Tack is the equipment used to get a horse ready for riding unless you are riding bareback. For English riding, it usually consists of a saddle blanket, a saddle, bridle, a girth, and possibly a martingale and boots. Learn the perfect way to get your horse ready to ride if you are a beginner or novice.

1. Tie your horse with cross ties, or if you have to, on a hitching post. Always use quick release “slip knots” if tying, and quick release snaps. It is always better to have to chase your horse down than to have the horse get hurt if it gets hung up in the rope.
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   Brush the horse. This can be a full groom, or just brush where the tack is going to go, and pick out the feet. When you groom, check the horse for lumps, bumps, swelling and heat that could mean your horse is unsound.

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   Put on the saddle pad/blanket/cloth (really, it’s whatever you want to call it). Place it on the horse’s withers, a bit higher up than normal. Slide it down a bit, so all the fur on the horse’s body is going in the direction of the saddle and the pad under it.

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   Place the saddle gently on the horse’s back. It should sit in the middle of the saddle pad. Again, make sure it doesn’t interfere with the horse’s shoulder. If it is sitting correctly, most of the time there will be a thin strip on the saddle pad that the saddle sits straight above, and should be coming out from directly underneath the pommel. Take note to also lift the top of the blanket (pad) into place, where the pommel on the saddle is. It’s easiest to lift both blanket AND saddle up, so they can come down gently from a few centimetres above the withers.

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   Put on his cinch or girth. Some horse bloat, so take this into account, if he is known to do this, tighten it gradually on both sides when he exhales so he can’t do this and tighten it again prior to mounting. Ideally, you should have the girth about 3/4 as tight as you prefer it. If using breast strap, or rear cinch, now is the time to position them. Move your horse at least three steps, forward or back. Tighten the cinch or girth again and do so gradually.

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   Put on the horse’s boots. If you ride English then you will either need boots or polos.

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   Unbuckle the cross ties. Put the reins over the horse’s head. This is so they don’t get tangled in all the other straps on the bridle.

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   Put the bit in the horses mouth. Put a finger on each side of the bit and gently push against the horse’s mouth. It’s also a good idea to put your thumbs in the very corner of the horse’s mouth, where he has no teeth.

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   Put the crown/headpiece of the bridle over the horse’s ears (some put in the farthest ear first, so the ear nearest to you can easily slide over, in comparison to doing it the other way around).

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    Buckle the throat latch/throatlash. When you buckle it you should be able to put four fingers in between the throat and the throat latch.

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    Buckle the chinstrap. You should be able to fit onsnug.

A horse wearing his bridle.

When riding, a bridle provides you with the ability to control the horse to a certain degree. Bridling can be hard at first, but it is actually quite easy to do. Part of successfully bridling a horse is to take care that the bridle does not cause discomfort to the horse. This article takes you through the steps required.
Note: This article demonstrates how to fit a full size bridle. Bridles generally come in three sizes: Pony, cob, and full size.

1. Prepare yourself by gathering the bridle. Put on your riding helmet at this stage for saf

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   Measure the bridle.

   Measure the bridle.

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     Begin by undoing the keepers on the bridle.

     Begin by undoing the keepers on the bridle. Don’t undo all of them unless you are going to clean it. Only undo the cavison (part that straps on jaw) and the cheekpiece.

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     Place the appropriate sized bridle against the side of your horse’s head.

     Place the appropriate sized bridle against the side of your horse’s head. This is to roughly assess the height of the bit and to make sure that when you do put the bridle on, it will not pull on his mouth and hurt him.

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     If the bit is too high, or too low, adjust the cheek straps to the approximate, correct height.

     If the bit is too high, or too low, adjust the cheek straps to the approximate, correct height.

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     Place the bridle against his head once more.

     Place the bridle against his head once more.

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   Try the bridle on.

   Try the bridle on. Position yourself next to the horse’s shoulder on the near (left) side.

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     Hold the reins in your left hand and the headstall in your right hand.

     Hold the reins in your left hand and the headstall in your right hand. Slide the reins of the bridle over the horse’s head. Pass the bridle under the horse’s chin to rest on his nose. It helps to hold the cavison away to give the horse a better chance not to take the leather straps with the bit.

