Only tighten the girth enough to hold the saddle firmly in place. Some riders feel the tighter the girth the more secure they will be. There should be no need to make link sausage out of your horse by over tightening the girth—this can lead to injury and may compromise your horse’s breathing. You should be able to slide your fingers between the girth or cinch and your horse.
If there are tabs at the front of your saddle pad, loop them through the D-rings at the front of the saddle and tie or fasten them.
