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Mel,

A breast collar is another piece of tack. There are pros and cons to any 
piece of tack.

The pros of a breast collar are:
If your saddle slips back - the breast collar will stabilize it.
If your horse has a low wither - the breast collar will keep the saddle 
from slipping sideways.
It is a place to hook more junk.

The cons are - especially if you don't really need it:
It can rub.
It can catch a tree limb or brush (seen that one happen and it wasn't 
pretty).
It is another piece of tack you have to fool with.

Unless you need it - it comes down to a personal choice. I have one but 
very seldom use on. My saddle stays in place and my horse has a nice 
wither. I've ridden in mountains and in the flat without one. Some 
people use them all the time.

Truman

Mel Cochran wrote:
> I use a breastcollar all of the time, even when I ride on flat land. I 
> find that it gives me the ability to keep the girth looser than I 
> would keep it sans breastcollar. I felt like this is better for my 
> horse but now that I am thinking about it I wonder.
>
> The breastcollar keeps the saddle in place when I get on and during 
> unexpected horizonal movement which would normally relocate the saddle 
> and rider with a loose girth. During normal riding, I stay balanced in 
> the saddle so it does not move or pull on one side or the other.
>
> Is this bad? I use a regular "western" style neoprene breastcollar but 
> am debating about getting one of the biothane ones that seems to fit 
> along the top of the shoulder. I have read that these are better for 
> the horse. My horse has been fine with the one I have so far but I 
> have not ridden her for more than 15-17 miles with it.
>
> I have only done one LD and I did not use the breastcollar. I have 
> been wondering if I want to use it for the next LD I have on my radar.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Mel

--

“It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how 
smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong” Richard 
Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics


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