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With only the girth strap? I mean... it just confuses the hell out of me. Don't you need to strap it crazy hella tight so that the saddle dosent slip if you accidentally get a tad unbalanced, or when you mount? o.O;;

I mean, we only have the front cinch on our pony saddles, and we're constantly straightening them in between kids. They slip a bit every once in a while.

So.. yeah. Do you guys have issues with slipping? Forgive my ignorance, but I'm truly curious. I usually have three straps that I use on a horse O.o;; the cinch, the girth, and the breast strap sweatdrop

And also... what's with the double bridle doodads? What's the purpose of twice the straps? What's the purpose of two reins? I mean... that sounds kinda painful for the horse o_o maybe someone can clear this up with me?

I am so confuseded! crying emo

yeh, we put the girth real tight you can barely slip a finger through it, the horses hate tightening girths.. the grumpy ones anyway

yeah, i guess we do up english saddles a bit tighter, but when you think about it, most english horses are narrower so the saddle stays in place better. also the saddle is lighter so it takes more to make it tip, if that makes any sense. and another is that in english there generally isn't any tight cutting turns or anything unless the horse spooks or something. plus nothing is pulling on it like a calf or whatever.

now, for pelhams and double bridles. they are used in high level dressage and for really trained horses. they are used to tell the horse to extend or collect (going beyond round) and to go other more difficult movements. im not sure which rein does what and how to tell the horse to really do that, but one of them controls the speed and impulsion while the other controls the amount of collection. at that level steering is almost purely threw the saddle.

EDIT: look up double bridles, you'll notice a chain (like a kimberwick), a bit with a port (connected to the shank) and a broken bit (like a snaffle). also look up piaffe and passage dressage. youll notice most of the horses doing these movements are wearing a double bridle. you can look up extened gaits too, but you dont need a strong bit to ask for that.

Sometimes it does slip so you have to get someone to swing out of the stirrup on the other side when you're mounting.

If the saddle slips backwards when you ride you attatch a martingale/breaststrap. If it slips forward when you ride you attatch a cropper which holds it inplace under the tail.

When you're not riding the horse and you leave them in the stable and if they're tacked up you loosen the girth and sometimes the saddle slips but it's very rare.

We have two reins to steer, one to go left the other to go right. Not all of our bridles have two straps not all have nosebands not all have throat lashes, I don't know what the two straps are for thought. Do you not have two reins?

I ride with just a front cinch. My saddle is set up for a front and back cinch, but I dont use it. I only use a breast collar if we are going to do lots of hill climbing.
A proper fitting saddle should not slip when you get on, or slip forward or back while riding. I have even seen one custom made saddle that can be put on without a cinch, then you can get up on the horse and it still wont slip! its pretty cool, and they still use a cinch of course, they were just showing it off.
Some people use double sets of reins to have a different kind of action in the bit. As you can see in the pic above, they are connected at different points.

no, its not a trick. they use them in high level dressage. if you look at a double bridle and look at the mechanics (what pust pressure where), it makes sense. it helps them get truly round (raise their back and everything).

Oh God. I've been reading everybody's opinions in here, and some just really don't make sense.

The reason there are four reins are for keeping the horse's head up and tucked in and straight.

The top rein keeps their head straight with their body, preventing them from looking around, if you hold tight enough.

The bottom rein brings their chin in. Then the horse's head is tucked in. It is supposed to make the horse look nice, unless it's tucked too far in.

Saddleseat riders (users of the two reins) have only a girth and a martingale. The martingale help keeps the saddle forward while preventing the horse from rearing. It doesn't put too much strain on the horse's body. It's connected to the bottom rein. We usually never have any trouble slipping in the saddles, except for the occasional puffing of the stomach, never. The girths are fairly tight, and be careful because some horses will turn around and bite at you.

I hope that clears it up a bit for you. Ask me more questions if you want.

(Usually there is not strain on the horse unless something is incorrect or the reins are waaay too tight.)

wow, i'm so glad you asked that
if was wonderin' about some if myslef.
but don't worry u ain't the only one mystified by english stuffs,
i'm takin' a horsemanship class and i'm gonna start learnin' english , and then i brought my saddle here to ride in smile lol, makes sence don't it?
but anyways, my saddle i have a front girth, and back one... cause... yeah... i just have one on there and my horse was skin and bones so to help it not telt upwards and whatnotness, and i have a brest collar on also. well on my old horse *just sold him like a month ago* but anyways Demon the horse i'm riding right now smile the instertor said to put a brest collor on him
so i already had that on my saddle so i'm all good smile