Breast Collars: Western Style Breast Collars

Breast Collar Savvy

A breast collar is a piece of equipment that goes on the front of a saddle to help keep the saddle in place. It attaches to one side of the saddle, then goes across the front of the horse (aka the breast) and attaches to the other side of the saddle. A breast collar's primary job is to keep the saddle from sliding too far back, but it can also help to keep the saddle from tipping side-to-side. Breast collars are considered by many horse people to be an essential piece of equipment, and are used in virtually every type and style of riding in both English and Western riding disciplines.

Western Breast Collars

In the worlds of English and Western riding, there are different designs of breast collars. Below are just two styles commonly used when riding with Western tack.

The above style of breast collar is commonly used in a wide variety of Western riding activities, including trail riding, barrel racing, roping, and many more. This classic style of breast collar buckles to the D-ring on one side of the saddle, goes across the front of the horse, then buckles to the D-ring on the other side. It also has a strap that goes down between the horse's front legs and snaps to a ring on the front cinch.

This is a another popular style of breast collar used by Western riders. This style is often called a "pulling" breast collar. They are particularly popular among ropers. Instead of buckling around the D-rings of the saddle like the breast collar on the left, this style buckles around the pommel (also called the "fork" or the "swells") of the saddle.