Mohair Cinches
A mohair cinch is made of smooth, durable fibers from the hair of an Angora goat.
Mohair cinches for saddles are strong, durable, washable, and naturally antibacterial. They are a favorite among cowboys and cowgirls for their strength, good looks, and strong ties to tradition. Below are mohair cinches for sale. The cinches are both straight cinches and also wider roping cinches.
Below: A mohair cinch.
From eBay, Etsy, and Amazon
eBay, Etsy and Amazon are all excellent sources to find mohair cinches. This area lets you compare the prices and selection between them on one page!
Read each description carefully to know if...
- ...you're buying an already-made, ready to ship cinch, OR
- ...if you're buying a cinch that will be made according to your specifications when you order.
See more mohair cinches on Etsy
See more mohair cinches on eBay
Mohair Information: What Is Mohair?
Mohair is a fiber made from the hair of an Angora goat. Mohair is durable, washable, and has moisture wicking properties to carry moisture away from the skin. Mohair fibers can take a lot of twisting and bending without becoming damaged, and the fibers are difficult to crush. It is also a strong fiber: It is not only stronger than sheep's wool, it is also stronger than steel of an equal diameter.
Another plus to mohair is that it is naturally antibacterial: Since mohair fibers are long and smooth (unlike sheep's wool which is crimped and scaly) they naturally resist bacteria.
Below: An Angora goat. Mohair is made from the hair of Angora goats.
Below: An electron microscope scan of a mohair fiber. This fiber is 18um long, which is equivalent to 0.000708661 of an inch. Compared to sheep's wool, mohair is stronger, and also stronger than steel of an equal diameter. In addition, mohair is a smooth fiber, making it naturally antibacterial.
Image Attribution: CSIRO CC BY 3.0 https:/creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
More About Mohair
Mohair is harvested from Angora goats by shearing. Unlike sheep which are
typically shorn only once a year, Angora goats are typically shorn twice a year.
Mohair is prized worldwide as a luxury fiber. It takes dye extremely well,
and is commonly dyed into a wide range of vibrant colors. It provides excellent
warmth and insulation in cold temperatures, but is cool in the hotter
temperatures thanks to its ability to wick moisture.
While many of us in the horse industry think of mohair as the natural fiber cinches are made of, it is used to make a nearly endless variety of other products as well. Other items commonly made of mohair include clothing (coats, sweaters, socks, scarves and more) and home furnishings such as carpeting. It's also used to make the luxurious fur of teddy bears or other stuffed animals, as well as the hair of some high-end dolls.
Below: A mohair cinch on a working cowboy's saddle.
Buying A New Mohair Cinch: What Size?
The best way we have found to buy a new cinch in the correct size (length) is to measure an old cinch that fits the horse and saddle and simply buy a new one the same size.
However, that's not always possible. While there are several different ways to measure a horse for a new Western cinch the one we have found to be the most reliable is to:
- Measure the horse's heart girth (in inches)
- Divide that measurement by 2
- Then subtract 3 inches.
(If you don't know how to measure your horse's heart girth, please see this page: How to measure your horse's girth.)
For example, let's say you measured your horse's heart girth and it is 77 inches. To calculate cinch size for this horse take the heart girth, divide that measurement by 2, then subtract 3 inches:
- 77 inches divided by 2 = 38.5 inches
- 38.5 inches minus 3 inches = 35.5 inches
- In this case the horse would take a 35 or 36 inch cinch
This Is Just An Estimate...
Calculating your horse's cinch size using
the method above is not always accurate. There are enough differences in
styles of cinches, saddles, and horse body types to make any method of
measuring for a cinch little more than an educated guess. Like we said
earlier, measuring an old cinch (if you have one) that fits the horse
and saddle well would be a better way of finding out a good size for a
new cinch, but that's not always possible. If you have to make an
educated guess, however, the method above is a good place to
start.
Save The Cinch For Later
If you find a mohair cinch for sale on Etsy that you like but you're not ready to purchase it right away, you can always add it to your shopping cart so it will be easy to find later.
- In most cases, Etsy will keep track of your cinch, and anything else in your shopping cart, for 30 days.
- In the meantime, if you want to check out with other items you can click on "Save for later" to move the cinch to a separate, but still easy-to-find list beneath your shopping cart.
- If you put items into your Etsy shopping cart but don't check out after 30 days, Etsy will automatically move your cinch (or other items) to the "Save for later" area beneath your shopping cart. When you're ready to actually purchase any of these items, simply click "Move to cart" to put them back into your shopping cart and check out.
Important: Putting items in your Etsy shopping cart or "Save for later" list does NOT reserve them! It just makes them easier to find if they're still available when you come back.
Below: Screenshot image showing the "Save for later" and "Remove" links when an item is in the Etsy shopping cart.
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