What Is A Wither Strap?

Last Updated on June 28, 2020 by Allison Price

Wither straps are an adjustable leather strap that rests in front of the saddle. It is near the horse’s withers to hold the breast collar up in the perfect position. The whither straps are usually made of durable harness leather and snap. It has a tug rings on either side. These are important pieces of equipment that help stabilize your saddle. It is available in a variety of handmade breast collars. It is for training, showing, ranching, roping, trail riding, and barrel racing.

The wither strap is a simple strap that can even be then made out of a bungee cord with snaps on the two ends. To make one, cut the cord to the correct length. The strap picks the breast collar up to where it follows the shoulder. Apply snaps and you are ready to use your wither strap.

Wither Strap’s Usage

Wither strap is a simple strap with hooks at both ends. Thus, it is not so difficult to make this element yourself. A good life hack is that you can even use a dog collar as a wither strap as you wish. Many riders prefer styling their wither strap with a special design. This gives the horses and their equipment the look of uniqueness. The material of the strip does not matter, although they are usually made of leather.

Wither strap is not a necessary part of equipping a horse, it also provides a bit of comfort. This allows you to make maneuvers with greater ease. It does not allow the horse to become entangled in breast collar.

2 Types of Wither Strap

Classic Leather Wither Strap

The leather withers strap is a stylish and durable tool that will last long with proper care. The only problem is that it is usually difficult to set up well, that is, usually only a certain horse fits. Most of it is open at the throat or at the neck strap, but the noseband is usually too large and cannot be then controlled. The leather withers strap is usually suited for reliable help when tying the horse. Horse Western Leather Wither Strap does it job as a durable harness to manage your horse. This is especially when it comes to sharp turns and high speeds.

Perlon Wither Strap

These are the most commonly used wither straps today. These are inexpensive and available in different vibrant colors. Of course, each of them has its own advantage. The brilliant colored and patterned wither strap can help know which horse you owned. Moreover, if they are then lost, you can find it easier in the grass, or even among the coal bales.

Unlike leather, you can wash it in a washing machine at 40 degrees, so they always look like they’re brand new. Perlon withers strap’s weaknesses are the buckles and locks on them. These are usually made of stainless steel. Although this is not always the case, the rusty buckle may break and loose.

LED Horse Perlon Wither Strap makes you and your horse visible and safe, especially when riding at night. It gives you peace of mind knowing your horse will be seen by the traffic.

How to Use a Wither Strap

A good fitting withers strap allows enough movement of the saddle. It helps your horse to make maneuvers while holding the saddle and rider right where they need to be.

Step 1:

Buy a quality wither strap that’s shorter in length between its rings. This allows the tug straps to be then adjusted as necessary to fit small and large horses properly.

You also want to avoid having a wither strap that is then fastened too tight. This could cause your horse pain and restrict their movement.

Step 2:

Fastened the wither strap across your horse’s chest. You do this by adjusting the tug straps on each side. Keep on adjusting until it is well fitted with the centerpiece in the middle of your horse’s chest.

Step 3:

Snap the center strap between the legs onto the ring on the cinch. Do this so that it is right in the middle of the space between your horse’s front legs. If it’s off to one side it means your cinch ring is not in the middle of the horse’s belly. You need to even out the length of your latigos on each side of your saddle to even up your cinch.

Step 4:

Check your saddle. Make sure you don’t have a twist in a tug strap. Next, check your tug straps and center strap for wear before riding. This is an important safety measure because you never want to ride with worn leather on any piece of gear.

What is a Wither Strap good for?

An ordinary wither strap supplies a bridle without a bit of a noseband and a neck strap. To guide the horse, attach a lunge (about 150 cm) to it and tie it if necessary. The headband is usually made of a double-width material. This forms the split part of the face and the chin strap at the end. A buckle piece is sewn crosswise to the center of the headband for the blinders-holder. The noseband can be then made in a simpler design, with only one buckle sewn into the weaker end with 2 holes.

We need a forced break when we start dealing with a young horse. This is an iron-fastened brace. This keeps the young horse under control at the nose when gripping at the beginning of the training.

Where is the Horse’s Wither Area?

The wither area is the place on the spine between the shoulder blades of your four-legged animals. In many species, it is the highest point of the body. In horses, the withers form part of the spinal column between the 3rd and 11th dorsal vertebrae. (most horses have 18 dorsal vertebrae.) These are usually elongated in this part of the body. Since the withers do not move relative to ground level, it is usually used to measure the height of a horse. The height of a horse is usually measured in the palms – 4 inches in one palm. Horses can grow differently-from small ponies to large horses of pigs. The average height at the withers of a purebred horse is 16 palms, for ponies – 14.2 palms.

Wither Strap in the Paddock

It is not recommended to put a wither strap on the horses in the paddock for several reasons. Wither strap can get caught up in it, such as a protruding fence column, a tree branch, or a drinking device. It can even get caught when a horse starts scratching its own foot. The panic situation that such a hitch causes the risk of injury should not be then underestimated at all!

Aside from laziness, wither strap on horses in the paddock makes it easy to catch them. This makes it easier for the owner, but it also makes it easier for the thieves to steal horses, too. It may even tempt them to take the unguarded horse.

The problem is how to grab and drive the horse from the pasture if there is no wither strap on it. Horses are usually unwilling to come home to the barn in that case. Everyone has to figure out a suitable method for this, but this should be the slightest trouble.

Wither Strap in the Stall

Do you need it? If NO, then catching a horse in a twelve square meters pen may exhaust you. If you had it worn and still doesn’t go, then the problem may not be about the lack of a wither strap. The horse has its reason not to be then seized.

A horse who has no confidence in an owner without a wither strap during riding will not be a reliable companion. There are many wither straps in the range of equestrian shops nowadays. You can find the one that suits their needs in those shops.

Allison Price
Allison Price

I’m Allison, born and raised in San Diego California, the earliest memory I have with horses was at my grandfather’s farm. I used to sit at the stable as a kid and hang out with my Papa while he was training the horses. When I was invited to watch a horse riding competition, I got so fascinated with riding!