What are the billets on an English saddle?
A billet strap is a piece of leather or nylon located on either side of a saddle and used to hold the cinch in place. English saddles commonly have billet straps on both sides whereas a western saddle will have a single “off-billet” strap on the off side and a latigo strap on the near side.
Why do dressage saddles have long billets?
The primary benefit of riding in a dressage saddle with long billets is that the buckles that connect the girth and the saddle are not underneath your leg while you are riding.
What are the straps on an English saddle pad for?
Some saddle pads come with straps to thread your girth through and billet straps that have a hook-and-loop fastener, like Velcro, at the end. These fasten around a billet strap and keep the pad from slipping.
How much does it cost to replace billets on a saddle?
SADDLE REPAIR
| Item to be Repaired | Repair Cost |
|---|---|
| Replace 4 billets on dressage saddle | $200.00 (Dressage billets 27” long and $25 each + Cost to hand sew on $25 each) |
| Replace 6 billets on H-J, AP or CC | $150.00 ($25 each to hand sew on) + cost of new billets. Hunt Saddle billets are $14.50 each |
| Re-stitch billet | $25.00 each |
What is the difference between a latigo and a billet?
And most saddles have a latigo (the long leather or nylon strap) on the on-side and an off billet (a shorter strap with holes in it) on the off-side.
What is a billet on a bridle?
Where the bit attached to the reins and cheek pieces they are referred to as the billets. These can be either hook stud billets or buckle billets. The hook stud billet always does up toward the horse and the buckle billet always does up away from the horse. The reins and cheek pieces should have matching billets.
Why does a saddle have 3 girth straps?
The 1st & 4th girthing can sometimes help with lateral stability on rounder horses. The 1st & & 3rd girthing options are sometimes good for ponies and horses with no withers and high Spring ribs, these can help prevent a saddle slipping forwards.
What does a billet strap do?
The billets are three straps underneath the top flap, on each side of the english saddle. The billets are the straps which attach to the girth to anchor the saddle on the horse’s back.
When should I replace my billet saddle?
Any doubt as to the condition and you should replace the billets….Billet Inspection:
- The billet leather should be free from any cracking that extends further than the surface.
- The billet leather holes should be even, not stretched or elongated.
- The billet leather should be even in thickness and not thinned or elongated.
How much does it cost to Reflock a saddle?
When the time comes to completely reflock your saddle, it is much less painful to re-flock wool than it is re-panel foam. It typically runs $250-350, and you are usually only without your saddle for a few days.
What is a billet hook?
Hook studs, also referred to as billet studs are used in saddle manufacturing. The sizes below show the Length x Height x Width.
Can you replace billets in a saddle?
Any doubt as to the condition and you should replace the billets. As invariable goes one, so do the rest: We always recommend replacing all four billets as a matter of course. Billet Care: You must never use any kind of conditioner on billet straps.
How often should a saddle be Reflocked?
about once a year
Answer: These old saddles are often well made and can fit many horses due to their design. Since your horses are not sore, you may be in luck and need to do very little. However, all saddles need to be reflocked (restuffed) on a regular basis, usually about once a year, depending on the amount of riding you do.
What are the billets of an English riding saddle called?
This photo shows the part of an english riding saddle known as the “billets”. The billets are three straps underneath the top flap, on each side of the english saddle. The billets are the straps which attach to the girth to anchor the saddle on the horse’s back.
What is a billet strap on a saddle?
In the case of the billet strap, the function is purely to attach the cinch to the saddle. In fact, billet straps are present on western, English and even Australian saddles. So what is a billet strap? A billet strap is a piece of leather or nylon located on either side of a saddle and used to hold the cinch in place.
What is an Australian saddle?
In general, Australian saddles are typically going to have one of the billet styles listed above for other types of saddles. They can have several billet straps like an English or Dressage saddle or they are going to use a single off-billet similar to a western saddle.
How do you attach a cinch to an English riding saddle?
English riding saddles typically have billet straps on both sides of the saddle. Located under the top leg flap, these billets are used to attach the cinch to the saddle. Most English saddles will have at least three billet straps on each side. Any two of these straps are then used to attach the cinch to the saddle.