The Collaborative International Dictionary
Surcingle \Sur"cin`gle\, n. [OE. sursengle, OF. sursangle. See Sur-, and Cingle, Shingles.]
A belt, band, or girth which passes over a saddle, or over anything laid on a horse's back, to bind it fast.
(Eccl.) The girdle of a cassock, by which it is fastened round the waist.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Wiktionary
n. 1 a long unpadded strap to pass over and keep in place a blanket, pack or saddle on an animal 2 a piece of tack wrapped around the belly of a horse, to use when lunge, also know as lungeing; (roller in UK and Australasia) 3 a girdle to fasten a garment, especially a cassock
Wikipedia
A surcingle is a strap made of leather or leather-like synthetic materials such as nylon or neoprene, sometimes with elastic, that fastens around a horse's girth area. A surcingle may be used for ground training, some types of in-hand exhibition, and over a saddle or horse pack to stabilize the load. It also is a primary component of a horse harness.
A basic surcingle is unpadded, attaches around the horse by means of buckles or rings, and has no other hardware. A training surcingle, sometimes called a "roller," has many extra rings attached, running from the ribcage up to the withers area. It usually has padding to relieve pressure on the spine. A variation of this design is used for equestrian vaulting.
Usage examples of "surcingle".
She turned loose of the surcingle and brought her upper body straight up, until she was standing erect.
The surcingle and backpad were lying on the ground where Daphne had dropped them.
Then Adela groomed Rio carefully while her granddad put the surcingle, backpad, and bridle in the back of his truck, along with the longe line and whip.
Adela would stand just behind the surcingle, facing forward for three strides, while Amy dismounted.
Adela would immediately kneel on her left knee, with her right foot on the surcingle, for three strides.
About the barrel of each was a surcingle and connected with it by a backstrap was something analogous to a breeching in Earth horse harness.
Taking his saddle and pad from one horse, Ty threw it onto a buckskin and pulled the surcingle through the cinch ring.
Revelation, undid the halter with which he was tethered to the bushes, unbuckled the surcingle and pulled off his rug.
Floyt astride him and clinging to a rough surcingle improvised from tight-rolled netvine.
Then releasing the surcingle wound around his floor-length robe, he shrugged the garment from his shoulders and allowed it to drop to the ground.
In one fluid move, Tsu Te hooks his bare foot into the bottom of the surcingle and vaults up onto the back of his direhorse.
JOSH nervously grips the woven surcingle on the back of an old, swaybacked direhorse.
Tsu Te pulls a match- stone from a pouch on the surcingle of his horse.
They were turned loose in the street without bridle or any other harness with the exception of a surcingle, from the sides of which hung like tassels, steel balls, with sharp, needle-like points projecting from their surface that served to prick and goad the animals to a frenzy of speed.
I made up my mind at once, got a light one-horse sleigh up in the village, rigged it with all my bear-skins, good store of whiskey, eatables, and so forth, saddled the gray with my best Somerset, holsters and surcingle attached, and made one of the party on the instant.