Crupper vs Britchin

Cruppers or Britchin? That is the question…

So, which is better, a crupper or britchin? This is one of those topics that is always being debated by mule folks the world over. Ok, maybe not the whole world but at least in my part of the world. It is a debate that never really has any resolution. Kind of like; what came first, the chicken or the egg. But mostly it is an unresolved issue because there is no clear cut answer to this question. There certainly are some strong opinions about each. Some mule folks are quite passionate in their particular preference. Most folks seem to fall somewhere in the middle like me in feeling that it really comes down to simply trying each out, finding out what works best for you, your mule with the condition or type of riding you do. So, if you want to know which one is better, you won’t find that answer here. This article is about educating and trying to answer questions about both pieces of equipment. And hopefully this will help those interested in making an informed decision on what they think will work best for them and their mules.

Before debating the pros and cons of either piece of equipment, I would first like to discuss a few things. One important item is tack quality and fitting. This is relevant to both cruppers and britchin as neither one is going to work well for you if it is of poor quality and/or does not fit your mule. If I bought cheap britchin and/or did not fit it properly to my mule, which resulted in rubbing and galling, it would be unfair of me to then say britchin doesn’t work. Another thing to keep in mind is the material of the tack you are using. Some mules have trouble with neoprene materials. Some may have problems with synthetic felt or fleece. Always try to rule out problem such as this before drawing any conclusion about either a crupper or britchin. Another thing to keep in mind is the fit of all the tack you are using. If your mule is rushing down hills, tossing it’s head or showing any other signs of discomfort, do not assume it is the crupper or britchen. Neither a crupper or britchin will fix a bad saddle fit. And you should not use either as a “band-aid” for a bad saddle fit. Consider all the tack you have on your mule. And also realize that some mules simply won’t tolerate one or the other though it seems most mule will accept either if it is introduced to them properly. I’ve heard a lot of both scenarios where someone was using britchin and having trouble but once they switched to a crupper, the mule was fine and vise versa. Also take into consideration your mules conformation. A mule with medium to high withers will likely do well with a crupper. A mule with little to no withers and/or a barrel shaped body may need more support for keeping a saddle in place. The last thing to consider is the kind of riding are you doing and where are you doing it. I do endurance riding. In a competition I canter where I can, walk where I must and trot the rest. So, there is a lot more rear leg action happening then someone that is riding primarily at a walk. In this situation, a britchin may cause some binding or rubbing. If you are trail riding in the mountains, you may simply feel more secure with britchin. In summery:

• Buy the best quality tack you can afford.






• Make sure the tack is fitted properly






• Use materials that are compatable with your mule.






• Evaluate the fit of all your tack before coming to any conclusions.






• Keep in mind that your mule may have a preference for either a crupper or britchin.






• Evaluate your mule's conformation as that my well have some bearing on what works better for your mule.






• Consider the type of riding you are going to do and where you are going to ride.
  a crupper or britchin.






• If you find that both britchin and cruppers work for you and your mule, then choose what you find most convenient and/or pleasing to your eye. I use a crupper and think it is best for what I do with my mule, but I think a nice set of britchin looks very sharp on a mule.
  
  Cruppers:
  Ok, I’ll start with cruppers as that is what I have experience with. You can buy cruppers made from many types of materials, leather, nylon, plastic, biothane or a combination of these materials. The straps may be lined with neoprene, fleece or felt. And there is a variety of tail pieces to choose from. The two types I’ve used are rolled leather and neoprene. And though I am not personally a fan of neoprene, I’ve had no problem with the neoprene tail piece on my crupper. Leather filled with flax seed is also a popular choice. Cruppers can also have either one strap that is attached to the rear center of a saddle, or two straps that attach to either britchin rings or the back cinch rings on a saddle. I much prefer a two strap crupper as it will keep the crupper centered on your mule and eliminate the “sawing” motion that sometimes occurs with a one strap crupper as you go up and down hills and the crupper tightens and loosens a little.
  

Common complaints heard about cruppers:
1) Cruppers were made for harness to keep them centered and were never meant to hold weight.
Cruppers have been used with saddles for centuries. There are manuscript pictures from the 13th and 14th century that show saddle horses with crupper. So once again it comes down to what came first, the chicken or the egg.

2) You would never see a crupper used on a pack mule.

I think there is quite a bit of difference in how a pack works on a mule and how a rider and saddle works. A pack is dead weight that is centered differently then a rider. The bulk of a packs weight is most often more on the side of the mule. A pack will not reposition or rebalance itself to aid the mule. Nor will it know if a strap or cinch has become loose. A riders isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) dead weight. A rider can shift their weight in any direction to aid the mule and its tack to stay in place. You also don't see cruppers on pack HORSES. But, you seldom see britchin on a riding HORSE leading a pack string over the same ground as the pack animals that are wearing britchin.

3) A crupper will injure or ruin a mules spine. “My chiropractor worked on my mule and it’s back was out of place”.

There are a multitude of reason a mule may have a back problem. A poor fitting saddle, poor conformation, a poor rider, being ridden too young, being ridden too hard for its fitness level, a slip or fall while being ridden or out in the pasture. The list goes on and on. What I do know is that I know of a huge number of horse owners that have needed to have their horses backs adjusted and none of those horses have ever worn a crupper. The one time I’ve had chiropractic work done on a mule, the chiropractor said he was amazed at how well adjusted this mule was. This mule had worn a crupper all her life, been ridden by heavy weight riders and in some very tough terrain. Watch videos of the Tevis Cup ride. This is a one day 100 mile endurance race through the Sierra Nevada mountains in CA. that you have 24 hrs. to complete. Note the number of cruppers you see being used on the equines. If cruppers were so damaging to the spine, surely all the equines wearing cruppers that do this ride year after year would be absolutely crippled by the end of this ride.........

4) A crupper would be uncomfortable like wearing a thong.

A thong fits into the crack of a persons buttocks. A crupper goes under the tail of an equine. It does not go into the crack of anything. If is does, you might be in trouble and are about to have a wreck…….

5) When going down a hill, my mules tail lifted right up and the crupper slid off.

I’ve only had this happen once and it was from my saddle being rigged up in a way it was not designed to be rigged. The problem was quickly solved by correcting the rigging. If your saddle is pulling forward hard enough for it to pull the tail up, you likely have a saddle fitting problem. And while a britchin might keep the saddle back on the same mule, it is pulling just as hard on the britchin as it was the crupper. The weight might be more spread out with the britchin but you have not solved the problem of the saddle pulling forward so hard. You are just putting a band-aid on and disguising the problem.

Quick summery on cruppers

Pros:

• Lightweight and easy to use.






• It will aid in keeping your saddle from sliding forward on your mule.






• Some mules are more tolerant of a crupper then of britchen.






• When riding at faster speeds for any length of time, a crupper may perform better due to less issues with rubbing.
  
  
  

Cons:

• If you are having trouble with your cinch moving forward and galling, a crupper won't specifically address this problem. Though just keeping the saddle back might be enough to keep the cinch out of the sensitive galling area.






• If a crupper strap breaks, you might find yourself in a bad situation. Britchin has a lot more to it and one broken strap is not as likely to cause a major problem.






• Some mules seem to tolerate britchin better then a crupper.

Now, as I do not personally have any experience with using britchin, I will turn this article over to someone who does and can give their own specific knowledge and experience on using britchin

(This isn't finished as I have yet to get anything in writing from someone that uses britchin)