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Horse
riding equipment
The
following are basic horse riding equipment. The horseback
riding clothing has been dealt with under horse riding
clothing. In this section we list horse equipment other
than clothing.
Blinkers
Blinkers
are horse riding equipment used when a horse scares easily,
for race horses, and for horses pulling carts. The main benefit
of blinkers is that it prevents the horse from seeing things
or objects on its side. The idea is to get the horse focussed
on what is in front of him and thus ensures that he doesn't
pull away from perceived threats.
Reins
Apart
from the stirrups the reins are the most important horse riding
equipment, especially for the beginner. Reigns provide a means
for keeping balance and holding on, but more important to
communicate with the horse. Reigns are used in conjunction
with the bit which is in the horse's mouth to steer the horse.
Although the legs and voice communication also play an important
role in steering, the steering is not possible without the
reigns.
Bridle
The
horse bridle consists of several pieces of horse equipment
such as the reigns which run from the horse head and mouth
to the hands of the rider and which are used for steering
the horse. The reigns are connected to the bit which is a
hard piece of metal placed in the horse's mouth in a specific
gap between the teeth. Never pull or jerk the bit as it will
hurt the horse. It must be placed in a comfortable position.
The horse may bolt or react in an aggresive way if the bit
sits uncomfortable.
The
bridle also consists of a headpieces which are placed over
the forehead of the animal and is used to keep the bridle
in place. Another piece of horseriding equipment that makes
up the bridle is the browband which is placed accross the
forehead, brow and runs underneath the horse's ears. The last
piece that makes up the bridle is the cheekpiece which is
strapped on either side of the horse's head. It is a strap
that is connected at the headpiece and runs down to the bottom
of the head.
There
are several types of bridle horse riding equipment depending
on the style of riding such as English or American Saddle. You
for instance get the following:
- Snaffle
is used in English style and only has one bit.
There are double bits normally only used in competitions
and dressage.
- Hackamore
consists of only the bridle. It doesn't have a bit and control
is provided through the use of a nosepiece that is connected
to the horse reigns.
Saddle
The
saddle is the horse equipment used for seating on the horse's
back. The equistrian saddle types are numerous and depend
on the riding style. The most common are the English, Asian
and Western types. The
cantle is the raised part at the back of the saddle. When
mounting the horse you will put your right hand on the cantle.
The seat is the middle lower part. The pommel is the highest
part of the saddle closest to the horse's head. The saddle
is connected to the stirrups and a girdle. The
girdle runs around the belly of the horse to keep the saddle
in the correct position. The saddle should be selected according
to the riding style and the specific horse as it must fit
correctly to prevent injuries to the horse and rider. The
saddle must be cleaned at least twice a week. If the saddle
is not cleaned in the correct manner, dirt underneath the
girth will cause sores on the horse's back.
Stirrups
The
stirrups are connected to the saddle through stirrup straps.The
stirrups are iron bars where the feet of the rider rests.The
stirrups must be adjusted to the right length for the rider
and should not be too long as it may then hurt the horse.
The length depends on the style of riding such as jumping,
English dressage or racing. It also depends on the horse riding
skills level of the rider and of course the length of the
rider.Beginners
normally start their riding lessons with longer stirrups to
help them balance and prevent them from falling forward. Dressage
also requires longer stirrups for maximum control and precision
movements. Jockeys
use exceptionally short stirrups as they need to lift their
bodies from the horse's back and they don't need to communicate
as much as dressage riders. Showjumpers
also make use of a shorter medium length stirrup to help them
raise up from their saddle easier.Stirrups
are used for balance and communication as the rider also steers
the horse through his legs and through the use of the stirrups.
The leather straps attached to the saddle must be strong to
ensure adequate support of the rider when raising. Always
wear shoes with a slight heel to prevent the feet from slipping
through the stirrups.
The
above horse riding equipment are the essentials. Speak
to a horseriding instructor to help you select the correct
horse equipment. Rather than settling for cheap horseriding
equipment pay that bit extra for quality to ensure safety.
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