Posts Tagged ‘saddles’

There are a couple saddles I’m looking to buy off eBay, and i think my horse is a medium tree. She’s a 14.3 standardbred and she looks like she fits her current saddle, that I’m to big for. Is there a method i can use to measure my horse with like cardboard or wires?

If you have ever enjoyed a day of horseback riding or even just spent time with horses then you know how much fun you can have. If you are lucky enough to own your own horses then you not only know the work involved in caring for them but you also know the joy of having them. Horses just like anyone else have personalities of their own, which sometimes can make them a little harder to ride. They come in different sizes and colors.

For some of us horseback riding for the first time can be a scary ride. Once you get the hang on it, you will not be able to get enough of it. There are different styles of riding and riding gear. English style saddles and Western style saddles are two different types of saddles used and the most common for most riders. In most cases if you spend a day horseback riding then you will most likely use the western style saddles. There are other types of saddles and riding equipment, that jockeys use for racing but for general horseback riding you would most likely use western style.

When horseback riding you may be quickly trained on how to handle your horse with the handling of the reins and basic commands. If you are at a riding stable or ranch then these horses already know what they are to do and therefore, they will pretty much follow each other for a slow comfortable ride.

For the most experienced riders horseback riding is an adventure. If your horse is well trained and you are well seasoned as a rider, you can have all kinds of fun. If you have ever watched jumpers or barrel racing those horses and their trainers have gone through hours and hours of training and working together to become a perfect fit and they build a bond of trust that can be
Horseback riding is much the same way. Those horses have been worked by different handlers and trained to handle and work with different people so that when people go to horseback riding ranches or stables they are already accustomed to being handled by different people. Most of these horses are very docile and may move somewhat slow. Some will still have some spirit to them and just want to go.

There are trail rides, mountain rides, pony rides and free style rides that you can go on. If you own your own horses, you probably have a favorite area you like to ride in or a favorite trail you like to ride on. You may not know that horses have to be trained to cross bridges, walk over puddles or through water. They are fitted for their saddles and riding equipment to get the right fit. The shoes are fitted to protect their hoofs.

After a hard day of horseback riding, horses receive proper grooming after a hard day, which consist of bathing and brushing before turning in for the night. Some horses have a winter coat for colder weather and some will have blankets to help keep them warm. There are many different breeds of horses and many different sizes. Horseback riding is a lot of fun and an experience that will last you a lifetime. You may enjoy doing a bit of research on equestrian riding and training. You may find it interesting to read about.

Author: Fraser Wheaton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Excise Tax

Horse riding is a broad category of equestrianism; the type of horse riding you may be engaging in might be horse racing, polo, show jumping, dressage or just pleasure riding. One thing remains with all aspects of horse riding and that is you need to take proper care of the horse before, during and after riding. Improper horse care can have a negative effect on the horse’s health and demeanour. For example a persistently improperly fitted saddle will cause the horse to become fearful every time the saddle is brought out and refuse to be ridden.

Before any sort of riding your horse should have had adequate rest in a stable which they are comfortable in, which means plenty of hay, space and regularly cleaned stables. If the horse is kept in a paddock or field then the field should have plenty of grass or feed available as well as being good quality ground, flooded fields can trip the horse or cause them to get stuck and so should be moved to drier land if their field has become water logged.

If your horse is kept at stables then they should be allowed out to pasture for a good portion of each day for natural grazing and exercise. This is important as a stable kept horse can grow board being kept in a stable for prolonged periods of time, which can lead to it developing bad habits and behaviour problems.

Likewise grass kept horses require attention also mainly because they are at greater risk of infections or illness. One such affliction relates specifically to paler horses that in the summer months are susceptible to sun burn. Just like humans horses like this will need sun cream, although they do need an equine sun cream, not just human varieties.

Obviously when riding your horse you need to wear the appropriate safety equipment and horse tack that is used to control the horse’s movements. All this equipment may seem hard to get but there are plenty of horse equipment, clothing and tack available online such as horse grooming kits that make caring for your horse easy.

