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Saddles The saddle is one of the most important pieces of riding equipment. It is used to make riding easier and more comfortable to the rider and the horse. There are many different types of saddles for almost every type of riding. There are specific saddles for English Riding, Western Riding, showing, jumping, and racing. The saddle is also sometimes the most expensive piece of equipment. Lots of work and material go into making a saddle unlike the first saddles ever made. The first saddle ever made was simply a blanket with a breast collar and a girth. |
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Bridles The bridle is what goes around the horses face and is also a very important piece of equipment. The bridle is used to steer the horse with the help of the reins and bit, which attach to the bridle. There are different types of bridles but they all are similar in some way or another. The Snaffle Bridle is suitable for most types of riding and consists of two cheek pieces, a brow band, a headpiece or crownpiece, a throatlatch, noseband, and reins. The Double Bridle is almost the same but one additional cheek piece is added to each side, and there is a curb rein. The Western Bridle’s only difference is that it is easy to repair and sometimes doesn’t have a throatlatch. The last type of bridle, the Endurance Bridle, can have the reins changed quickly into a lead rope and the bit can quickly be removed. |
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Bits Bits attach to thee bridle and help to steer the horse. Bits are connected to the bridle but it is usually not seen because it goes inside the horse’s mouth. There are five basic types of bits. They are Snaffle Bits, Double Bits, Pelham Bits, Gag Snaffles and Bitless Bridles. Each type of bit has a different amount of pressure or a different area where the pressure is give, this decides what type of bit it is. The Snaffle Bit directs the pressure to the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Double Bits are much like the Snaffle but encouraged the horse to carry its head higher. Pelham Bits combine what the Snaffle and Double Bits do. Gag Snaffles encourage the horse to hold its head high by applying pressure to the roof of the mouth. The last type is the Bitless Bridle, which, of course, doesn’t have a bit. The bridle uses the noseband to apply pressure instead of a bit. |
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Stirrups Stirrups are what you put your feet in when riding. Stirrups connect to the leathers which are found under the flaps on the sides of the saddle. There are different types but all are based on the most common English Stirrup which is the Prussian Stirrup. The only other stirrup that is well known and is not similar to the Prussian Stirrup is the Western Stirrup. Western Stirrups are made of wood and are sometimes covered in leather. English Stirrups are made of stainless steel and sometimes have rubber treads that can be added to help keep the foot in place. |
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Grooming Tools Grooming is very important for the horse’s health. There is a wide variety of different grooming tools. The curry, stiff brush, and soft brush are used to brush the horse’s body. The curry is moved in a circular pattern to remove clumps of dirt. The stiff brush is used next to get rid of the loose dirt left behind from the curry. The stiff brush cannot be used under the knees of the horse because the bristles are too hard for the skin which doesn't have as much hair to protect it. The soft brush is used to brush the entire body to make the horses coat look shinier and smoother. Hoof picks are used to pick out the dirt that easily gets packed on the side of the horse shoe and the frog of the foot. A mane comb is sometimes used to trim the horse’s mane and tail. The mane comb will pull out longer hairs in the mane or tail. Pulling the hairs out does not hurt the horse since they do not have nerves in the mane or tail. Clippers are sometimes used if the horse needs to get rid of unneeded hair such as the winter coat, which is not needed if the horse lives in a warm or hot climate. |
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Horseshoes and Boots Shoeing a horse started a long time ago but it was for the same reason as today. Horseshoes are used to protect the horse’s feet from wearing too much. The work that horses do today is more then what they would do when they were undomesticated. So when they were first domesticated there feet wore away and could cause the hoof to become softer. Today the shoe outlines the bottom of the hoof and is nailed into place. The horse does not feel the shoes because, like the mane and tail, it doesn’t have feeling in the hoof. There are also different shoes to help diseases or common foot problems go away. Some of these shoes are shaped differently and can be pulled off when the horse’s hind legs overreach. To stop that boots are put on around the front hooves to protect them. They are often made of rubber and are fastened with Velcro. |
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