Breastplate (tack)

A breastplate (also referred to as a breastcollar, breaststrap or breastgirth) is a piece of tack (equipment) used on horses.

When the Spanish Conquistador Cortez[1] invaded Mexico in 1519 his small group of cavalry men all rode the old centerfire rigged War Saddle.

Since the saddle was prone to slip back on the horse, a breast collar was used, usually with a shoulder strap to hold it up.

From the formation of the American cavalry in 1812 military saddles were single cinched and both a breast collar and crupper were used.

Early Mexican vaqueros[2] soon moved the front cinch forward, hanging the rigging directly under the fork, and solved the problem of saddle slippage.

There are usually buckles for adjusting the size of the yoke as well as the length of the straps which attach to the saddle and girth.

The hunting breastplate not only helps to prevent the saddle from slipping, but also may be used to attach a Market Harborough or standing and running martingales, which are clipped or buckled onto a ring at the chest.

The hunting breastplate is most commonly made of leather, and some have elastic inserts on the yoke to help prevent it from restricting the horse's shoulders.

Additionally, a hunting breastplate may cause the tree points of a poorly fitting saddle to dig into the sides of the horse's withers, creating rubs and great discomfort.

The term "breastplate" is occasionally used, though western riders generally use "breast collar" to refer to both designs.

Special attention should be paid to the shoulders, chest, and the area between the horse's front legs.

The breast strap should have some slack, and care should be taken that its buckle doesn't rub the sensitive skin in the area.

It should also be adjusted so that the chest straps lie above the point of the shoulder so that the horse's motion is not restricted.

The wither strap should be adjusted so that it is not so low that it interferes with the horse's shoulders, or so high that it presses against the animal's windpipe.

They are desirable because they tend to be less-restrictive to the shoulders, so the horse is better able to pick up his front legs and fold over a jump.

A yoke strap is sometimes attached to the pole ring of two side-by-side horses to keep them together; common in Hungarian harnesses.