How To Saddle a Horse

Author: Kelvin Ho

When first learning to saddle a horse, you should know that there is no difference between using a western saddle or an English saddle. They require the same knowledge and steps.

Before Saddling Your Horse

Before you place a saddle on your horse, you should always groom the horse. Take the time to check and make sure there are no sores in the area the saddle will be placed. Then brush your horse to make sure that anything like grit or dirt is removed so you can prevent irritation or chaffing. When you are finished brushing, the hair on the horse’s back or girth should lie flat.

Saddling Your Horse

When you begin to saddle a horse, it is traditionally done from the left side. Although, if it is necessary, you can also do it from the right side of the horse. Now you are ready to place the blanket on the horse. If you are using a western saddle, first fold the blanket in half. Then place the blanket over the horse with the fold towards the horse’s head. Some blankets may have rings on them so you can attach it to the saddle and help keep it from moving around. If that is the case, make sure they are up and not against the horse. Now check to make sure that the blanket is folded evenly. A tip to help make sure that the hair on the horse’s back stays flat is when you are placing the blanket over the horse start at the withers and slide it down the back into place.

Now you are ready to put the actual saddle on the horse. Before you place it on the horse, make sure you have properly hooked the stirrups so they will not smack the horse as you set the saddle down. Then lift the saddle high enough that you can set it down with out moving the blanket. Set it down easy; if you just drop it on the horse you may spook it. When you place it, try to place it a little higher up the back and let it “settle” in where it belongs.

Walk around to the other side and unattached the stirrup. Check to make sure that the blanket stayed in place, smooth out any wrinkles and make sure the hair remained flat. Double-checking is very important when you saddle a horse. Now reach under the horse and get the girth or cinch. Bring it up and either tie the cinch or buckle the girth. When you do this, do it in increments. Start loosely and then slowly tighten. This gives the horse a chance to relax. Tighter is not always better. When you have the correct tightness, you should be able to place your fingers in between the girth and the horse.

If you had rings on your blanket now is the time to hook them to the saddle.

Final Tip

Hopefully, these tips on how to saddle a horse have been helpful. Just remember to always check the girth and make sure it is tight every time you mount the horse.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-saddle-a-horse-132343.html

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Horse Saddle Tack

Author: Janine Carter

The Western Saddle is used for “western riding” and is the saddle used on working horses on cattle ranches throughout the United States and especially in the west.

The “cowboy” saddles are familiar to rodeo fans and movie goers and to those who have gone on trail rides at guest ranches. The Western Saddle was designed to allow the cowboy comfort and security during long hours of work herding cattle in a time when that was their livelihood. We give credit to the Spanish vaqueros for the design of the Western Saddle. They were the early horse trainers and cattle barrens of the Southwest and Mexico. A combination of the Moorish style saddle and the jousting style were employed with the added innovation of the saddle “horn”. The horn allowed the vaqueros to control the cattle with the use of a rope that could be quickly tied to the horn.

Today, there is not much roping of cattle except in competitions, but the saddle still has these features incorporated in to it from history. There are a few variations on the western saddle design such as those used in bronc riding, endurance riding which have no horn. The historical saddle was made for comfort and to be ridden for many hours every day of the week. A working tool for the cowboy. For the novice it may give the impression of providing a more secure seat, but this is misleading as the horn is not meant to be a handle for the rider to hang on to. Seat, high cantle and heavy stirrups are meant to be all independent of each other in a control issue.

]The most common “western style” saddles include the following:

* “Equitation”: A show saddle with an especially deep seat to keep the rider in place.

* Show: Saddle is characterized by the addition of leather and tooling with lots of silver decorations. Can be based on roping, cutting, pleasure etc.

* Trail: A comfort saddle for the rider as well as the horse. Deep padded seat for long slower rides. * Endurance: Lighter weight saddle often without a horn built in. The tree spreads the riders weight out over a large area of the horses back. Many times the stirrups are rigged slightly forward for fast dismount.

* Barrel Racing: Lightweight with wide swells and high cantle allowing rider quick dismounts. * Cutting: Has a deep seat and wide swells for control in quick turns and fast sprints.

