How to Tack up a Horse

Tacked up and ready to go

Tack is the equipment used to get a horse ready for riding unless you are riding bareback. For English riding, it usually consists of a saddle blanket, a saddle, bridle, a girth, and possibly a martingale and boots. Learn the perfect way to get your horse ready to ride if you are a beginner or novice.

1. Tie your horse with cross ties, or if you have to, on a hitching post. Always use quick release "slip knots" if tying, and quick release snaps. It is always better to have to chase your horse down than to have the horse get hurt if it gets hung up in the rope.
2. 2
   Brush the horse. This can be a full groom, or just brush where the tack is going to go, and pick out the feet. When you groom, check the horse for lumps, bumps, swelling and heat that could mean your horse is unsound.
3. 3
   Put on the saddle pad/blanket/cloth (really, it's whatever you want to call it). Place it on the horse's withers, a bit higher up than normal. Slide it down a bit, so all the fur on the horse's body is going in the direction of the saddle and the pad under it.
4. 4
   Place the saddle gently on the horse's back. It should sit in the middle of the saddle pad. Again, make sure it doesn't interfere with the horse's shoulder. If it is sitting correctly, most of the time there will be a thin strip on the saddle pad that the saddle sits straight above, and should be coming out from directly underneath the pommel. Take note to also lift the top of the blanket (pad) into place, where the pommel on the saddle is. It's easiest to lift both blanket AND saddle up, so they can come down gently from a few centimetres above the withers.
5. 5
   Put on his cinch or girth. Some horse bloat, so take this into account, if he is known to do this, tighten it gradually on both sides when he exhales so he can't do this and tighten it again prior to mounting. Ideally, you should have the girth about 3/4 as tight as you prefer it. If using breast strap, or rear cinch, now is the time to position them. Move your horse at least three steps, forward or back. Tighten the cinch or girth again and do so gradually.
6. 6
   Put on the horse's boots. If you ride English then you will either need boots or polos.
7. 7
   Unbuckle the cross ties. Put the reins over the horse's head. This is so they don't get tangled in all the other straps on the bridle.
8. 8
   Put the bit in the horses mouth. Put a finger on each side of the bit and gently push against the horse's mouth. It's also a good idea to put your thumbs in the very corner of the horse's mouth, where he has no teeth.
9. 9
   Put the crown/headpiece of the bridle over the horse's ears (some put in the farthest ear first, so the ear nearest to you can easily slide over, in comparison to doing it the other way around).
10. 10
    Buckle the throat latch/throatlash. When you buckle it you should be able to put four fingers in between the throat and the throat latch.
11. 11
    Buckle the chinstrap. You should be able to fit one or two fingers under it.
12. 12
    If you have a flash, buckle that up. You should buckle it so it is snug.

Make sure you put the saddle and bridle on from the left side.

• When approaching your horse with an item, always walk slowly so your horse won't get spooked. Never walk directly behind or in front of the horse and place your hand on the horse's shoulder when on reach.
• Martingales are designed to keep the horse from raising its head too high. Opinions on the need for martingales differ, and depend on the trainer.
• When you go to pick your horse's hooves, bring the horses hoof to you so you won't get kicked.
• Keep emergency contact information close by.
• To find instructors and trainers in your area, ask your local tack stores. They usually have an inside scoop on who the best trainers are.
• In the winter, be sure to warm up the bit so the horse will not become bit-shy.
• Make sure that when putting the bit in the horses mouth, you do not hit the horses teeth, or they will become sour to the bit.
• With some headcollars, you can slip it around the neck by unbuckling the noseband. This way there is less chance of the horse getting away.
• Always tighten the girth again once you have warmed up as horses tend to puff their stomach out when you tighten their girth before mounting. If after you've warmed up your horse still puffs his stomach out when you tighten his girth then tighten it as you walk, he cannot puff his stomach out and walk at the same time. Be careful they can kick you!
• To help a shy horse take the bit, put a little honey or peppermint oil on it. Then praise them each time they take the bit to help them get used to it.

