Can someone help me learn some western horse tack info?

Question

ok, so i have been riding for about a year now and i have decided that it is time for me to learn about the types of tack. like bits, i know certian names of bits, but i not sure how to clasifiy them as a hard or soft bit and how to know if a horse needs a diffrent one. also what are all the types of bits? then there is saddles. what types of saddles are out there? what classifies them as that type of saddle? how can you tell if the saddle is pinching the horses back? how can you tell what type of saddle a horse would need? how do you know what type of saddle would fit a horse? please tell me all that you know about tack. thankyou!

Answer 1

Look up bits on Wikipedia. There are some really good articles on bits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snaffle_bit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_%28hors...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackamore

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 2

Holy cow toby!  You better slow down - you just asked a whole bookful of questions that can't be answered here with short answers.

Bits - the very best connection I can give you about bits and how they work is www.mylerbitsusa.com.  There is a video/DVD and book available from Myler that is very good.  I believe the book/video combo runs about $24.  There are literally hundreds of different western bits that all work differently - way too many to cover here.  Bits, english or western, all do the same thing and should be viewed as communication tools, never mechanical control devices.

The Myler video will also teach you how to pick out different types of bit resistance to help you learn what the best bit would be.

There are also many different types of saddles and often their names tell you waht they do - Reining saddles, cutting saddles, trail saddles and roping saddles to name only a few.  they all are created differently to allow optimum movement for different thing.  I suggest you go to a western saddle dealer and discuss this with them to learn more.  If you're any where near Michigan and can get to the store where I work, a half hour would fill your brain with info overload on this stuff.

Saddle fit is a whole other science - and this can't be taught as well in this forum as it can in person.  Basically, a western saddle needs to be the right length so it doesn't impede the horse's movement of his hind quarters, it needs to have a narrow enough gullet that it won't push down on his withers and yet be wide enough to allow shoulder movement.  The twist and pitch of the bars in a western saddle are usually what create the fit of the saddle to the horse.

The type of saddle needed depends first on what type of riding you will do - are you a trail rider or a rider in a certain discipline like reining, cutting or roping.  These are the first questions.  The next questions we ask regard the breed of the horse and it's age.  After we establish the proper saddle for the particular horse and the type of saddle for the discipline, then we fit that saddle to the rider in seat size and type of pommel or height of cantle.

I would suggest you start getting some books and videos on tack basics - and that you attend all horse expos and clinics you can. The information you are seeking CAN be given to you in a full dose, but you'd be pretty overwhelmed I think.  Take each part of the question and focus on it at one time.  This knowledge takes many people many years to accumulate - and for them to actually understand what they are told.  Even if you were to attend a clinic that covered all these things, you'd need to brush up now and again because there's so much - if you only remembered say 60% (because people rarely remember everything from a clinic), that would be good but there's still info you would need.

I would be happy to interface with you away from this forum to try to give you answers in small bunches with words via email of you wish - but I don't think here is the best place to answer all these questions - you really need a lot of information here.

Answer 3

Western saddles can be comfortable but sometimes they do hurt your back. You can tell when a saddle is pinching a horse when the horse acts abnormal. Any saddle would suit any horse. The only thing that matters with a saddle is that it fits correctly and that it sits in the right position on the horses back and that the rider feels comfortable.

Answer 4

lets start simple... bits:

You have a few different types.

Hackamores - http://www.hippos.fi/hippos/raviurheilu/... bitless bridles but still classed as bits.

Snaffles - the kindest bits, they are soft and gentle because they have no shanks or curbs all these are snaffle bits - http://www.aerso.ca/snaffles.gif

Pelhams - you can tell from looking at it that it is harsher than the snaffle but not the harshest. http://img.inkfrog.com/pix/equestrian72/... it has short shanks, and a curb chain so it will apply pressure to the poll, nose and chin as well as the bars of the mouth. you Usaully need double reins with these.

Then you have bits like the dutch gag (http://www.eclipse-equestrian.com/acatal... which are ajustable simply by taking the rein out of one ring and putting it in another. This bit's harshness depends on which hole you have it on e.g the first hole (the big one) eill be very soft only applying pressure to the bars of the mouth wheras on the last hole, it would be almost as harsh as a pelham.

for western riding, bits often have long shanks and curbs for control when needed http://www.chicksaddlery.com/Merchant2/g... and the rider would only apply a tiny bit of pressure on the reins but now, western riders are so in touch with their horses they use bosals http://www.chicksaddlery.com/Merchant2/g...

Hard or Soft?

the main way to determin a hard bit from a soft one is to look at it. Does it have long shanks? does it have a curb chain? is it jointed or straight? if it is all of these - it is a hard bit. if it only has long shanks (like the dutch gag/some western bits) it is in the middle. if it is a snaffle, it will be soft and so on.

it is also all to do with leverage. when you pull on the reins will it apply pressure to more than one part?

How do I know if My Horse Needs a Different Bit?

you need to ask yourself some questions:

1. Can you bring him back to walk quickly from gallop?

2. Is he tossing his head?

3. does he open his mouth when you pull on the reins?

4. is he reluctant when you put the bridle on?

if the answer to any of these is yes, then he needs a new bit.

maybe the bit is too strong for him, maybe its not strong enough.

Please e-mail me if you want more, i hope i have helped.

Answer 5

well buying saddles if you want to buy one look on the web , you need to take measurements of the horse and you need to have a numnah or saddle pad as so it does not hurt the horses back , i just recently got a book out of the libary about horses called :Riding (Eyewitness Companions) , it gives you directions about tack , english and western , it shows tack andhow to put on the tack , horse care and lots of interestiing thigs to learn ,talk to your local saddlers if you are worried about the saddle.

all the best for you and your horse!

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