* Roping: Heavy, sturdy saddle with a thicker horn for securing a rope. Low cantle and a slick fork that allows the rider to dismount quickly when needed. The history and romance of the Western Saddle makes it a favorite especially among the people of America where it was refined and expanded in to what it is today.

If you have any questions on Horse supplies or Posh Pampered Pets, please call 979-221-7251. Our home office is located in Waller, Texas, with warehouses located throughout the United States such as Dallas TX, Houston TX, New York NY, Denver CO, Chicago ILL, Seattle WA, Kansas City MO, Miami FL, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Los Angeles CA, Fayetteville AR, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix Arizona, San Antonio TX Texas.

Article Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/horse-saddle-tack-479211.html About the Author:

This article was written by Janine Carter, owner of Posh Pampered Pets. If you have any questions regarding Horse Supplies or Posh Pampered Pets , please feel free to call 979-221-7251 or email info@poshpamperedpets.com .

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Introducing Horse Tack

Author: Lydia K Kelly

It can be difficult to know when, or how to introduce tack for the first time when training a young horse. Indeed, the very idea of adding tack can be so overwhelming that people put it off for far too long. Fortunately, most horses accept tack with very few difficulties. The trick is to introduce it slowly so that the horse has time to get used to it.

The first thing to introduce is the bit. If your horse is used to wearing a halter, but is a little head-shy, you might find it easiest to try a bit without a bridle at all. While some people like to sweeten the bit with a bit of molasses, this is really a matter of personal preference. Start out with a soft bit, such as a snaffle. Use some binder twine to tie the bit to the far side of the halter, so that it is at the level of the horse’s mouth. (You might need to tie the twine to the upper ring on the halter to make it fit properly.) Tie a second piece of twine to the near ring of the bit, so that you can tie it when you are ready. Now, holding the horse on a lead-line, slide the bit into the horse’s mouth from the far corner. Most horses will readily open their mouths for the bit. If he does not, stick your finger into the near corner of his mouth and he should open up. Hold the bit in place for a moment, and then slip it out again. Repeat a couple of times, until he accepts the bit without fuss. Then tie the near side of the bit onto the halter so that it rests comfortably in the horse’s mouth. While the horse has the bit on, spend some time grooming him. Try taking him for a walk. Do not apply pressure to the bit, just let him chew on it and get used to the feeling.

Next time, add the bridle. Make sure that it is properly adjusted before putting it on. Once again, just let your horse get used to the bridle, grooming him and taking him for a walk. You can put a halter over the bridle so that you don’t need to put any pressure on the bit.

To add the saddle, start out with a saddle pad. Get your horse used to having it placed over his back and moved around. When he is comfortable with the saddle pad, place you saddle on his back. Make sure the stirrups and any other pieces that might flap around are removed. Place it gently on his back, holding it so that it will not fall. Take it on and off a few times.

When you add the girth, start out with it on a loose hole. Very slowly tighten the girth so that it is snug. Do not move your horse with the saddle on if it is not tight. It is far scarier to have the saddle slip than to have a tight girth. It is a good idea to put the saddle on in the arena the first time or two. This way, if the horse breaks away from you, he cannot go too far. Once you have the saddle on tight, you can let him go so that he can have a run around the ring. Most horses will buck a few times, or try escaping the saddle. Keep him from rolling, but otherwise let him get used to the feel of the saddle. After a while, he will settle, realizing that it is not going to fall off, no matter what he does.

Finally, you can start asking your horse to work on the longe line with his saddle and bridle on. Again, put the halter on over the bridle, and attach the longe line to it so that there is no pressure on the bit yet. Take your time and allow him to get used to everything before adding stirrups or other straps. If he is given the chance to get used to the saddle and bridle in an easy, non-confrontational way, he should accept them in readily in the long run.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/introducing-horse-tack-560966.html

About the Author: Lydia K Kelly is a writer for HorseClicks, classifieds of horses for sale Oregon , horses for sale Pennsylvania , horses for sale Rhode Island and other states. Lydia is also a featured author at www.ArticleKing.com

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