• Always wear a helmet when riding. Your helmet should never have had an impact or been stored improperly. It should be under 5 years old.
• Make sure the girth or bridle isn't too small for the horse.
• Take lessons from a qualified instructor.
• Riding is a potentially dangerous sport, but the risks can be greatly reduced by learning from an experienced instructor, and using common sense.
• When carrying a saddle over your arm make sure your sleeve covers your watch and other jewelery or remove them to prevent scratching the saddle.
• Don’t drop the saddle. It is breakable and very expensive.
• Avoid putting the saddle down on the floor. Put it over a fence, door, a special rack or the horses back. If you must put the saddle down on the floor, put it on top of a rug or coat, leaning against a wall with the seat facing the wall, the pommel down and the cantle (back of the saddle) resting against the wall with the girth over it to protect it from scratches.
• If the stirrup bar is an old type it may be hinged to lock the stirrup in place. Always keep it down, to help prevent being dragged.
• Some horses are "girthy", that is, they don't like their girth being tightened. They may attempt to bite you if you tighten their girth, so if your horse is like this, simply be wary. (Tip: When you first put the girth on; keep it loose at first. After leading your horse around for a few minutes tighten the girth again because the horse will have let out air. Gradual tightening the girth instead of tightening it all the way at once can help girthy horses.)
• Some horses are also "cross-tie phobic", meaning they do not like being in cross-ties. The solution is to clip the lead rope to the bottom ring of the horse's halter, under her muzzle, and loop it around the cross-ties, which should be connected to each other. Or just don't use a cross tie in the first place. Unless it's a particularly spunky Thoroughbred or a rowdy stallion, a lead rope tied in a quick-release knot to a sturdy ring on the wall should be all you need.
• Always talk to him before you walk up behind your horse, just to let him know you are there.
• Make sure your saddle fits your horse as it can cause discomfort.
• While tacking up, never kneel down! Crouch if you need to, but never sit or kneel next to a horse, as they can accidentally or purposefully kick or step on you.

How to Bridle a Horse

A horse wearing his bridle.

When riding, a bridle provides you with the ability to control the horse to a certain degree. Bridling can be hard at first, but it is actually quite easy to do. Part of successfully bridling a horse is to take care that the bridle does not cause discomfort to the horse. This article takes you through the steps required.
Note: This article demonstrates how to fit a full size bridle. Bridles generally come in three sizes: Pony, cob, and full size.

1. Prepare yourself by gathering the bridle. Put on your riding helmet at this stage for saf
2.  

1. 3
   

   Measure the bridle.
   Measure the bridle.
   • 

     Begin by undoing the keepers on the bridle.
     Begin by undoing the keepers on the bridle. Don't undo all of them unless you are going to clean it. Only undo the cavison (part that straps on jaw) and the cheekpiece.
   • 

     Place the appropriate sized bridle against the side of your horse's head.
     Place the appropriate sized bridle against the side of your horse's head. This is to roughly assess the height of the bit and to make sure that when you do put the bridle on, it will not pull on his mouth and hurt him.
   • 

     If the bit is too high, or too low, adjust the cheek straps to the approximate, correct height.
     If the bit is too high, or too low, adjust the cheek straps to the approximate, correct height.
   • 

     Place the bridle against his head once more.
     Place the bridle against his head once more.
2. 4
   

   Try the bridle on.
   Try the bridle on. Position yourself next to the horse's shoulder on the near (left) side.
   • 

     Hold the reins in your left hand and the headstall in your right hand.
     Hold the reins in your left hand and the headstall in your right hand. Slide the reins of the bridle over the horse's head. Pass the bridle under the horse's chin to rest on his nose. It helps to hold the cavison away to give the horse a better chance not to take the leather straps with the bit.
   • Offer the bit. Lay the reins across the horse's neck and put the bit mouthpiece in your left hand. Open the mouth by working your thumb into the corner of the mouth until he opens it - your goal is to apply some pressure downward on the mandible. One trick is to push the horse's lip in under your thumb to protect your thumb from being bitten (horse may bite you, but won't bite themselves). A horse may not accept the bit if it is very cold so try warming the bit in your hands first to make the bit more welcoming.
   • Draw up the headstall. Take care not to click the metal bit mouthpiece on the horse's teeth as you draw up the headstall.
   • Place the headstall over the ears, gently pushing the ears into the ear loops and pulling away any forelock. Put the near ear under the headstall first, then the far ear. That way, if the near ear hurts and they pull away or act afraid in any way, you can walk to the other side of your horse and put that second ear through the headstall. This will help avoid your horse jerking away from the far ear and hitting you.
   • It is best if you can do this without removing the halter until you are certain that your horse will accept a bridle being put on in place without being secured. Slip the halter off once the bridle is in place.
   • Check the fit of the bridle as outlined in the following steps.
3. 5
   

   Measure the height of the bit.
   Measure the height of the bit. Open your horse's mouth. The bit should be resting on the corners. If not, shorten the cheek pieces to the precise height.
   • 

     Adjust the cheek piece on the other side as well, so that they are both level.
     Adjust the cheek piece on the other side as well, so that they are both level.
   • 

     A good indication to show that you have correctly fitted the bit, is a wrinkle around the mouth, when he has it closed.
     A good indication to show that you have correctly fitted the bit, is a wrinkle around the mouth, when he has it closed.
4. 6
   

   Measure the width of the bit.
   Measure the width of the bit.
   • 

     Place a thumb on either side of the bit rings.
     Place a thumb on either side of the bit rings. There should be a thumb's distance either side of the mouth.
5. 7
   

   Measure the throat latch.
   Measure the throat latch. The throat latch strap is normally attached to the head piece. It is always done up on the left hand side. It should be loose.
   • 

     Once fastened, you should be able to fit four fingers or a fist between the throat area and the lash.
     Once fastened, you should be able to fit four fingers or a fist between the throat area and the lash. This is to make sure that there is no interference with the horse's breathing.
6. 8
   Fit the caveson noseband.
   • 

     The noseband should be at a height where you can fit two fingers under the projecting cheek bone.
     The noseband should be at a height where you can fit two fingers under the projecting cheek bone. If it is too low, adjust the fastening to the correct height.
   • 

     Check once more with your fingers.
     