At first, tacking up can seem daunting, but if you have a set routine, you’ll quickly get the hang of it and your horse will to. Having your horse secured with a set of crossties that fasten to the halter from opposite sides at about normal head height is really helpful as this leaves the rider with both hands to work with the tack.

Don’t be in rush to tack up. Take the time to check your horse over first to make sure he hasn’t incurred any injuries or other problems. Slide your hand down each of the legs, pick up the hooves and be sure to pick out all the dirt, mud or debris using a hoof pick. This will give you a chance to check over your horse’s foot for any problems that could cause lameness under saddle. After checking the legs and hooves it is time to brush the back and sides. Give your horse a good scrub with a stiff brush to get rid of all of the built up hair and dirt, especially around the saddle area where it can cause particular irritation.

Since the halter is securing the horse to the crossties, you may want to start with the saddle. Place the saddle pad or blanket straight down on the horses back, just on the highest point of the withers and slide it straight back a fraction of an inch to position it. This ensures that the hair is all flat, if you have to reposition the blanket lift it off the horse, smooth down the hair again with a brush or your hand, then start over.

With the saddle pad or blanket in place, pick up the saddle with your left hand on the horn or pommel and the left hand under the back skirt or the cantle, depending on the saddle type. After securing the stirrups (you don’t want to get clunked in the head), place the saddle in onto the saddle pad just behind the withers. The saddle should be placed in the natural depression that occurs on a horse’s back. If you have a western style saddle, reach under the horse’s belly and grasp the cinch, make sure it is straight and tighten the saddle from the left side. With an English saddle you may need to walk around to the right side and affix the cinch, then move back around to the left to tighten it.

Most find bridling a horse the most challenging as many horses have learned to evade and throw their heads to avoid the bit. This can be corrected by slow and gentle movements, so always move with a purpose and don’t become excited or angry with the horse. Unbuckle the throatlatch and noseband if there is one, then standing in the same direction as the horse on the left side, hold the bit in your left hand and the top of the bridle in your right. Bring the browband of the bridle above your horse’s head with your right hand, thereby positioning the bit below the lips. Gently insert the bit by raising the top up and over the ears. Position both the bit and the headstall in the right place, then latch the throatlatch and noseband. Banging your horse’s teeth with the bit is no way to create a willingness to be bridled.

Mounting the horse is the opposite of dismounting and should be done in one fluid movement. With the reins in your left hand, grasp your horse’s mane in your right hand. Using the right hand to hold the stirrup, place your left foot in the stirrup, swing your body up and your right leg up and over the back of the horse, gentle sitting down into the saddle. Put the right foot in the right stirrup and you are all ready to go.

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.

For those new to riding, the wide variety of saddle types available in both English and western riding can be a bit confusing. First you’ll want to consider the type of riding that you’ll be doing and which types of events you might like to participate in. For many English equestrians the English saddle type is going to be an essential component to the tack and while there is some overlap in saddle usage there are essential elements each saddle must have. Understanding the features of each of the saddle types will help you understand why each is suited to a particular activity or riding style.

Jumping saddles are designed to provide the rider with a moderately deep seat and a forward leg position for maximum control of the horse over jumps and obstacles. Without this type of saddle adjusting balance would be extremely difficult for the rider as the horse’s body changes positions very dramatically through the jumping motion. Because of the more extreme movement involved, a jumping saddle will have a larger kneepad and thigh roll than you’ll find on the more general use, all-purpose saddle. The jumping saddle will have a lot of support and cushion for the rider to support them through this arduous activity.

A very versatile saddle type of a variety of English events from hunt seat to moderate jumping is the English close contact saddle. These saddles have a very flat overall seat and cantle but they do have the slightly forward flaps and stirrup bars to allow the rider to keep the knees slightly bend for posting and jumping. The close contact saddle is a very popular English saddle type as it provides the rider with a lot of “feel” of the horse by eliminating most of the knee and thigh roll.

The dressage saddle has been specifically designed for the art of dressage and will have long, straight flaps and less forward strirup bars that positions the rider deep in the saddles with the legs hanging below them. The kneepads and thick rolls are low on the saddle and the seat tends to be deeper than that of a more all-purpose saddle. Dressage saddles can be used for any type of groundwork but are not designed for jumping or hunt type events.