| Though draft horses are famous for their prodigious | | | | saddle you buy suits you both. |
| strength and their high endurance between the traces, | | | | A wither tracing is very easily done, and all you need is |
| you should also keep in mind that these gorgeous | | | | a bendable piece of wire that will hold its shape, |
| horses can also be ridden. Draft horses range in size | | | | scissors, cardboard, a marker, and of course your |
| and in conformation, but all draft horses are bred for a | | | | horse's back. To do this tracing, find your horse's |
| docile temperament that makes them well suited for | | | | scapula, the shoulder blade. Lay the wire about two |
| tasks like plowing and hauling. They are all very strong | | | | inches behind this and bend it so that it lies snugly over |
| and extremely patient and now more and more | | | | the horse's withers against the skin. Then carefully lift |
| people realize that this trait makes them excellent riding | | | | the wire off your horse's withers, keeping the shape of |
| animals as well. Whether you are interested in riding a | | | | the wire intact. Then take the wire and trace it on onto |
| purebred draft horse like the Belgian, which is growing | | | | a piece of cardboard, using your pen or marker. When |
| increasingly popular for trail riding, or you have an eye | | | | you cut this segment out, you are going to have a hill |
| towards one of the beautiful specimens that have | | | | that you can fit into saddles, mimicking the shape of |
| been crossbred with Thoroughbreds, it is important to | | | | your horse's body. |
| take a look at the tack that is used. | | | | If you are looking for tack for a draft horse, you are |
| When you are looking for tack for a draft horse, you'll | | | | also going to need to think about your horse's mouth, |
| find that the local tack store might not be able to take | | | | that is, the bit! In many cases, a draft horse can need a |
| care of you, especially if you are in an area that | | | | bit that is between five and seven inches long. As with |
| favors another breed or type of sport. Don't worry, | | | | the saddle, you should get a good measurement from |
| there are plenty of options available to you when you | | | | your horse before you buy! Grab about a foot of |
| decide that you would like to take a look at draft horse | | | | string and a helpful friend. Take your string and place it |
| tack, and all you need to do is to go online. If you are | | | | across your horse's mouth and mark the string on |
| not in a hurry, you'll find that one of the best things that | | | | each end where it touches the corner of the horse's |
| you can do is to join one of the many draft horse | | | | mouth. Measure the distance between the two marks |
| fancier communities on the Internet. There is a thriving | | | | and then add about half an inch to the measurement. |
| interest in these gorgeous horses, and there are plenty | | | | When you are dealing with draft horses, however, |
| of people who are willing to share information with you | | | | remember that you might be dealing with horses with |
| as well as tell you where they got their tack from. | | | | very prominent low cheekbones, and that might mean |
| One of the most important things that you can do | | | | that you need to purchase a larger bit. |
| when you are looking to get your draft horse fitted | | | | There are many options open to you when you are |
| with his or her tack is to do a wither tracing. The | | | | thinking about purchasing tack for your draft horse, so |
| saddle is often the main piece of tack that draft horse | | | | keep an eye out for what your horse needs |
| riders worry about, and with good reason. Many | | | | Purchasing draft horse tack might be a little less |
| people find that their draft horses have wider backs | | | | convenient and a little more expensive than purchasing |
| than the normal riding horses, and this can make | | | | tack otherwise, but you can be sure that your horse is |
| normal saddles a hard fit. If you want to make sure | | | | worth it. Comfortable, well fitting tack is worth the |
| that both you and your draft horse are comfortable no | | | | prices asked for it, and you will be able to tell the |
| matter what, take some time to make sure that the | | | | difference. |