     Check once more with your fingers. When the noseband is fastened, you should be able to fit two fingers inside. This allows the horse to relax his jaw when ridden.
7. 9
   

   Check the brow band.
   Check the brow band. This should fit snugly around his head. It should never be too tight as this would pull the head piece forwards and pinch the horse's ears. The brow band should not be too loose either - otherwise it could slip backwards.
8. 10
   

   Fit the reins.
   Fit the reins. The reins should be the correct length for the size of your horse.
   • 

     When you take up the rein contact, with your horse's head in his normal ridden position, the spare ends should not interfere with the foot or stirrup.
     When you take up the rein contact, with your horse's head in his normal ridden position, the spare ends should not interfere with the foot or stirrup. If the reins are too short, your horse cannot stretch and relax.
   • Hold the reins in place while undoing the halter and removing it.
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Edit Video

Edit Tips

• When you are buying a new bridle, it's best to always have a few holes extra to be able to adjust shorter or longer as leather stretches in time. Or you may need to change the horses bit at some point.
• Horses tend to accept the bit more easily if they associate it with something good such as a treat or a good taste, so try putting some honey or rubbing a mint on the bit to help the horse accept it.
• When putting your finger in the horse's mouth, push it towards the back where there are no teeth, so that the horse cannot bite you. When you press down, the cue will make him open his mouth.
• If you have a horse that is causing you trouble, for example, holding his head high, squeeze the base of his ears and he should lower his head. If he doesn't, put your hand on the bridge of his nose, and behind the base of his ears, and shake his head gently and say "Down" firmly. He should respond.

Edit Warnings

• Horses can sometimes be unpredictable animals. If you are bridling one, you are dealing with its teeth, so take care.
• Do not let your reins lie on the ground, because if the horse steps over them, he could become quickly entangled, putting you and the horse in danger.
• Never tether a horse using a bridle. Leather is not strong enough to withstand a horse pulling against it and if the bridle snaps, the metal pieces on it can become dangerous.
• Try not to walk behind a horse, unless you are keeping a safe distance. When picking it's hooves keep to the side of the horse.

Edit Things You'll Need

• A safe, well mannered horse or pony
• A suitable bridle
• A halter and lead
• Boots
• Helmet

How to Put a Halter on a Horse

A halter is a leather, webbing or rope headstall. It is used with a lead rope to lead a horse from the ground. Some halters can also be used to tie the horse for grooming or tacking up.If you are new to horses and don't know how to put a halter on a horse or pony, then this article is for you.

Horse Halters

1. Have the horse in a safely enclosed area such as a paddock, corral or pasture where he won't get hurt if he gets away from you. Reduce Odors Coming From Your Barn! Lower Manure And Bedding Moisture.
2. Take a look at your halter and find the parts of it so the following steps make sense. Identify the following: crownpiece, buckle, cheekpieces, throatlatch and noseband.
   

     Parts of a horse halter
3. Unbuckle the buckle on the crown piece so the halter is ready to put on.
4. Approach the horse and slip the lead rope around the horses neck so you have something to hold onto if he decides to move away.
5. Stand on the left side of the horses head, facing the same direction he is.
6. Hold the crown piece in your right hand and the buckle or the noseband in your left hand.
7. Reach under the horses neck with your right hand, holding the crown piece.
8. Guide the noseband onto the horses nose so that the nose band is on top and the chinstrap is underneath his nose.
9. Gently (so you don't surprise or scare the horse) pass the crown piece over the horses neck, just behind his ears.
10. Fasten the buckle.
11. Take the lead rope from around the horses neck and you are ready to go!
12. Here is how it should look when you are done.
    

      Haltered horse
13. See How to adjust a horse halter to make sure it fits properly
14. If you are using a rope halter the steps are the same and then go to How to tie a rope halter to see how to tie the knot!
15. The following method works only if you have a halter with a detachable throat latch.
16. Unfasten the throat latch of the halter, leaving the crown piece fastened.
17. Take the halter and hold it by the crown with your right hand.
18. Use your left hand to guide the noseband and chin strap around his nose as above.
19. Gently slide the crown piece over the top of his ears being careful not to bend the ears painfully. If you'd like, bend the horse's ears forward through the halter, but never bend them backwards or it'll hurt the horse.
20. Secure the halter, whether you have a clip that snaps it shut or a buckle.

