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There are two kinds of horse riding: western and British. This is a tutorial for western saddling.
Things you will need:
a horse
horse brush
saddle pad
a saddle
head stall with bit (the head stall I am using is called a hackamore and doesn't have a bit)
While riding a horse bareback can be an exhilirating experience, using a saddle can be very beneficial. Saddling a horse is a good idea if you would like not to fall off.
The headstall is important because it gives you control over the horse. Once your horse is saddled, you can ride in a number of different places and events including rodeos, trail rides, and working on farms.
The first picture below is labeled with parts of the horse that will be useful to know later in the tutorial.
Note: horses and the equipment needed to ride them can be expensive. If you are interested in getting in to riding, I suggest browsing craigslist for supplies.
Things you will need:
a horse
horse brush
saddle pad
a saddle
head stall with bit (the head stall I am using is called a hackamore and doesn't have a bit)
While riding a horse bareback can be an exhilirating experience, using a saddle can be very beneficial. Saddling a horse is a good idea if you would like not to fall off.
The headstall is important because it gives you control over the horse. Once your horse is saddled, you can ride in a number of different places and events including rodeos, trail rides, and working on farms.
The first picture below is labeled with parts of the horse that will be useful to know later in the tutorial.
Note: horses and the equipment needed to ride them can be expensive. If you are interested in getting in to riding, I suggest browsing craigslist for supplies.
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Signing UpStep 1Brush the horse
This step VERY important! When riding, horses sweat under the saddle. If you don't brush the loose hair off the horse's back, and it gets wet, the horse may shake to remove the hair (and you).
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I've been bitten, butted, and had 2 (pony) hooves planted into my chest. I don't FEAR them any more then I did before. I respect them more however, and have learned a LOT of lessons in the mean time.
Now, you wouldn't want anyone to call you a "specific animal of certain disposition", now would you? :-)
One of these days, hopefully BEFORE I get too old, and once I have lost some weight (for the horse's sake), I want to get back into riding again.
I had taken some lessions after having done a few trails and although I am NO expert, I do find it enjoyable with the proper horse (being they are all a little different, sometimes a match is hard to make).
Thanks for the reminder of goals I'd nearly forgotten :-)
The tradition of mounting from the left side at least partly due to cavalries. The rider would have a sword on his left side, so it was easier to swing his right leg over the horse.
As far as them holding their breath to keep you from tightening the cinch, I knew some people who would knee them in the flank but that usually just made saddling an unpleasant experience for the horse and it would harden their behavior. I found that putting off the final tightening and taking them by surprise worked a lot better. In other words, do everything else and when they are not expecting it just grab the strap and pull it tight. They can't hold their breath forever.
riendasyestribos@blogspot.com, of course, making a translation to spanish.
Thanks.
Alegría.
I then had to develop tricks to get him to exhale like poking him in the flank a few times. Being about 11 it was frustrating at first.
Put the girth on sort of loose at first then move your horse around a bit (walk to the arena or trail head) then tighten it up some more. Move them around again and check it one more time.
The advantage is you will avoid pinching the horse by allowing the girth/saddle to settle in and you will most certainly avoid finding out your girth is too loose 10 minutes into your ride. (and your horse will really appreciate it. :-)
but you walk a lot more than I did.
I would tight it a bit, then walk about five or ten steps and then tighten it up, the horse had to breath during those steps and that solved the problem.
I don't think I would ever want my dad to have seen me kick it in the flank to blow out, and I wouldn't want to catch anyone else doing it.
I should have said poke with my finger while standing on the ground next to the horse whilst trying to put on the saddle.
Sorry if I come off sharp here but so be it. I assure you I am pretty close to the last person in the world you need be worried about abusing an animal, then or now.
Hey thanks for the wonderful advice though!
I was agreeing with chautman-1, not trying to get a jab at you.
I am sorry if it sounds like I am talking against you. As you say, it is easy to write it wrong in these forums.
Hope you have fond memories of riding too.
No problem. I have great memories of my time in the saddle growing up. It was extensive for living in western NC I guess. Many trips deep into the Great Smoky Mnts. Natl. Pk. My firsts trip riding alone on my own horse (after donkey and tandem saddle) was around 28 miles from Cligmans Dome down into Hazel Creek drainage almost to Fontana lake. I remember that trip like it was yesterday even though it was in 1978.
Cheers!
- there are several styles of riding, the two main buckets being English and Western. Horse people would understand what you meant if you said "British," but they'd also know you didn't know what you're talking about :-)
- Don't look for equipment on craigslist unless you know what you're doing or have a knowledgeable friend to help. Having a properly fit saddle is extremely important and a lot goes into selecting the right one for your horse. And there are a lot of people out there selling just plain bad tack--broken saddle trees, rotted leather, uneven wear. If you don't have the money to buy a saddle that fits (The proper saddle can easily cost hundreds of dollars, even used, if you have a hard to fit horse.), consider leasing a horse with its own tack instead of buying.
- Horses are actually much more sensitive than they are "tough." As AppyHorsey said, a horse might stoically accept having the saddle cinched up, but it behooves (ha!) you to make it as nice a process as possible. Sour a horse on being saddled and risk having your head kicked in. "Horses are tough, they can take it" is not a safe attitude towards any aspect of dealing with a half-ton animal.
Ride on!
Then, when you let them both down, you should be on the right side, and lower them down, not just flip them over from the left side. That way the girth ring will not swing down and hit the right front leg, (If you wnat to know what it is like, take your boots off and swing the girth up and down so it hits your ankle bone - bet you only do it once)
This is a nice instructable for beginners. Thanks for posting it. However, I have something to add:
When putting on the saddle pad, you NEVER want to "pull it forward" as this also pulls the hair on the horse's back "forward" (the "wrong way" for the hair to lay) and it is not only uncomfortable for the horse, but can cause sores on his/her back. The "best" way is to always put the saddle pad on TOO FAR FORWARD and then "slide it back" into place. This assures that the hair on the horse's back is laying in the "correct" way. A comfortable horse is a happy horse! (And might keep you from being thrown off when the irritation becomes too much for the horse to take.) OR, if the horse "accepts" the irritation, and lets you continue the ride, you may find a sore (or sores) on his back after the ride. Saddle/back sores are hard to heal and take a LONG TIME to heal up. Which translates into WEEKS or even MONTHS of No Riding for YOU.
In 2000 my friend and I did a 2 week, horse back, Elk hunting trip in the Great Bear Wilderness in Montana. Never did get an Elk, but it was 2 weeks of paradise. The only things that reminded you of "when" you where, where the things you took with and the occasional planes over head.