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- Saddling
& Bridling
Your Horse -
Saddling
Whether you're using and English or a Western saddle, it is
imperative that you use a saddle pad underneath your saddle. If you fail to do
so, your horse could get saddle sores and have a sore back. He could also
develop raw wounds on his back from the saddle rubbing on his skin.
Put the saddle pad on your horse's back so the front of it is
over the horse's withers. Make sure it isn't leaning to one side or the other,
so one side has more protection than the other. Settle the saddle carefully on
top directly in the center of the pad. If it's an English saddle, that should be
really easy, considering the shape of the saddle and pad. Be careful that the
saddle is centered over the horse's spine to discourage discomfort. Pull up the
girth from the other side and attach it properly. To begin with, tighten the
girth as far as it will go. The horse might puff up his stomach with air and let
it out later to loosen the girth, but this can be dangerous, so always check
your girth again once you get out to the riding arena, before mounting.
When you get out to the arena, you can pull down your
stirrups and adjust them to the length you need. Check your girth once more and
tighten it again to prevent the saddle slipping while you're riding.
Bridling
Always put
the saddle on before you bridle your horse. Carry your bridle on
one arm by the crownpeice and reins, so the reins won't be
dragging on the floor. Approach the horse from the front so that
it can see that you've got the bridle in your hands. Try not to
let the metal bit clank as you walk, because some horses will
react to the noise and then you might have some trouble.
When you're bridling the horse, you should always have some means
of restraint on the horse's head or neck to stop it from just
walking off. Also, be careful not to let the horse get away while
you're still putting the bridle on, because it might get its legs
tangled in the reins.
To
start out, untie the horse, then undo its halter. then either wrap
a lead rope around its neck or your reins, it they aren't fastened
together. Stand on the left side of the horse, take the reins in
your right hand, and put them over its head. Then put your right
arm underneath the horse's jaw and hold the cheekpeices of the
bridle together in front of the horse's face. Hold the bit in your
left hand just under the horse's nose. Move the bridle carefully
up the horse's face. When the bit touches the horse's mouth,
insert your thumb gently between the horse's lips at the corner of
its mouth so that it presses slightly on the gum in the gap
between the horse's teeth. This will usually encourage the horse
to open its mouth.
Draw
the crownpiece up over the horse's ears, taking care not to let
the bit fall out of the horse's mouth. Carefully fit both ears
between the browband and the crownpiece and pull the horse's
forelock out to that it lies free over the browband. Check
that all the parts of the bridle are lying straight and flat
before you begin fastening the buckles. First buckle the
throatlatch. When it is fastened there should be enough room in-between
the leather and the horse's throat to put three finger on top of
each other. Any less is too tight and may become uncomfortable for
the horse. After that, fasten the noseband. Depending on the type
of noseband, it should either be loosely fastened or tight.
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