Cinch Position: The Heart Girth

The heart girth (also known as the girth line) is the narrowest part of the horse's rib cage. This is the correct location for the cinch.

On most horses, the heart girths falls about four inches behind the horse's elbow, but horses vary and some will have heart girths that lie forward or back of this approximation.

You can find the location of your horse's heart girth by standing back and looking at your horse from the side. Look for a slight upward curve or dip in the lower line of the stomach behind the elbow.