The equestrian world has a countless amount of its own specific language, one of the most common confusing statements is “tacking up” and “untacking”. This phrase, common jargon of horse people and used across essentially all disciplines of riding, can be especially confusing. People who spend a lot of time with horses often use a …
Nothing makes a horse and rider look smarter than a tidy, well-groomed turnout and a bright white fleece saddle pad under your saddle. Fleece saddle pads are popular, affordable, and in some competitive disciplines are considered the “correct” tack for showing. The Problem: Clumped and Matted Fleece The problem with fleece saddle pads- both genuine …
What you should do in the hours, days, and weeks after your trailer is stolen in order to increase the chances of recovery of the trailer and its contents and prosecution of the criminals involved. When you realize something has been stolen, it’s natural to panic. Brains flood with cortisol and it can be hard …
A war bridle is a unique and very unusual piece of horse tack. There are several variants of a war bridle, but the most common is comprised of a loop of rope that encircles the horse’s lower jaw. The loop of rope passes through the horse’s mouth and rests in the same area that a …
Full cheek snaffle bits are popular in both English and Western riding. They are allowed and legal for most horse sports including the AQHA and USDF dressage competition (the latter being one of the most bit-restrictive horse show organizations). In 2009 I had the opportunity to visit a stable in Germany where the Olympian Isabelle …
All About Billet Straps on an English Saddle This photo shows the part of an English riding saddle known as the “billets”. The billets are three straps underneath the top flap, on each side. The billets are the anchor to which the girth is tied. The billet straps are securely attached to the tree (a …
A Pelham bit is a horse bit that functions as both a snaffle bit or a curb bit, depending on how it is used. A Pelham bit is essentially a plain dressage-legal snaffle bit, but with a second rein connected to the bit at the end of a short shank. This shank, which creates curb action, …