English Horse Tack Facts

English tack comes in many varieties, including saddles specially designed for jumping.

No longer exclusive to the British Isles, English tack facilitates many equine sports around the world. From steeplechases to park classes to cross-country eventing, English saddles and bridles put horse and rider in close contact so that they can work efficiently as a team.

Saddles

English saddles keep a rider's seat and legs in close contact with the horse.

English saddles come in many types, but all serve a common purpose: helping riders work closely with their horses. Stirrups hang from slender, loose stirrup leathers, which allows riders to move their legs freely. Saddle seats fit snugly on horses' backs, giving both horses and riders a good feel for each other's movements. The panels that hang down horses' sides feature knee rolls designed to position riders properly for specific sports. Girths wraps around the horses' bellies like a belt.

Usually leather, saddles also come in durable synthetic fabrics.

Bridles

English bridles feature a noseband for extra stability.

Comprising the head-framing headstall, noseband, throatlatch and reins, tidy-looking English bridles may be used interchangeably between many types of riding, although sport-specific styles exist and are required in competitions. Variations on basic English bridles include dropped and figure-eight nosebands, as well as many types of reins, such as flat, braided, web, rubber and double.

Like saddles, English bridles are most commonly made of leather, but also come in synthetic fabrics such as nylon.

Bits

With English bits, the reins usually attach to a ring at either side of the bit.

Frequently smaller than their Western counterparts, English bits connect horses' mouths to riders' hands via the reins. Most English bits require that riders keep the reins taut at all times. Bit types include the common snaffle and its variations--loose ring, D-ring, full cheek, eggbutt--and the pelham and kimberwick.

Saddle Attachments

Martingales help keep the saddle in place.

Saddle attachments, such as martingales, help keep saddles steady and centered. Seen commonly on jumping horses and racehorses, martingales are especially important in sports involving fast, jerky movements.

Other Accessories

Blinkers keep the horse's gaze forward, eliminating potential distractions.

Sport-specific accessories include blinkers, commonly seen on racehorses and carriage horses, and boots and leg wraps designed to protect jumping or racing horses' legs.

Some accessories run the gamut of English equestrian sports, such as saddle pads, placed between saddles and horses' backs as a cushion.

References

• Equisearch: Types of Bits
• Equisearch: Saddle Facts
• All Horses: Buying Guide to Bridles