1. Horse Riding Equipment & Horse Clothing 101: From Horse Blankets To English Saddles PRESENTED BY:

2. Essential Horse Riding Equipment & Horse Clothing

• Before you enjoy the magical experience of riding a horse,

• you must groom them properly and tack them

• up with the appropriate horse riding equipment .

• You must also ensure that you have the other necessary items used to keep your horse safe and comfortable.

3. Halters & Lead Lines

• Halters come in a variety of styles and materials. The most common is made from nylon webbing and fastens with sturdy buckles.

• Lead lines generally feature an easy to release clasp. They are made from nylon webbing or braided rope.

4. A Basic Grooming Kit

• bucket or caddy

• curry comb

• body brush

• finishing brush

• face & ear brushes

• hoof pick

• hoof oil

• glycerin soap

• scraper

• mane & tail pulling combs

• shedding blade

5. Basic Grooming Routine

• Clean out hooves with a hoof pick and treat with hoof oil

• Loosen hair, dead skin cells, and bug eggs with a curry comb

• To remove shedding hair, use a shedding blade

• Remove loose hair, etc with a stiff brush

• Add shine with a finishing brush

• Brush the horses face with a face brush

• Comb out the horses mane and tail

• If bathing, using glycerin soap

• Remove excess water with a scraper

6. Turnout Blankets & Turnout Sheets

• After grooming your horse, you can use horse clothing such as a turnout blanket or a turnout sheet to protect your hard work and to keep your horse clean.

• In cold or wet weather, a horse blanket will help protect your horse from the elements.

• Turnout sheets can also be made of netting to protect your horse from irritating insects.

7. Saddles & Saddle Pads

• Saddles are designed to fit specific sized horses.

• They come in a variety of styles: dressage, hunt seat, eventing, and cross country.

• Most riders begin with an all purpose saddle.

• The saddle pad protects your horse from the saddle.

• A girth is used to hold the saddle in place.

Saddle Saddle Pad Girth

8. Lunging Equipment

• Horses are athletes and they need to be exercised regularly.

• A lunge line and a lunge whip are used to exercise and school your horse in a controlled environment.

• Beginning riders are often introduced to riding as the trainer holds the lunge line for extra control and safety.

9. Additional Horse Tack

• Horses legs must be protected and well cared for. Leg wraps are commonly used.

• Other miscellaneous articles of riding equipment include crops, spurs, breastplates, martingales, and stirrup leathers.

• Depending upon the style of riding you do, there are other optional pieces of equipment that can help your riding experience be more fun and productive.

10. Maintaining Riding Equipment

• Most equestrian riding equipment is made of leather which means it must be kept clean, dry, and well oiled to maintain its integrity and luster.

• Glycerin soap or saddle soap can be used to clean leather items. After they have dried, they should be oiled with saddle soap and stored out of the weather and direct sunlight.

• Brittle, worn leather is likely to break, resulting in possible injuries.