Here we are again- in the blog. And I know you woke up wondering to yourself “Self, I wonder what the difference is between Mohair and Alpaca cinch cord?” Well, you are in luck because I also woke up this morning and thought to myself “Self, we should write a blog post about that today.” So here we go.
You will often see Mohair in a wide range of beautiful colors and that tends to be what sucks people in to Mohair cinches but that’s not the only benefit- after all- it is called the “Diamond Fiber”! Mohair itself is extremely durable, resilient and strong. It has amazing anti-microbial properties and is extremely breathable and wicks moisture beautifully. As mentioned before, people are usually drawn to the colors that Mohair comes in. This is one of the most obvious differences between Mohair and Alpaca cinch cord. Mohair is easily dyed and Alpaca does not take dye as well so it is only offered in a handful of natural colors. Any of the Alpaca colors you see on our website are dye-free 🙂 And for those of you who are wondering- we are able to combine the two fibers in one cinch or breastcollar project. For example- when folks want an Alpaca cinch body with some details added in Mohair for a pop of fun color, that’s no problem at all and we are happy to do it! In the photos below, the solid blue cinch is all 100% Mohair and the brown cinch is a 100% Alpaca cord body with Mohair accent colors.
Alpaca is also a great option for those horses that are have sensitive skin. Alpaca cinch cord is a little “fluffier” and has a little more loft to it, it’s even softer than Mohair and Mohair is already pretty dang soft! Alpaca is also very breathable and wicks moisture well, just like Mohair.
Anytime you are wicking moisture away from a sweaty skin surface, you are decreasing the likelihood of galling or cinch sores. If a natural fiber like Alpaca or Mohair sores your horse, it is likely in need of a good washing to get the sweat and dirt buildup out of it. In our experience, no matter how well constructed the cinch is, if it is filled with dirt and sweat you are still running the risk of galling your horse.
Another thing that is important to note about Mohair and Alpaca cinch cord- it will NOT stretch out over time with use if it is true 100% Mohair or 100% Alpaca and we NEVER use blends! Most store bought or big box/name cinches are actually blends even if they say 100% Mohair or 100% Alpaca on the tag. They are able to advertise as such because there is 100% Mohair or 100% alpaca in the cord, but it is not the total composition of the cord. The Mohair or Alpaca is often blended with wool or another cheaper fiber to reduce cost and will stretch (and stay stretched out) over time. If it is true 100% Mohair or 100% Alpaca cord- if you order a 32” cinch and you ride it for several years, you will still have a 32” cinch if you re-measure it years later – it will not stretch to a larger size after use. Your cinch will look smaller than the size you ordered when it isn’t cinched up but when you do up your latigos, the cinch will “give” to the size you ordered, then it will relax back down after you take the tension off.
With both of these being natural fibers, they will also expand and contract with the horse’s ribcage wonderfully, creating more freedom in the barrel and better breathing. A material like neoprene will not “give” or move with the ribcage at all, for example.
Natural fiber cinches have been used for over one hundred years and along the way, synthetics and other materials have been introduced into the cinch world. For us? We will only choose 100% Mohair or 100% Alpaca because as they say- “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?” and that’s pretty hard to argue with! As always, let us know if you have any questions, we’d be glad to answer them 🙂 Happy Trails!
