What you will need when starting to learn horse riding

Horse riding is a popular pastime with many young children, many go on to take up horse riding in one of the many forms of professional horse riding whether that is horse racing, dressage or any other equestrian event. In the UK it is one of the most popular sports with members of the royal family even competing at an Olympic level!

Learning to ride a horse can be tricky though, it can take a few lessons to gain the knowledge and skills required in order to control the horse. It can also be a very dangerous sport as many people have been seriously injured after falling or being thrown from the saddle. It’s important then that for anyone wanting to take up horse riding they should get the right equipment and safety measures before getting in the saddle.

First of all you will need a riding helmet, a lot of movie stars are shown not wearing one but even professionals will wear a helmet as horse riding can be unpredictable and dangerous. People learning to ride should get a helmet that is both secure and comfortable to wear. Riding helmets can come in different colours which could make children more interested in wearing one as they can choose their favourite colour.

One other safety measure some riders wear, especially horse racing jockeys is a body protector, these look like bullet proof vests or under armour that American football players wear. The purpose of these is vital in horse racing as if the jockey falls off they could get trod on by the other horses. If you are learning to be a jockey or any other sport where there are a lot of other horses then a body protector may be what you need.

There are lots of other equipment specific to the horse such as saddles and bridles which you should be able to loan from your stables or riding centre. One part that is very important safety wise is the riding boot or shoe. The most important part of the shoe is how easily you can remove it from the stirrups on your saddle, in emergencies you will have to get your feet out of the stirrups in case of the horse’s weight falling on to your ankle and leg which could cause an injury.

Make sure you get the right safety equipment when learning to ride and you should be able to have a safe and enjoyable experience on horse back.

Horse equipment and accessories need not be incredibly expensive, buying horse tack online can save money as well as seeing a wide range of choice too.

All about Horse Tack – What you’ll need to ride a horse

Many people have liked the idea of horse riding, whether it is from seeing the big screen hero in an old western movie or the sport of equestrianism or horse racing on television. Horse riding has long been a popular past time for children and adults whether they own their own horse or ride horses at stables or riding schools.

One of the key things to sort out when taking up horse riding is arranging your tack, tack is the collective term for all the equipment you’ll need to fit onto the horse before riding it. This includes the saddle and reigns obviously but there are quite a few different pieces of tack that you may not be aware of, below is a list of some of the features you may need to buy if the stables or riding school does not have tack that you can loan.

Saddle

The saddle is probably the most important part of horse tack as it is what you use to sit on the horse and holds you secure on to the horse; the saddle will typically have attachments and variations depending on each model. Obvious ones are stirrups for placing your feet into but other attachments include saddle breastplates to stop the saddle from sliding sideways whilst riding.

Stirrups

The stirrups are a surprisingly important and potentially hazardous part of horse riding. You need to have stirrups that both hold your feet but also allow you to pull your feet away should you need to get off or if the horse falls. If your feet get stuck then the full weight of the horse could come crashing down on your leg which could break your foot.

Bridles and Halters

The headgear that the horse wears is what your reigns will be attached to, this is what allows you to control the horse and so is important to have. What is also important is that the bridle or halter is comfortable for the horse and not too tight or loose. Halters tend to be used for leading horses whereas bridles are used for driving or riding horses.

Harness

For horses being used with carriages or a cart a harness is needed, this is not necessarily something you will need for traditional horse riding but can be useful for moving heavy goods. A good harness should make light work of moving heavy objects and the horse shouldn’t have to struggle. It’s important to know your horse’s limits though and if they are struggling you should stop using the cart and harness.

To find the best deals on equestrian tack make sure you buy online for all your equestrian supplies