| Whether you're a casual or professional rider, there | | | | blankets can keep your horse clean after grooming |
| are essential purchases you will have to make to | | | | and warm in the chilly winter months. |
| properly care for your horse. Basic horse care includes | | | | If flies and other biting insects are a problem in your |
| regular grooming and exercise, high quality feed and | | | | area, you can add to your horse's comfort with fly |
| abundant, clean water. You can simplify things for | | | | masks and fly sheets. Due to the fly's natural tendency |
| yourself by purchasing the necessary horse tack and | | | | to congregate around your horse's eyes, ears, nostrils |
| equipment online. Online shopping for your tack and | | | | and mouth, they can be a cause of infection, irritation |
| equipment is a convenient and cost effective way of | | | | and even injury. |
| ensuring that you have everything you need. | | | | Basic Horse Tack |
| Properly caring for a horse is not simply a matter of | | | | As a horse owner, you will need some basic tack and |
| hosing them down once in a while and making sure | | | | training equipment. Your horse tack shopping list should |
| they are fed and watered. Horses depend upon their | | | | include an English saddle, halter, lead line, lunge line, crop, |
| human owners and caregivers to protect them against | | | | lunge whip, bridle, saddle blanket and a martingale. Find |
| disease and injury on a daily basis. You can | | | | an English saddle that fits you, your horse and your |
| significantly increase the health and longevity of your | | | | riding specialty. A hunt seat rider is going to use a |
| horse by providing the proper care. | | | | flatter, close contact, forward style English saddle, with |
| Horse Care Products & Grooming Essentials | | | | a fitted pad, whereas a dressage rider will use a more |
| Grooming allows you to care for and inspect your | | | | deeply seated English saddle with a square, white pad. |
| horse's hide, hooves and overall condition, keeping an | | | | In addition, a dressage rider will require very specific |
| eye out for unusual blemishes, inflammations or other | | | | tack for showing. These items include dressage bridles, |
| injuries. Having the correct grooming equipment handy | | | | reins, girths, bits, stirrups and leathers, as well as boots |
| makes this an easy job. You will need a tote filled with | | | | and wraps. |
| items such as brushes, sponges, hoof picks, a shedding | | | | It is important to clean and oil your horse tack and |
| blade, a scraper, a curry comb and a mane comb. If | | | | English saddle regularly. Not only does this increase the |
| you do nothing else for your horse each day, be sure | | | | useful life of your investment, but it also allows you the |
| to inspect and pick the debris from the hooves and | | | | opportunity to inspect your horse tack for loose or |
| apply hoof care products. Foot injuries can be | | | | broken items that may cause risk or injury. When |
| expensive and devastating. Always inspect your | | | | shopping online for horse tack, be sure to look for high |
| horse's hooves before and after riding. | | | | quality workmanship and materials that will last. |
| Currying make your horse's coat shinier and healthier. | | | | Horse Riding Equipment & Replacement Parts |
| During the spring and summer months when the heat | | | | Life happens and things break. Purchasing replacement |
| causes extensive shedding, a shedding blade can | | | | reins, stirrup straps, stirrups, stirrup pads and a girth can |
| remove a surprising amount of loose hair with very | | | | save you hours of frustration and delay. Investing in |
| little effort. After currying, use a stiff bristle brush to | | | | replacements of commonly worn out or broken items |
| remove the debris. If you are bathing your horse, be | | | | can simplify these potentially frustrating situations. An |
| sure to use a quality coat, mane and tail shampoo and | | | | extra saddle blanket is another good piece of horse |
| conditioner and be sure to rinse thoroughly. Soap | | | | tack to have on hand. As the summer months cause |
| residue can cause any number of skin irritations. A | | | | increased shedding and sweating, you may find you |
| scraper makes quick work of ridding your horse of the | | | | need to exchange them more often. Having an extra |
| excess water, which can be crucial in winter. Boost | | | | saddle pad is something akin to having an extra pair of |
| your horse's good health with supplements and a | | | | clean, dry socks -- you can go much further and do so |
| mineralized salt block. | | | | more effectively. |
| Protective Equestrian Equipment | | | | Investing in high quality equestrian equipment can make |
| Horses are a significant investment and they deserve | | | | your job easier and provide better care to your horse. |
| to be well cared for. Protective equipment such as bell | | | | Pampering and caring for your horse and your riding |
| boots, split boots and bandages can help to keep your | | | | equipment will make your riding experience better than |
| horse safe and comfortable. Turnout sheets and | | | | ever! |