Hope that saddle cinch is not as loose as it looks in the photo...something you really do not want when herding bison.
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That’s not the primary cinch. It’s called a back cinch and stops the saddle from lifting in the back when roping. I keep mine tighter but hers is fine.
The cinch in the front is the tight one. It is obscured by her leg and boot.
That’s called a flank strap in the rear,,, and some horses don’t like them pulled up tithe .
Thank you. I noticed the strap too and was wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me. I can’t believe this was a staged photo op, since there were a heck of a lot of other people there, but there is something going on.
Not knowing much about saddle design, is there a possibility there is a second strap underneath actually cinched tight, and the outer one is for decoration?
Funny that’s what I saw as well and I really don’t ride much. beautiful horse and rider though.
You are looking at the “Second cinch’ on a Western saddle.
It only is needed when you are roping, so the saddle does NOT flip up & over the horse’s neck.
The real cinch is hidden behind her boots, right behind the horses’ elbows.
That’s just the strap that goes connects the front and rear cinch, the rear one should be loose. I spent a good part of my life training and showing cutting horses, we used buffalo to work the horses on.