Shoeing is when you put new shoes on a horse's feet.  This should occur every six to eight weeks.  This should occur every six to eight weeks.  You should change the shoes if the nails of the shoes are rising at the ends, if they are loose, the shoe has come off, the shoe is worn down, or the hooves are too long and need a trim.

      The bridle should fit over the head, while still letting you

control the horse.  There are different bridles and bits for

different horses.  Some horses only need a simple bridle because they are well trained.

        There are many different types of blankets.  New Zealand rugs are good for when the horse lives outside and has just been clipped.  Stable blankets are worn in the stable when a horses has just been clipped.  A summer sheet is made to keep dust and flies off of horses.  Sweat sheets are made to let a hot horse cool of without getting cold.      

There are two different types of saddles.  One type is western.  A western saddle is made so you can sit in a comfortable way that is also correct.  The western style saddle is very heavy but it helps your horse by spreading your weight out evenly.  The other type of saddle is the

english saddle.  There are three types of saddles that are for english style riding.  They are the general purpose saddle, dressage, and jumping saddles.  Most people will use a general purpose saddle.  Those help you to sit in the proper position.  A saddle is often placed on a saddle pad which soaks up sweat and protects the horse's back.  The girth is a leather strap that holds the saddle on to the horse.

      The reins are the main way of steering the horse.  There

are two different types of reins.  They are split reins and romal reins.  If you are a beginner, it is a better idea to use

romal reins, but when you get better, you should use the split reins.  The romal reins are better for beginners because they are braided at the end so if they are dropped, they can be quickly grabbed.  With the split reins, if you drop them, you must dismount to pick them up and then mount the horse again.
     Taking care of tack is very important. You will need a bucket, two sponges, saddle soap for leather, towel for drying, metal polish, two clothes, one for applying the polish and one for buffing metal, and a blunt knife to scrape off the dirt.  You should clean the tack off after you ride.  You can use a damp cloth with warm water to do this.  Once a week, you should wash the bridle and saddle with saddle soap.  Also, check for any wear around the buckles.
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