Place your saddle slightly forward of where it should sit. Slide it back and settle it so that it is sitting comfortably on the horse's back. For more details about how to place the saddle see the How to Saddle Your Horse tutorial. The cinch will be hanging down on the right side and the cinch strap will be on the left side of the horse.On a western saddle you may wish to hook the left stirrup up over the horn to get it out of the way.
Next Step: You'll start to tie the cinch.
The cinch strap to is located underneath the fender of the saddle. This is why you hooked the left stirrup over the saddle horn, so the ring is easily seen and accessed. Insert the end of the cinch strap down and towards the horse, through the ring on the cinch. Pull it all the way through so it's a bit taut and the end of the strap is pointing back up to the ring on the saddle. You don’t have to pull the strap tight against the horse at this point. But you don’t want the cinch ring hanging beneath the horse either.
Next step: You’ll learn how to pull the cinch strap back down.
Insert the end of the cinch strap down and towards the horse, through the ring on the saddle. Pull it all the way through and back down to the ring on the cinch. This will give you one complete loop between each ring. The next step is to repeat and begin to tighten.
Depending on how long the cinch strap is you may have repeat looping the strap two or three times between the ring on the cinch and the ring on the saddle. It's best for strength to have at least two loops. Again at this point don't worry about pulling the straps tight; you will tighten them securely later after the knot is tied. The next step is to start tying the knot.
To tie the knot, loop the cinch strap through the saddle ring, over itself and back up through the ring. This makes a knot similar to a man's neck tie. The next step will be to complete the knot.
Insert the end of the cinch strap down through the resulting loop. At this point you'll see how it looks similar to a man's necktie. It also somewhat similar to a lark's head knot used in crafting, although the straps will be overlapping rather than lying flat side by side. The next step is tightening the whole girth.
After you have tied the knot take up any slack in the cinch strap. Gradually pull the cinch straps, starting with the first (innermost) loop, so that the cinch is tight and the saddle is secure. Depending on the length of the remaining strap, you may loop it through the keeper behind the saddle strap.
Tighten your cinch again after your horse has moved around and relaxed. You want it tight enough so the saddle doesn't turn easily, but not so tight as to pinch the horse. You should be able to insert your fingers flat between cinch and horse.
