horses with no withers and high Spring ribs, these can help prevent a saddle slipping forwards.