6
How tight should the cinches be?
Properly placed, cinched, and loaded, the saddle is very stable and will stay in
place during pack trips no matter what the terrain.
If this is your first Flaming Star
saddle, you may be surprised at how tight the cinches must be. Remember, this is a
soft saddle and more compression occurs as the saddle conforms to the back of the
llama than it would if a rigid saw buck type saddle was used. Additionally, the more
fiber your llama has under the saddle, the more compression will occur. Llamas will
also inflate themselves (like their equine counterparts) during saddling.
Here is a good
regimen to adopt when saddling:
First, be certain that there is no debris in the fiber or sores on the llama that will cause
discomfort by placing a saddle or cinches on top of it. It is a good idea after brushing, to
rub the belly area with your hand to ensure there are no sticks or burrs attached to the
fiber. Saddle your llama using the above instructions and diagrams. Connect the front
cinch and tighten enough so the saddle doesn’t move before connecting the rear cinch
and optional chest plate. This is a safety issue in case the llama acts up, he won’t end
up with a saddle hanging around his neck or under his belly. The cinches and chest
plate are removed in the reverse order that they were connected.
Adjust the cinch adjustment straps on both sides of the llama so that the cinches evenly
straddle the belly area. Tighten the cinches so that you can barely get a finger or two
under the edge of the cinch. Now, tighten the cinch connector strap to keep the rear
cinch from moving any farther towards the back of the llama.
Load your panniers and weigh them. They should be within one pound of each other to
prevent the saddle from listing to one side. If your saddle gets off center and the load is
balanced, your front cinch is likely too loose. If the load rides up on the withers, your
rear cinch is too loose.
Before you load the panniers onto the saddle, check the cinches and tighten if
necessary. If your llama has expanded his belly prior to saddling, your cinches may not
be tight enough. Once the panniers are loaded, check the cinches again, as
compression of the fiber and saddle foam will occur especially when the load is heavy.
Once down the trail twenty minutes or so, check and tighten the cinches again. This
may seem like a lot of checking, but an ounce of prevention (keeping the saddle in
place) is worth a pound of cure (remounting the saddle). Remounting a saddle on the
trail can be dangerous to you, the llama, and any traffic that you may encounter.
As you gain experience in how tight the saddle needs to be, you will be able to
tighten well enough at the trailhead to avoid most adjustments on the trail.