Posts Tagged ‘saddle seat’

Understanding the saddle?

The structure that you put on an animal’s back to support the rider or other types of load is called a saddle. When one speaks of saddles, it is commonly associated with horses. But any kind of animal that could be ridden on its back has its own corresponding type of saddle. Horse saddles are a crucial piece of equipment for anyone serious about horse training.

There are two main types of saddles – the English saddle and Western saddle. These are the two types of saddle primarily used in the equestrian world, although there are many types of horse saddles used worldwide. In other nations, saddles of different designs exist. Saddles differ greatly among various ethnic groups and nationalities. It can be fun to learn about how each one is utilized.

Ordinarily, choosing what saddle to use should depend on the kind of riding you intend to do with your horse. Even narrowing it down to English or Western riding, saddles can still be broken up in many categories such as for dressage and show, endurance, pleasure or general purpose. Some common horse saddle terms you should familiarize yourself with are pommel, cantle, horn and cinch.

The English Horse Saddle

In Olympic equestrian events, the English saddle is the main type of saddle used. As the name suggests, this is the favored type among the majority of English riders. However, the English saddle can still be categorized into several more specific styles depending on the kind of event that is involved. Whether it is for show jumping, hunter jumper, eventing, dressage, horse racing, saddle seat, or polo, an appropriate type of saddle is consequently used.

The Western Horse Saddle

The Stock saddle or Western saddle is the most commonly used variety in the United States. This is the type of saddle you will see used by cowboys on cattle ranches. Today, it is used in a variety of western riding activities. Distinctively, western saddles don’t have as much padding underneath and must be used with saddle blankets or pads so that they can be comfortable for the horse. They do provide much more support for the rider.

Western saddles have stirrups that are sturdier and can utilize numerous cinches depending on what they are being used for. The horn present on the front is one major factor that distinguishes this type of saddle from its English counterpart. The horn is originally used to tie a lariat when roping cattle.

Finding the Right Size

The tree of the saddle, is the frame on which the saddle is constructed. It is usually made of wood or sometimes fiberglass and then covered with leather. The frame is made to fit both the rider and the horse.

Finding the saddle that fits may require more work than you may think. An ill-fitting saddle can cause injuries to both the horse and rider. Bruising and sores may result on your horse’s back muscles if you do not choose a saddle that fits properly. It is important to have a trial period before actually buying your saddle. Think of it as a piece of sports equipment for a human, it varies greatly from each individual horse. Be sure to always keep your tack clean and well oiled to prevent breakage or unnecessary discomfort to your horse.

Tips for an English Saddle

-Without a pad, put the saddle on the horse and tighten the girth
-Have a person sit in the saddle. Their feet should be in the stirrups
-Slide your fingers underneath the pommel. Make sure that you can comfortably get three fingers in between the arch below the pommel and the horse’s withers.
-The saddle should not get in the way of the horse’s shoulder movement by having someone lift the horse’s foreleg and pull it to the front. While doing this, your fingers should be between the top of the horse’s shoulder blade and the pommel. This must be done on both sides.
-Standing behind the horse and looking under the saddle, some light should be seen when the horse’s head is down.
-Make sure the saddle isn’t too long. It shouldn’t reach back onto the horse’s loins

Tips for a Western Saddle

-At least an inch thick of pad should be underneath the saddle
-The stock saddle should be placed on the horse’s back and the cinch tightened so a set of fingers can be placed comfortably between the girth and the animal.
-With someone on the saddle, make sure you can fit three fingers between the arch of the pommel and the horse’s withers
-Make sure that the width of the saddle tree is fitting for the horse. Put three fingers with a flat hand sideways between the saddle and the top of the horse’s withers. If the fit is loose, the tree is too narrow, if it is too tight and you have to squeeze in your fingers, then the tree is too wide

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Author: Annabelle Cabella
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Keeping your horse’s mane looking its best isn’t something to leave until the day before a show. Clipping and trimming a little each week will result in a better finish, a healthier mane, and a happier horse. And of course, for some working horses, clipping the mane is essential for comfort and safety.

Where do you start?

First you need to decide on the best look for your horse. Some breeds, like Arabians and saddle seat horses, have breed requirements for showing that will tell you if you need a short mane, or a more natural look, and how long you need to clip the bridle path. Polo ponies and cow horses often have ‘roached’ or ‘hogged’ manes. That means the entire mane is clipped away, except for a tuft at the withers and the forelock – this keeps the reins and ropes from getting tangled up. If you show hunters or dressage, you’ll want to trim the mane with braiding in mind. All of these factors will help you determine how you want your finished mane to look, and horse clipper is best for you.

Let’s start with the bridle path. For most horses, this will be a short clipped section just behind the ears, about two inches long. This keeps the mane from getting caught up in the headstall, and makes the horse more comfortable. Some breeds will have longer bridle paths, up to 12″, depending on your horse’s conformation and your personal preference. The best way to start is to clip the bridle path back a half inch or so at a time, leave it a few days and see how you like it before clipping any further. It’s a lot easier to clip a little more each time than to go too far and try to grow it back out!

