For many families horseback riding is a very fun filled activity. Whether you ride in competition or just for pleasure you always need to have equipment for riding horses. Before you actually ride you have to prepare your horse. For success in gearing a horse to ride, you should follow a simple process of grooming, saddling, and bridling your horse.
First of all, you need to groom the horse successfully by using a soft brush and a hair brush. The soft brush is used for the body of the horse. When brushing the horse use soft stokes to get dirt or anything else off the animal. Be careful with your strokes so the horse doesn't shy away from the brush. Once the horse's body is brushed you then brush their mane and tail. Brush it like you would brush your own hair. Try not to pull it too much while making your strokes. In some cases when the hair is very tangled you may need to use some detangler gel. When you complete this process the horse is now ready to be saddled. .
Secondly, you will need to secure a saddle on your horse before you ride. The first step of this process is to put the proper padding on the back of the horse. If you don't have enough padding under the saddle it will rub on the horse's withers and cause them to get sore. Once the pads are centered on the horse's back you gently set the saddle on top of the pads. Be careful and gentle when doing so because the horse could spook and pull back. Always tighten the front cinch first; after the front is secured move on to the back cinch. Before mounting your horse make sure to check how tight your saddle is fastened. It must be tight enough for you to put your weight in one stirrup and not tip to one side. Now that your horse is groomed and saddled you must have some way to guide your horse.
Last, you will secure a bridle on the horses head. The bridle is basically your steering wheel on a horse. It helps you make the animal stop, back up, and turn.