| Horse tack is an essential piece of equipment | | | | of riding, do not go putting on a western saddle if you |
| designed specifically for horse and rider. | | | | intend to have a lesson in show jumping. Saddles are |
| Unless you want your horse roaming free and | | | | designed for specific purposes, using the incorrect |
| unmanageable you are best to invest in some horse | | | | saddle can lead to injury and discomfort for both horse |
| tack to help you. Horse Tack is suited to horse, rider | | | | and rider. |
| and use of the horse. | | | | Before buying tack decide if you are going to ride |
| Basic tack every horse owner should have includes a | | | | English or Western, whether you would like to ride for |
| halter, bridle, saddle. | | | | pleasure or to compete. You will have a far easier |
| A halter goes over the head and allows you to lead | | | | task of selecting horse tack if you have a purpose |
| your horse from the stall to a field or any place for | | | | and use. |
| that matter. A halter should be well fitted, especially if | | | | A general purpose saddle would be a good |
| you intend to leave it on your horse so he is easily | | | | investment if you want to ride English style. It is |
| caught in a pasture. A halter enables you to also tether | | | | versatile enough that you could do jumping, dressage |
| your horse to cross ties for a grooming. | | | | and trail riding - for pleasure, competitions require |
| A bridle which is usually made of leather also fits over | | | | specific tack. |
| the horses head with reins and a bit. Bridles are used | | | | Western tack seems to me to be far easier to use |
| for riding and driving horses. We use bridles to | | | | with less pieces and parts to clean and put together. |
| communicate with and control the horse. | | | | On a long trail nothing beats the comfort of a western |
| The most common type of bit used for both Western | | | | saddle. |
| and English riding is the snaffle bit. You really ought to | | | | If you are a first time buyer your best option is to visit |
| start with a bit that is gentle on the horse's mouth. Get | | | | a local tack store and soak up the knowledge of the |
| expert advice on finding the correct bit, if your horse is | | | | sales assistant. Take a knowledgeable person with |
| not responding to the snaffle bit before going to | | | | you to help you make the best purchase. You can |
| purchase a more severe bit. | | | | also write down the exact details of the items and |
| Saddles are fastened to the horses' back they provide | | | | search equestrian sites on the internet to find bargain |
| a comfortable seat for the rider. Saddles need to be | | | | prices. |
| fitted correctly so that injury to both horse and rider is | | | | Buying horse tack is an important task. Make sure the |
| prevented. A saddle that does not fit properly will put | | | | tack fits properly and take it back to the store if it |
| pressure on incorrect points of the horse and cause | | | | does not. There is no harm in buying used tack from |
| him pain. An improperly fitting saddle could cause a | | | | your local tack store. Just be sure to inspect it for |
| horse to buck throwing the rider from the saddle. | | | | wear and tear so that accidents are prevented. |
| You cannot use the same saddle for different styles | | | | |