Breast collars on mules

[Bdog]

I ride my mules in some pretty tough stuff and broke my first breast collar snap. I have seen videos riding mules without breast collars. Does anybody have experience in the rocks and bluff not using breast collars as a fellow told me it just restricts the shoulders. How about it from you mule guys?

Thanks
Bruce

[animules]

I wouldn't.  On my mules the breast collar and britchin keeps the saddle centered.  The ones I use are made by Chris Turnow.  Go about half way down the page.  She does back country riding so knows what it takes for equipment.

http://horseandmulegear.com/catalog.php

[Beau]

  I'm no mule expert Bruce, but I ride one on the middle fork of the salmon-pretty rough here.  I dont think I could or would go with out a breast collar, or a crooper.   Sure like riding mule after riding a good one.

[royaltine]

I also agree, on a mule the breast collar is not near as important as the crupper/britchen, but in rough country, I still use one.  the one I use is from Ray Hole's and just a mountian breast colar with no third strap to the cinch.

[Bdog]

Thanks for all the input.

Bruce

[casey]

 You may have seen grand canyon mules without breast collars. If so, you need to know those were dude mules. We had to keep cinches snug on them anyway because dudes were riding them, and they all have hay bellies and can get by. But the guides and packers always use breast collars. I always like the martingale style breast collar on a mule, doesn't interfere with shoulder movement, and doesnt rub that bare spot on the point of the shoulder that arena style breastcollars do.

[saddlesore]

I have rigged my breast collar so it tie s into a ring on a piece of leather  that goes around the horn and through the gullet. This lets the collar lay right along the fold of thef ront of the shouler. Almost identical to a work collar of a harness,.

When going up some really steep hillls,this pulls te saddle  down and really prevents any slip. The draw back is that if you do a lot of this rough country riding,you might get some white spots on the mule swithers. Not from the saddle not fitting but  from that pulling down I mentioned.
I have tried  the std breast collar  riging and get a lor more hair wear,but no white spots.