Horses

A German martingale (also called a Market Harborough) is a training device that uses leverage to encourage a horse to lower its head and flex its neck. It consists of a leather fork that runs from...

Fitting an English saddle girth is an easy task that is worth the effort as it saves the trouble of arriving at a stable to ride and discovering that the girth is too short or long. Without a...

If you want to know how to properly put on a western saddle, read on. **I am not responsible for any injuries that might occur after the reading of this article!**

Riding in your English saddle builds up sweat and dirt on the saddle that needs to be thoroughly cleaned off before the leather is damaged. Wiping off your tack after use is a good way to keep...

Riding horses can be an extremely relaxing way to de-stress and pass the time. Saddling up requires a certain level of skill, however, and if a saddle is not cinched up properly it could lead to a...

Hooking your miniature horse to a cart for driving is easier than it looks. Whether you are getting ready to go into the show ring, driving obstacles, or just taking a trip down the lane at home...

The proper way to cinch a saddle is by lifting the stirrup and placing it over the seat of the saddle before reaching across to the girth in order to place the bottom straps down through the reign...

In order to canter on a horse, shift the outside leg behind the girth and start by going to a sitting trot. Canter on horseback after becoming comfortable with posting and sitting the trot, with...

Fit an English saddle on your horse by placing saddle pads on whithers, moving the saddle onto the spine and attaching the girth. Learn to fit an English saddle on a horse with tips from an...

Tacking up a horse involves placing the saddle on a horse's back, attaching the girth and securing the bridle. Tack up a horse with tips from an equestrian team coach in this free video on...

When mounting a horse, tighten the girth, hold on to the reins and put the left foot in the stirrup. Mount a horse in the proper position with tips from an equestrian team coach in this free video...

When you purchase a new saddle, it may be unassembled, with various pieces such as the stirrups, leathers and girth packaged separately. You'll need to know how to put them together so you can...

By now you've probably ridden a horse before, but now you'd like to be able to prepare that horse to be ridden without the help of someone else. Follow these simple steps and you should be ready...

Ever curious how saddling a horse is done? Follow these easy steps so you can learn how to saddle a horse.

All horses are not created equal. Even when you think that two look like an identical size, the chances are pretty good that they will need two different sized Western cinches.

English saddles come in many varieties, with the all-purpose saddle being one of the most popular. All-purpose saddles are well suited for a variety of horses and activities, making them a widely...

Riding horses is fun and great exercise but it is important to do it safely. One of the most important and basic steps of riding is to saddle and girth your horse properly. Here are some tips on...

In this article, you will learn how to safely train your horse to accept a saddle for the first time.

There are a thousand ways to ride a horse, but one thing most of the styles of riding have in common is some form of saddle. Horses are not born with the knowledge of carrying a saddle, and so,...

Learn how to clean and store the saddle and girth and how to tack up a horse in this free video on horse care and riding.

Learn how to undo and remove the girth and saddle and how to tack up a horse in this free video on horse care and riding.

Learn how to attach the girth to a horse and how to tack up a horse in this free video on horse care and riding.

Learn how to mount and dismount a horse in this free video clip. Horse safety and care tips from a professional rider.

Learn how to fit your horse with an English saddle in this free video clip about the proper tightness of the girth.

Learn how to fit your horse with an English saddle in this free video clip about how to attach the girth of an English saddle.

One of the first steps in making your horse a productive member of the equine family is teaching them to accept the saddle. A horse is not safe enough for a rider to mount until they tolerate the...

One of the most important things to do when you're saddling a horse is to make sure that the cinch is properly tightened. Tightening the girth of a western saddle keeps you and your horse safe.

"Girthy" horses and ponies can try your patience and be dangerous to work around, but usually with patience and trial and error you can find a girth that they will not object to. Once you have...

Horses are beautiful creatures but they require maintenance--feed, medication, and so on. To plan a horse's upkeep, it is helpful to determine its weight. Lacking a gigantic scale, however, use a...

Side-reins are a great tool to use to teach a horse to go into a frame without fighting with human hands. Side reins loop onto the girth and are attached to the bit. Lunging a horse in...

Riding a horse bareback improves your horsemanship. Bareback riding can be uncomfortable for you if your horse has a prominent back bone and for the horse if you are riding for long or bouncing...

Do you devote a good deal of time and attention to tacking your horse correctly only to find your arrangement disheveled by the time you get to your lesson? Or perhaps it all looks good, but...

After a lot of time, trial and research, you have finally found the perfect saddle. It fits you and your horse perfectly and you want to make sure it stays serviceable for a long, long time. The...

You've done the hard part, you've figured out all the pieces of the harness and fitted all the pieces on to your horse correctly. The open road awaits. He's waiting there patiently in harness, now...

Whether you ride English or Western, your girth or cinch is an important part of your tack. It keeps your saddle securely on your horse and you firmly on top of the saddle. A properly-fitted girth...

Knowing your foal's weight is not only important for monitoring his health and condition, but it is essential for safely administering any medications and/or dewormers. Estimating a foal's weight...

There are many things that can cause a horse to drop weight, such as parasites, stress and sickness, but most often it is related to feeding. Since hay and grain are fed by weight, it's important...

The leg yield is one of the easiest lateral exercises for a horse to do. While walking forward, the horse moves to the side by crossing his legs and keeping his body straight. The leg yield lays...

This article explains how to tack a horse up properly and safely using english tack

Ready to ride? First make sure your horse is ready, too.

Saddling your horse takes just a few minutes but is a very important part of the pre-ride preparation.

The canter, or lope, is the fastest of the three gaits. It's a three-beat gait where in one stride the horse's hooves will strike the ground three times.

Tacking a horse includes grooming and putting on the riding equipment. Do it right and both you and the horse will be happier during your ride.

Nonverbal communication is key when directing a horse. Here's how to be convincing while in the saddle.