   • Offer the bit. Lay the reins across the horse’s neck and put the bit mouthpiece in your left hand. Open the mouth by working your thumb into the corner of the mouth until he opens it – your goal is to apply some pressure downward on the mandible. One trick is to push the horse’s lip in under your thumb to protect your thumb from being bitten (horse may bite you, but won’t bite themselves). A horse may not accept the bit if it is very cold so try warming the bit in your hands first to make the bit more welcoming.
   • Draw up the headstall. Take care not to click the metal bit mouthpiece on the horse’s teeth as you draw up the headstall.
   • Place the headstall over the ears, gently pushing the ears into the ear loops and pulling away any forelock. Put the near ear under the headstall first, then the far ear. That way, if the near ear hurts and they pull away or act afraid in any way, you can walk to the other side of your horse and put that second ear through the headstall. This will help avoid your horse jerking away from the far ear and hitting you.
   • It is best if you can do this without removing the halter until you are certain that your horse will accept a bridle being put on in place without being secured. Slip the halter off once the bridle is in place.
   • Check the fit of the bridle as outlined in the following steps.
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   Measure the height of the bit.

   Measure the height of the bit. Open your horse’s mouth. The bit should be resting on the corners. If not, shorten the cheek pieces to the precise height.

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     Adjust the cheek piece on the other side as well, so that they are both level.

     Adjust the cheek piece on the other side as well, so that they are both level.

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     A good indication to show that you have correctly fitted the bit, is a wrinkle around the mouth, when he has it closed.

     A good indication to show that you have correctly fitted the bit, is a wrinkle around the mouth, when he has it closed.

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   Measure the width of the bit.

   Measure the width of the bit.

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     Place a thumb on either side of the bit rings.

     Place a thumb on either side of the bit rings. There should be a thumb’s distance either side of the mouth.

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   Measure the throat latch.

   Measure the throat latch. The throat latch strap is normally attached to the head piece. It is always done up on the left hand side. It should be loose.

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     Once fastened, you should be able to fit four fingers or a fist between the throat area and the lash.

     Once fastened, you should be able to fit four fingers or a fist between the throat area and the lash. This is to make sure that there is no interference with the horse’s breathing.

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   Fit the caveson noseband.

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     The noseband should be at a height where you can fit two fingers under the projecting cheek bone.

     The noseband should be at a height where you can fit two fingers under the projecting cheek bone. If it is too low, adjust the fastening to the correct height.

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     Check once more with your fingers.

     

     Check once more with your fingers. When the noseband is fastened, you should be able to fit two fingers inside. This allows the horse to relax his jaw when ridden.

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   Check the brow band.

   Check the brow band. This should fit snugly around his head. It should never be too tight as this would pull the head piece forwards and pinch the horse’s ears. The brow band should not be too loose either – otherwise it could slip backwards.

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   Fit the reins.

   Fit the reins. The reins should be the correct length for the size of your horse.

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     When you take up the rein contact, with your horse’s head in his normal ridden position, the spare ends should not interfere with the foot or stirrup.

     When you take up the rein contact, with your horse’s head in his normal ridden position, the spare ends should not interfere with the foot or stirrup. If the reins are too short, your horse cannot stretch and relax.

   • Hold the reins in place while undoing the halter and removing it.
    Tips

• When you are buying a new bridle, it’s best to always have a few holes extra to be able to adjust shorter or longer as leather stretches in time. Or you may need to change the horses bit at some point.
• Horses tend to accept the bit more easily if they associate it with something good such as a treat or a good taste, so try putting some honey or rubbing a mint on the bit to help the horse accept it.
• When putting your finger in the horse’s mouth, push it towards the back where there are no teeth, so that the horse cannot bite you. When you press down, the cue will make him open his mouth.
• If you have a horse that is causing you trouble, for example, holding his head high, squeeze the base of his ears and he should lower his head. If he doesn’t, put your hand on the bridge of his nose, and behind the base of his ears, and shake his head gently and say “Down” firmly. He should respond.

• Horses can sometimes be unpredictable animals. If you are bridling one, you are dealing with its teeth, so take care.
• Do not let your reins lie on the ground, because if the horse steps over them, he could become quickly entangled, putting you and the horse in danger.
• Never tether a horse using a bridle. Leather is not strong enough to withstand a horse pulling against it and if the bridle snaps, the metal pieces on it can become dangerous.
• Try not to walk behind a horse, unless you are keeping a safe distance. When picking it’s hooves keep to the side of the horse.