Bareback riding, an equestrian tradition traced back to antiquity, offers a unique bond between horse and rider, unfiltered by saddles or tack. However, maintaining comfort, control, and safety is crucial, and this is where bareback saddle pads prove invaluable. These products not only protect the horse’s back but also offer a secure grip for the …
Horse Tack
For most people, their main love from owning a horse is being able to ride their horse and establishing a strong bond between horse and rider. however, to ride a horse, you need the correct horse tack.
In this horse tack section, our experience equestrian writers have written extensive guides on all areas of horse tack from each piece of tack, how to tack up, cleaning tack, and choosing the right piece of tack.
Our most popular horse tack guides:
Bridles are a type of leather headgear used to control horses. Traditional bridles include a bit, usually a piece of metal that sits directly on the sensitive tissue of the horse’s mouth. While most horse riders still use bitted bridles, there is a rising awareness that bits can cause discomfort and pain to the horse. …
Horses are big and powerful animals that are orders of magnitude stronger than us. Therefore, humans had to devise a clever way to control the horse to harness its power. The idea to use a bit and bridle when riding the horse first came to nomadic herders around 1000 BC. While roaming the Eurasian Steppe, …
Horse bits are an integral part of the equipment most horse riders use to control their horse. They are the point of contact between the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth and allow for efficient communication between horse and rider. According to research, bits were already used as early as 3500–3000 BC by the Botai …
Although bitless bridles are getting increasingly popular, most horse riders today still use a bit to control their horse. Many people consider the bit essential to riding, while others suggest it’s unnecessary and cruel. Horse bits are not necessarily cruel, though they can cause discomfort and pain for the horse. It all depends on the …
Bits have been used for thousands of years to control the speed and direction of horses. They are a piece of horse tack consisting of a solid mouthpiece and rings that attach to the bridle and reins. Most bits are made of metal, often copper or stainless steel, but rubber and plastic bits also exist. …
Leather has long been the most common material used to make saddles. However, there are now several vegan and synthetic saddles on the market for those looking for a non-leather option. Synthetic and vegan saddles tend to be lightweight and easy to care for. They are often cheaper leather alternative saddles. The saddles we’ve chosen …
When I first saw a video on Facebook of Ophena’s magnetic stirrup, I was skeptical. A magnetic stirrup? Surely that can’t work well or be very safe. However, my curiosity got the best of me and I watched the video. Needless to say, I was captivated. So I browsed the Ophena website and watched every …
Whether you’re a novice equestrian learning the ropes or an experienced rider fine-tuning your skills, safety should always be a top priority. In the world of horse riding, one piece of equipment that plays a significant role in ensuring safety is the stirrup. Not all stirrups are made equal, though, and when it comes to …
Having a quality, properly fitting saddle is important no matter what type of riding you do. With so many different saddle brands out there, it can be hard to know which ones are the best. Based on personal experiences and the best online reviews, these are some of the best saddle brands on the market. …
If you love to trail ride, you’ll know comfort is key to a good ride. Finding a comfortable fitting saddle is not only important for you but also for your horse. Before you saddle up, you want to make sure that all your tack properly fits your horse. Ill-fitting tack can be uncomfortable and even …
The saddle is an essential piece of equipment required for riding. It provides comfort and security to the rider, allowing them to maintain a balanced position on their horse. Horse saddles come in different types with a variety of shapes, sizes and designs for different equestrian disciplines. The earliest saddles were no more than a …