Tack for Sale-What Will I Need? Where Do I Find It?

Basic equipment that a rider would use includes saddles, saddle blankets, reins, bridles and stirrups, and different kinds of bits for controlling the horse. There is also tack for specialized competition use, tack for pulling equipment like carriages, as well as tack for training young horses. The Saddle There are several styles of saddles. In English and the Australian saddles the rider rides on the forward part of the saddle. English saddles are used in competitions because they allow for a greater freedom of movement. The Australian saddle is simply an English saddle customized for the harsher environment of Australia. The Western saddle was designed to be ridden in for many hours at a time. The rider rides on the back of the saddle. The horn, the knob on the front of the saddle, was used by cattle ranchers to rope cattle for control. It is still a feature, although the majority of Western saddle users will probably never use it. A saddle blanket is placed under both types to cushion the saddle, protect the horse's back and absorb sweat. Bits Bits are usually made of metal and placed in the horse's mouth to help the rider communicate with the horse. There are hundreds of different types, but two basic kinds are the snaffle and curb. Snaffle bits are traditionally used with younger horses and generally apply the least amount of pressure; however, many horses do well with these bits their entire lives. There are several variations of snaffle. Curb bits are different because they use a lever type action to apply much more pressure, as much as four times as much as a snaffle bit. The mouthpiece has a long shank on each side with a ring at the top and the bottom. A bridle or curb chain is attached to the upper, a rein to the lower. This allows the shank to move back and forward, applying pressure not only to the mouth but also to the poll (the area behind the ears). Curb bits also have different variations. Any bit can be modified by adding copper rollers to the mouthpiece. Contact with the tongue causes the horse to salivate, which tends to calm the horse. Other Tack The other basic items are the bridle, straps of leather fastened around the head of the horse. One end is connected to the bit. Reins, usually made of leather, though sometimes of rope, are connected to the other end of the bridle. The rider tells the horse to move left or right by pulling on that corner of the mouth. Stirrups are metal supports for the rider's feet. They are attached to the saddle with leather straps. Additional equipment a rider might need includes whips or crops, protective head gear and spurs, metal attached to the heel of the boot for added control of the horse. Horse tack can be found at tack stores and online.