If your horse has a thick neck, or is a working horse where the mane can get in the way, you can consider roaching or hogging the whole mane. The first time you do this, you might want to use more robust body clippers, but for regular maintenance – again you should do this weekly – opt for the small hand clippers. Keeping the hogged mane short and neat will make it easier to keep clean, and it doesn’t have to grow out much to look pretty unsightly! Leave a tuft of mane at the withers to protect them from saddle pads, and leave the forelock – it isn’t just for looks, it helps to protect the horse’s eyes and ears.

Why trim the bridle path every week? First of all, it makes keeping the area clean a lot easier. The horse’s poll is sensitive, and under the headstall can get dirty and sweaty. A closely trimmed bridle path is easy to keep brushed clean, and prevent any sores or scurf building up. Also, if you let the bridle path grow out to even a half inch or more, the hairs will fold over under the bridle path, causing pressure on the poll, and an uncomfortable horse won’t be easy to bridle, and won’t perform its best. This is why your hand clippers are going to be an important tool in your horse grooming supplies!

Why buy hand clippers?

The best finish always comes with small hand clippers or trimmers, and a set of these will be a great addition to your horse grooming supplies. Scissors never get the same results, and if your horse moves around, you can easily make a mistake, or even injure yourself or your horse. You’ll want to choose clippers that are easy to use, so you keep the bridle path neat and tidy with weekly clipping. Your hand clippers aren’t just for the mane – you can use them to keep up with regular clipping and trimming, such as around your horse’s face and hooves. In an emergency, hand clippers can be a real asset to clean up wounds or help bandages stick. A good quality set of battery powered or rechargeable hand clippers will be one of your most useful equine grooming supplies!

Which clippers should I choose?

Choose clippers from a reliable manufacturer. This way, you will get a good warranty, and replacement blades will be easy to find. Plus, you can be sure that by sticking with the best suppliers, like Wahl, Andis, and Oster that your clippers will be safe – and that’s important anytime you use electrical products around horses.

Which one you choose depends on a number of factors. You’ll want a cordless one if your horse is jumpy or you want to take the clippers with you to shows. If you roach your horse’s mane, or you have a very woolly horse, a more robust model is best. If your budget is tight, or you have several sets of horse grooming supplies, you might want to look for the best value. Here’s a quick selection of good mane clippers from the main manufacturers:

Wahl horse clippers. The Wahl Mini Arco is a great choice for routine trimming. It’s quiet, and stays cool, and blade changing is quick and easy. It runs cordless, but for quiet horses or longer jobs, you can run it with the cord attached.

Oster horse clippers. The Oster Mini Max trimmer isn’t rechargeable, but it’s comfortable, easy to use, and very economical. The low price means you can keep one in your horse grooming supplies, one in your first aid kit, and one in your truck.

Andis horse clippers. The Andis Power Trim is a good choice if you have a lot of trimming to do. It’s rechargeable, but the batteries last well and it’s quiet so it’s good for nervous horses. Best of all, it has an ergonomically designed grip, so you’re hand won’t get tired.

Simply put, a correctly thinned mane, and a regularly clipped and trimmed bridle path don’t just look good, they are easier to keep clean and healthy. Keep a set of good quality hand clippers in your horse grooming supplies, and you will have a happy, healthy, good looking horse every day!

This is the first in a series of five articles on horse grooming. This article is an easy to read, well written guide to grooming your horse’s mane. Not only does it provide specific guidance, but also makes recommendations on the best horse grooming supplies to use to get the job done right.

Author: Marcus Koll
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Learning how to ride is a very rewarding experience, but it can often be a bit confusing as to which type of riding is most suited to your goals with regards to what you want to do with your horse. A good place to start is by talking to experienced riders. Find out what they like about each style and see which fits you the best. You’ll find that whichever style you choose, you’ll have to comit a good amount of time to learning the basics, and even more if you want to be a competitive rider.

If you are going to compete, knowing what you want to do in the competition is essential before choosing a riding style. If you like the more formal style of dressage, hunt seat and saddle seat, than your choice will be the English riding style. On the other hand if you want to compete in less formal events where jeans and western style shirts are the trend then rodeos or trail riding, endurance events, cross country rides, gymkhana, western pleasure riding or any type of working cow horse event then your only option is to learn to ride western style. You can ride for pleasure on the trails with either style of riding.

Besides just what events you can compete in there are also differences to the actual riding styles. Western riding tends to be more casual with the rider somewhat relaxed on the back of the horse, longer stirrups with less posting during riding and more firmly affixed to the back of the horse to maintain balance. Western riding also has the reins held in one hand, leaving the other hand free for using a rope. With English riding the rider has shorter stirrups that keep the rider erect and forward in the saddle with reins in both hands. Some English riding will require double reins, one set to direct the motion of the horse and one set to control the head position. English riding also has several different styles including hunt seat, dressage, saddleseat, and endurance. Each of these disciplines has their own style of tack – a dressage saddle, jumping saddle, all purpose saddle, and so on.

Whichever style you choose, proper safety equipment, especially a helmet should be part of your routine. Proper safety equipment is a must for all junior and novice riders. When you select a style you can always decide to learn the other style at a later date, after all your horse can certainly learn another style, but learning both at the same time is overwhelming and can lead to confusion.