Nowadays, you can find a wide range of horse-riding equipment for various equestrian disciplines and styles. Since you can’t use the same things for jumping, dressage, or show jumping, you’ll have to decide where you want to advance and start collecting essential pieces of equipment.
If you’re an avid rider, stay with us as we’ll show you how to choose the best equipment for your horse. We’ll tell you all there is to make sure you have everything you need to be comfortable, even if you need to spend hours on its back.
Find the Best Saddle
Depending on your riding style, you can choose a variety of different saddles. If you’re only working in dressage, you’ll need a light saddle without the additional padding around your knees. However, if you need a new evening saddle, make sure it’s deeper, more comfortable and that holds you tight around the knees.
Today, you can find premium quality saddles made from leather as well as synthetic materials. Leather saddles are high-quality items, but they come with a hefty price tag.
Instead, you can opt for a synthetic one that’s lighter and combine it with wool accessories. You can use a Le-Mieux half pad from merino wool to protect the horses back during long training sessions. It can also help to promote better circulation and prevent bruising, scarring, and pressure sores.
If you’re not competing and love to ride in the wilderness, you need an all-purpose saddle with extra comfort. If you like long trail rides or riding your horse outside of the ranch, make sure to get a saddle with additional stability features.
Make sure that the saddle you decide to purchase works well for you as well as your horse. If you can fit the saddle and not feel too cramped, that means you’ve found your size. However, make sure it sits nicely on your horse’s back so that it doesn’t hurt its skin while riding.
Choose the Most Suited Bridle
The type of bridle you need to get is determined by the discipline in which you’re competing. Since it goes on the head of the horse, it helps the rider communicate with the horse and signal when to go faster or to jump.
There’s a variety of bridles, and some of the most important ones are Snaffle bridle, Double bridle, Pelham bridle, and Western bridles, to name just a few.
Different equestrian disciplines ask for specialized bridles, and you have to follow the rules strictly. Every professional rider requires at least a few different training briddles like long-running, warming up, or jumping.
Every horse responds differently to every bridle type, so make sure you’ve found the right one that won’t hurt him but make him more responsive and use all of its potentials.
Choose a Good Bit
Using bit is one of the most significant decisions for every equestrian to make. Many see bits as the best communication tool with your horse, while others believe you should use it moderately.
With a variety of bits at your disposal, you can easily find the best one that fits into your horses’ mouth and feels comfortable. Although, sometimes it might take some time until you find the right one.
Accessories
Every rider should invest in quality basic accessories to ensure its performance and progress. When you get a saddle, the next thing is to find good stirrups and girth to ensure the saddle’s stability while you’re riding.
You’ll also need to get a fly mask to protect your horse from flies and other small bugs while running and sports boots like Le Mieux Grafter Brushing Boots to protect the horse’s legs.
Lastly, it’s important to stress out that each piece of equipment has to be appropriately sized for the horse as well as for the rider. Since there’s no one-size-fits-all, you’ll have to spend some time choosing and trying out new accessories until you find equipment that works well for your four-legged friend as well as you.
Choose the Best Equipment
Once you become a part of the horseback riding world, you’ll quickly realize that you’ll need a fair amount of riding equipment only to get you started. You’ll have to look for adequately sized pieces like saddle, bridle, and bit to prevent injuries and make sure your horse is comfortable.
Even if you’re overwhelmed initially, make sure you ask other seasoned rides and get acquainted with all available information on equipment sizing and accessories. Lastly, even if you make a mistake, make sure you learn something from it and keep going.
