Breast Collar and Girth: Mohair vs. Alpaca - What's the Difference?

You've probably woken up one morning and asked yourself:
"What's the difference between mohair and alpaca cinches?"

Well, you're in luck, because I asked myself the same question this morning... and I thought it would make an excellent blog post today. So, let's get to it.

You often see mohair in a wide variety of beautiful colors, and that's often what draws people to mohair cinches. But that's not its only advantage — after all, it's called the "diamond fiber"!

Mohair is extremely durable, resilient, and strong. It also has excellent antimicrobial properties, is very breathable, and wicks away moisture remarkably well.

As mentioned above, people are often attracted to its colors. This is also one of the most obvious differences between mohair cinch cord and alpaca cinch cord. Mohair dyes very easily, while alpaca absorbs dye much less effectively. Therefore, it is generally only available in a few natural colors. All the alpaca colors you see in our photos are, in fact, undyed.

And for those wondering: it is entirely possible to combine both fibers in the same cinch or breast collar project. For example, when a customer wants an alpaca base with mohair details to add a touch of color, I am delighted to create it.

Alpaca is also an excellent option for horses with sensitive skin. Alpaca cinch cord is a bit "fluffier," with more volume, and it is even softer than mohair — yet mohair is already known for its great softness! Alpaca is also very breathable and wicks away moisture well, just like mohair.

Whenever moisture is wicked away from a sweaty horse's skin, the risk of rubbing or cinch sores is reduced. If a natural fiber like mohair or alpaca causes irritation, it often means it simply needs a good cleaning to remove accumulated sweat and dirt. No matter how well-made the cinch is, if it's dirty, the risk of rubbing always increases.

Another very important point about mohair and alpaca cords: they do not stretch over time when it comes to 100% pure mohair or 100% pure alpaca — and for my part, I never use blends. Many products on the market are actually blends, even if they are labeled "100% mohair" or "100% alpaca." This simply means that there is a certain amount of it in the cord, but not the entirety. Wool or other less expensive fibers are often added to reduce costs, which leads to stretching over time.

With true 100% mohair or alpaca, a 32-inch cinch will remain a 32-inch cinch, even after several years of use. It may appear smaller when not under tension, but once installed, it returns to its exact size, then returns to its natural shape once the pressure is released.

Since they are two natural fibers, they also have the advantage of adapting to the movements of the horse's rib cage, thus offering more freedom and better breathing. A material like neoprene, for example, does not move at all with the horse's natural movement.

Cinches made of natural fibers have been around for over a hundred years, and over time, various synthetic materials have been introduced into the equestrian world. For my part, I remain faithful to 100% mohair and 100% alpaca, because as they say: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" — and it's hard to argue with that.

As always, feel free to ask me your questions, I'll be happy to answer them 🙂 Happy riding!