Horseback Riding 101: Tacking Up Your Horse
Posted: Saturday, November 21, 2009
by Dianne Lehmann
Artisan Jewelry from SyZyGy
I've been hanging out with, caring for, and riding horses for quite a few months now. That doesn't really qualify me in anyway to write about the care and grooming of horses, let alone how to ride them. But I can share with you some of the things I've learned along the way things I wish people had told me much earlier on. I am passionate about horses in general and just want to share a little bit of this.
A horse's tack will typically consist of saddle pad(s), saddle, girth strap and bridle. There are a few other items that are sometimes used, but generally not in casual riding or lessons for a rider. They are more for the training of the horse.
Saddle Pads: Even though most saddles are well constructed and have a channel underneath so that the saddle never actually makes contact with the horse's spine, it is still a good idea to always use a saddle pad. In the "old" days this was usually a woolen blanket folded several times. Today, there are all sorts of quilted fabric pads to choose from. They come in all sorts of colors and patterns and shapes. There are even gel pads much like the gel inserts people will put into their shoes for greater comfort.
The first time you ride your horse you will likely be shown what tack to use. Just continue to use the same arrangement each time you ride. If some part can not be found, do not just use whatever is to hand. Ask what you should use in its place.
The pad will usually be much larger than the saddle and the saddle should be placed on the pad so that the front ends are pretty much even with each other. The excess will extend past the back of the saddle.
The Saddle and the Girth Strap: I've been learning to ride English style. That means the saddle is lighter, smaller, and has no horn. When they tell you to place the saddle on the horse so that the pommel (the very front most, center portion of the saddle) is right up over the withers (that bump where the neck joins your horse's back), they mean it. This is the most comfortable position of the saddle for the horse. It keeps you from sitting over his kidneys which is not at all comfortable for him and it lets the girth strap (the strap that goes under the horse's belly) be positioned further forward. It should be just behind the front legs, but not right up in the crease. If the girth strap is too far back (around the ribs for example) it can interfere with your horse's breathing. If it is too far forward it will interfere with his stride. If the saddle is placed comfortably on your horse, he will be a lot happier and more disposed to let you stay on his back longer. He will not be distracted and he will pay attention to what you are asking of him.
Just a note, when tightening the girth strap (it will usually have two buckles on each side and can be completely separated from the saddle) do not try to make it as tight as you need the first time and be really careful not to pinch his skin in the process. It can be quite painful and sometimes a horse will try to bite you to let you know how he feels about that. I like to make the girth just tight enough to keep the saddle from slipping backwards. Then I will walk the horse to the arena and tighten the girth the rest of the way. This covers two small "problems" that can occur: (1) a horse will sometimes expand his chest when you first tighten the girth because, frankly, they don't like it all that much and (2) when you've walked them around a bit, it changes how they are breathing and a girth that you thought was tight enough when you first saddled him can become too loose. It is also a good idea to get off after the warm-up and check the tightness of the girth again.
When we are all done and I have dismounted before walking him back to his stall, I loosen the girth. This tells him that we are finished, he can relax, and it is just plain polite.
The Bridle: A bridle differs from a halter in that it has a bit and reins and a halter does not. The halter is constructed more simply as well. I really do not know if a Western bridle differs from an English one, but the English one has a strap that goes behind the ears (headpiece) with a strap that spans both sides and rides on the horse's forehead (browband). The strap that goes behind the ears continues on down both sides of the horse's face. One part forms a thin strap that is connected behind the horse's cheeks (throatlatch). This strap should be buckled so that you can fit your fist between it and the hollow part under the horse's jaw. Another strap (one of the cheekpieces) comes down and connects to a piece that goes around the horse's complete jaw just above the nose (noseband). This one should be buckled so that you can slip two fingers between it and the side of the horse's face. Yet another bit of leather (the other cheekpiece) continues on down and has the bit connected to it. This bit of leather has buckles on both sides and should be adjusted up or down so that when the bit is in the horse's mouth, there are two creases in the corners of his mouth. Any more and the bit will pull up against the molars. Too loose and the bit will knock against the incisors and put pressure on his tongue. Both of which are painful to the horse. Generally, saddles may be swapped between horses, but bridles are usually specific to the horse. Once you get one well adjusted, it is best to leave it that way. The reins are attached to the same ring that holds the bit.
The above description is for a bridle that has some sort of snaffle bit on it (there are a number of different types of snaffles). A snaffle bit is one of the more comfortable bits for a horse to wear. If I seem to be stressing the horse's comfort, it's because it is important. A horse is not like a car or a bicycle or some sort of mechanism. He will not blindly do your bidding. And if he isn't happy and comfortable, he will most definitely let you know.
I should say that I am not talking about dude string ponies here. In my opinion, those poor horses have had all the spunk driven out of them and have been broken to put up with all sorts of abuse from the rider and sometimes really poorly fitted tack. What I am talking about here is the horse that has been gentled and well trained, who still has spirit and a good sense of self; not a horse that is broken. The term itself says it all.
