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. …
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:
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 …
Bitless bridles are an alternative to traditional bridles and are getting increasingly popular in equestrian circles. Many hobby riders use them to spare their horses from wearing a metal bit in their mouths. Bitless bridles have even made their way into Olympic disciplines, such as show jumping and eventing. What is a Bitless Bridle? A …
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. …
Saddles, particularly western saddles, can be rather heavy. Heavy saddles can be particularly difficult for petite adults with tall horses, as it can be hard to place a 30+ pound saddle on a 17 hand tall horse’s back. Both horses and riders can benefit from using lightweight saddles. The weight of a regular saddle can …
Saddle seat is a discipline that many people don’t know much about. It is an elegant style of riding popular among Saddlebreds, Morgans, Arabians, Friesians, Tennessee Walkers, and National Show Horses. The best saddle seat saddle brands include the Freedman’s, Shively, Lovatts & Ricketts, and Joseph Sterling. Their saddles are often built from high-quality leather …
When it comes to barrel racing, having the right equipment is very important. However, it can be stressful trying to find the right saddle. Fortunately, there are some great barrel racing saddles on the market. Some of the top brands to look out for include Circle Y, High Horse, American Saddlery, Reinsman, and Big Horn. …
Treeless saddles have been growing in popularity in the equestrian world as an alternative to traditional saddles with trees. Treeless saddles are lightweight and allow you to sit closer to your horse’s back, allowing for a better feel of your horse. If you ride with a treeless saddle, you will want to have a quality …
When it comes to treeless saddles, there is a lot of debate in the equestrian world about whether they are beneficial or not. Some people will only ride in treeless saddles, whereas others find them problematic for a horse’s back. Unlike traditional saddles that have a tree, which is often made of wood or fiberglass …
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 …
No matter your age or the discipline you ride, horse riding bareback can be a fun way to spend time with your horse. The key to a good ride is a quality bareback saddle pad. Bareback saddle pads allow for a more secure seat while bareback riding. They have a simple, contoured design that allows …
Before you hit the trails, you want to make sure you have all the proper equipment, and that includes a good quality saddle pad. To help you with your selection, we are sharing the best saddle pads for trail riding that will make for a happy horse. Though trail riding is often a relaxing way …
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 …
Many horse riders think that safety stirrups are for beginners and children, but the harsh reality is that none of us are safe from a fall. At any moment we are subject to a fall, and getting a foot caught in a stirrup would make a bad situation worse. Fortunately, there are several choices on …