Welcome, today we're going to be talking about horse riding gear and equipment for our horse.
I did a video talking about the rider which I'll leave linked down below.
There is so much equipment out there in the horse industry.
If you are a rider, it can be hard sometimes to choose what equipment to use,
should I go Bitless or ride with a bit? what kind of saddle should I be getting?
Today I'm going to be talking a little bit about my perspective and what I think
when it comes to equipment, and hopefully, that will be a help to you :)
So there are 3 things that I consider when choosing equipment, and these things are:
The effectiveness of that equipment, The comfort of it, and The safety of it.
The first piece of equipment we're going to talk about is the Bridle.
The function of a Bridle is to backup our seat and legs when riding a horse
to communicate different movements to them under saddle.
When it comes to choosing a bridle there's a huge array of options out there, tons of
different colors and styles, everything from Western to English, so many things
to think about and consider when picking out a bridle.
So you can ride in Bridles that are Bitless - as you can see Legend modeling here, or
you could ride in a Bridle with a Bit.
I've ridden in both bridles with a bit and bitless bridles and I found both
to be effective when it comes to communicating to my horse under saddle.
One of the big things to consider when it comes to the effectiveness of
any equipment you're using under saddle is the part the rider plays.
Understanding how to use the equipment is a big role in how effective it is :)
One of the other things that really make a bridle effective or ineffective, is the fit of the bridle.
If we have a bridle with a bit, or one without
that is fit incorrectly, it can cause confusion in the horse.
Both of these types of bridles work off pressure
Bitless bridles apply pressure to the bridge to the nose, to the jaw
and to the pole on the horse.
Depending on what type of bitless bridle you're riding in, a bridle with a bit works by
applying pressure to the palate, to the tongue, and to the bars of the mouth.
Thus, whenever riding a horse and applying pressure, we want to make sure we are applying
in the right areas so communication is clear, and our horses are comfortable.
Having a professional that is knowledgeable look at your bridle and make sure
it is a good fit will help with the effectiveness of a bridle :)
Now let's talk about the safety of a bridle.
When it comes to safety in all horse equipment, the first thing I recommend is checking equipment regularly.
When we have bridles that are tied together with leather, maybe they've got some
Chicago Screws holding them together, these can come loose and
we can end up having our bridle come apart when riding.
We always want to check horse equipment for wear or loosening pieces.
This will make sure everything is nice and secure before going to ride.
Another element of safety that I consider is the throat latch on the bridle so
I ask does the bridle have a throat latch?
Sometimes in the western industry, you'll have brands like this one that doesn't have a throat latch
I always like riding in a bridle - like this one - that has a throat latch because
it prevents the bridle from going over the horse's head.
When you're riding and you don't have a throat latch a bridle can end up going over the head, and you may end up riding bridleless before you're ready :)
So finally let's talk about the comfort of a bridle.
We all want our horses to be comfortable in equipment that they wear, and there are things
that influence comfort both in a Bitless Bridle and a Bridle with a Bit.
I'm going to break down each of these and talk to you about what makes one more severe or less severe.
The first question that I ask myself when considering the comfort of a bitless bridle is
how does it work?
Here we have a Mechanical Hackamore.
This has a Shank on it, you can see right here, and the shank gives the rider more leverage.
When they pick up the reins, the pressure being applied increases using the leverage of the shank and puts pressure on the nose.
Here is a standard Side Pole, which is basically a halter with rings on the side.
There is no leverage on this, which means when the rider picks up the reins, the amount of pressure being applied is the amount of pressure the horse feels.
When we look at these side by side, the Mechanical Hackamore is going to be more severe than the side pole.
The next thing that I think about when it comes to comfort is the thickness of the material that is used.
So here we have a bitless bridle that is a thinner material.
And here we have one that is a thicker material.
The thinner material is concentrating the pressure and applying it to a smaller surface area,
and this can make it more uncomfortable.
This thicker material is spreading the pressure over a wider surface area.
So this can make it more comfortable for the horse.
The next thing to consider when it comes to comfort is what material is the bitless bridle made out of.
Here we have a bitless bridle with rawhide on the nose.
And here we have a bitless bridle with thick leather on the nose.
So rawhide is a little bit harder material and is going to be a little bit more uncomfortable
than soft leather material will be.
Now let's talk about our bit and the comfort of a bridle with a bit.
This is a very complicated topic because there are tons of bits out on the market.
They all work differently, and each horse could be comfortable with a different type of bit.
Yet there is one general rule I follow when it comes to finding a comfortable bit for my horse
This is the thicker the bit, generally speaking, the more comfortable it is.
It is concentrating the pressure over a wider surface area.
A thin bit tends to be more uncomfortable because it is concentrating the pressure in a smaller surface area.
There are exceptions to this rule.
When it comes to finding the best possible bit for you and your horse that they're comfortable in
I always recommend consulting with a professional bit fitter.
This is someone who has dedicated a lot of their time and energy to the study
and the function of a bit. They can help you choose the best one for you and your horse.
So we've talked a lot about the comfort for a horse using a bitless bridle and one with a bit
I wanted to talk briefly about your HeadStall, it is this part of the bridle.
We have traditional headstalls like this, and we have
Anatomical headstalls like this. Anatomical headstalls are a bit newer to the horse industry in the last few years,
you don't see many of them on the market, but they're becoming more common.
These bridles alleviate pressure around the horse's nerves and give the horse more field of vision.
You can see how they are cut back here.
I'm personally always interested in making my horse more comfortable and I'm planning
on getting an Anatomical Bridle in the near future.
I'll share with you what my experience is when I get one.
Moving along we're going to talk about our reins.
The reins are attached to your bridle and
help you direct the horse when you're under saddle.
There is a huge variety of reins out on the market,
everything from leather, rubber, rope, and much more.
Now when it comes to the safety of reins you want to check them regularly.
Some reins are attached with a Chicago screw-like these reins.
This screw can come loose so you want to make sure it is tight, checking it daily.
Other reins are tied together like this pair.
You want to make sure that the tie is nice and tight, and the leather isn't wearing out.
Now I prefer buckle on reins, I find them to be really easy to change bridles with and
find them to be really durable.
Lastly, when it comes to the comfort of your reins and holding them, every pair
is a little different feeling.
If you can, go up to a local Tack Store and feel the reins.
It is good to make sure they are a good size for your hands and comfortable before getting
under saddle and using them at home.
So we have talked a lot about our bridle.
I broke this up into two parts to make it a little bit more digestible for you all.
So in the next part, I'm going to be talking about
saddles, saddle pads, stirrups, and more.
Stay tuned for that :) I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll see you in the next video!