Getting the Saddle and Pads on the Horse: Most horses will stand quite still for this part, especially if you have him on a cross tie as described in "Horseback Riding 101: Grooming your Horse." I saddle my horse in his stall (he doesn't at all like being cross tied) and he sometimes walks away from me just after I put the saddle pads on him. His movement forces the pads toward his croup and off of his withers. Because of this I can not just blithely put the saddle on him and assume that it is in the right position. If your horse moves at all during the saddling process, check the position again to be certain that the saddle is still positioned properly. Also, check it again after you have walked to where you will be riding him.
Beyond that, there is nothing more required really than some muscle. This is especially true if you are a short, lightweight like me. Lifting 20 to 30 pounds of saddle up over my head is hard. It's a good idea to be certain that the stirrups aren't hanging loosely from the very ends of the stirrup leather loop. Otherwise, when you swing that saddle up and over, one might hit you in the face. If they are hanging at the end of the loop, slide the stirrups up the outside part of the loop as far as they will go and then put the loop of leather through the stirrup. This will hold them close to the saddle. And actually, you can leave them that way until you are ready to mount. This will keep them from slapping your horse in his sides as you walk him to the arena or round pen.
Getting the Bridle on the Horse: Some horses will take the bit into their mouths quite readily and some will not. Be gentle and patient when bridling your horse and you will be rewarded with greater ease successively. Horses learn really fast. It's said that you only have to show a horse something twice before he learns it (personally, I think it is just once). So if you are rough and impatient with him the first time you bridle him, he will learn to expect pain and rough treatment from you and you will have a much more difficult time of it. It is also said that you train your horse every time you are with him, even if all you are doing is talking to him and scratching his neck.
The best way I have found to put the bridle on a horse is to stand on the left side of him right next to his head (the buckles you need to fasten are on the left side of the bridle). First put the reins up over his head and onto his neck. Then take both sides of the bridle (between the browband and the noseband) in your right hand. Put your hand with the bridle in it under his jaw and bring it up around in front of his face. It's sort of like you are hugging his head. Move the bridle close to the front of his face and use your left hand to guide the bit to his mouth. Some horses will separate their teeth at this point and "take" the bit and others might need a little coaxing.
While using your left hand to hold the bit where the horse's incisors come together (assuming he doesn't just open up for you), apply a little upward pressure with your right hand. And I mean a little. If he still won't open up, you can slide your left thumb into the crease of skin and push it through to the space between the incisors and the molars and touch his tongue gently. This will usually make him open up. Then slowly and gently help him to move the bit into place. He will actually help you seat it properly. While keeping hold of one side of the bridle with your right hand, let go of the other side and move it to the right side of his face while stepping around to directly in front of him. Be careful of his eyes while doing this. Pull the browband up where it goes and then slip the headpiece over one ear and then the other. You will have to pull his ears a bit forward to do this.
That a horse will let me put a bridle on him at all is a constant source of amazement to me. If I were that horse, I'm not sure I would stand still for it. And actually, the horse I ride doesn't always do that. He tends to back up as I bring the bridle in front of his face. I just back up along with him and eventually we get it accomplished.
Once you have the bridle in place you can buckle the throatlatch and noseband as mentioned above. Be sure that the throatlatch and noseband straps are beneath the leather the bit is buckled to. When removing the bridle, unbuckle both of those and slip the headpiece forward and in front of the ears. Do not just let the bridle go at this point. Hold it there for a couple of seconds so the horse knows that the bridle is about to come off. This warns him to expect the bit to drop down. Even then, do not just let the bit flop out of his mouth. Pay close attention and let him push it out with his tongue. This way it doesn't smack his teeth. Before you put the bridle away, always wash the bit; especially if you've given your horse treats while he has the bit in his mouth. There will be debris on the bit that if it dries there will be uncomfortable in his mouth the next time you try to bridle him.
It's important that your horse be happy to see you. He should know that he can trust you not to hurt him and that you will not ask him to do something that is not good for him. Take a little care, have patience, be kind, and it will benefit both of you and make your time together much more enjoyable. Now go get in that saddle and have some fun. This will be the subject of my next article in this series.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Dianne,I thought you just 'throw the saddle over, stick whatever in his mouth, and away you go. My goodness, I had no idea it was so involved!I am glad to see how much understanding there is in exactly where and how to place everything for the comfort of the horse.Great article. Am looking forward to reading about your adventures on the horse.Thanks for an interesting (& original) read -- reminds me a bit of "If you can't find it in NYC (SW), you can't find it."Hi Nancy.Thanks for making it all the way through it. Pretty long, hunh? I looked it over a bunch of times and couldn't really find anything that I wanted to leave out.My friend, the owner of the horse I ride, said to me one day that many people think you just get on and ride. We had a good laugh over that. :)I've already fallen off of "my horse" and written about that. But generally, I don't write about my adventures because I think they are only interesting to me. Maybe I will have to rethink that.Thanks so much for commenting!Dianne
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