• Be careful not to drag the halter over the nose, eyes or ears. Rough handling can cause horses to become head-shy, making haltering and bridling more difficult.
• Some horses have been trained to lower their head. This is known as Drop at the Poll. If the horse is holding his head high or if he is tall, gently push down on his nose or the top of his head and say 'down'.
• The lead ropes that halters come with usually have a clip, but some have a fastening that requires you to pull a section down to release it. These aren't particularly secure, one slip of your hand and off comes the rope.
• Some horses do not like being touched about the face or nose, in this case it is sometimes helpful to halter him from behind the ears first until he gets used to you touching his face (gentle stroking around his face and ears will help).

Warnings

• Watch that the horse doesn't throw his head up and hit you.
• Be careful to adjust the halter so it doesn't touch the horse's eyes.
• Rope and 'controller' halters should be used by experience horse people only, and never be used to tie a horse.
• Never remove a halter where the horse can escape into a road.

Things You'll Need

• Horse
• Halter that fits your horse

Kings Victory Farms HorseBack Riding Program outline

The beginning riding program consists of three modules. Each of these modules have three lessons. Students must complete the necessary accomplishments that are provided in the student tracking guide.Students must complete each modules before progressing to the next. With the completion of each module student riding time as well as riding area and responsibilities will increase. Students successfully completing the beginning program will have a half hour graduation performance with friends and family. To advance to barrels and jumping, you must complete all three phase of our beginning program, and able to direct and handle horse to transition into each gait smoothly, gaits are walk, trot, and canter

Equine Dental Care

Equine Dental Care

Equine dental care is important to maintain a horse's health, just as with humans. Horses chew and grind their food and any problem can create nutritional and other health issues. Horses' teeth grow until the age of about twenty-five. Wild horses eat wild tough grass and wear their teeth out naturally. Confined horses are given alfalfa hay and the like which are softer and do not wear the teeth out sufficiently and evenly. This in turn creates uneven sharp edges which can cut the tongue and cheek in addition to preventing proper chewing of the grass.

  

Most veterinarians recommend dental procedures and checkups every six to twelve months. A complete dental examination includes thorough examination with checks for infection, malocclusion, loose teeth, dental irregularities or any other dental problems. Diseased teeth must be extracted and tooth surfaces shaped and or filled. Sometimes teeth are implanted. Just as with humans, the vet will record all the procedures performed and irregularities corrected or observed as a reference base for future use.
All horse owners must be sensitive to the needs of their horses. Teeth problems must be anticipated along with other problems and the necessary funds for the treatment kept aside. Owners must also be able to recognize the symptoms and signs indicating emerging dental problems. These signs include shyness, dull coat, head tossing, weight loss, foul breath, unwillingness to eat, poor performance, excessive salivation, facial swelling, refusal to take lead and throat impaction among others. Any of these signs is a sure cause for immediate veterinary assistance and check up for the horse.
Getting the horse to the height of its performance levels does not just happen but is a result of constant and continuous care. Care must be regular and not sporadic, as and when the owner wants to or has the funds for, in order to keep the horse in optimum health conditions. The expenses for treating problems are usually more expensive than the prevention of the problem itself. Regular checkups can stop the problem from escalating to serious situations that could even result in the death of the horse. Prevention is always better than cure.
Always remember that to maintain the horse functioning at the optimum level, it must receive the proper and adequate nutrition according to its breed, age and function. The horse must receive all its immunization vaccines, given to immunize it against serious, transmittable, infectious diseases that include influenza, encephalitis, tetanus and rabies amongst others. The owner or handler must check the mouth for sores at least once weekly. During this check, the cheeks must be palpated to check for unevenly worn, pointed edges in the teeth. Check for raw gums and any other bucal problem. Call the vet immediately if any condition is noted so that the horse can get immediate attention. Always have the vet's telephone numbers handy and a substitute vet for any emergencies.
Regular checkups and preventive care will help maintain a horse healthy and problem free, giving the owner years of good service.

25% off Horseback Riding Lessons

Typical Lesson

The lessons offered are private or group and are geared for one to three students. Single lessons last about 50 - 60 minutes. Lessons with more than one child last  two hour, depending on the levels of the riders. 
Each lesson begins with helping to brush down the horse, learn parts of the horse, learn parts of the tack, and tacking up the horse. The kids get to ride, doing stretching and balancing exercises, and then just riding for fun. At the end of the lesson, they help untack the horse and brush it down. I have limited spaces for year round lessons. I also have Summer Kids Horse Clinics and camps scheduled, if you want your child to experience horses without committing to weekly lessons.

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