Shops, both brick-and-mortar and online, are full of equipment and accessories for horse riding. Their choice can be a little overwhelming, especially for beginner equestrians. If you are wondering what equipment is absolutely essential for your horse and what you can possibly buy later (or not at all), in this post we will try to explain it.
How to choose equipment for your horse?
A large part of horse equipment is relatively universal and will be able to serve any horse. This type of basic equipment includes, for example, lead ropes, lunge lines, brushes and other grooming accessories. So when buying them, you can be guided only by your own taste or aesthetics. The next group is made up of things whose size can largely be adjusted, but you should at least roughly know the dimensions of the horse for which the given equipment will be intended. We are talking here, among others, about halters, rugs, saddle pads or boots. Most manufacturers use the designations pony (the smallest size), cob (the medium size) and full (the largest size) to specify the size. Sometimes we can also come across the designations 1, 2 and 3 or simply dimensions in centimetres.
The last group is made up of equipment that should only be bought when we know the horse’s dimensions, its anatomy and its needs, because poorly fitted it can do the horse harm. We are talking here above all about the saddle, the bridle and the bit.
What equipment is needed for horse riding?
To be able to start any work with a horse (even if at the beginning it were to be only groundwork) you will need a few basic pieces of equipment such as:
Halter – essential to lead the horse from place to place, to tie it up during grooming or to catch it in the paddock. The options are simple models made of durable webbing, halters with linings or soft inserts in the place where the halter exerts the greatest pressure, and leather halters.
Lead rope – a rope which, attached to the halter or bridle, allows us to lead the horse safely. When buying a lead rope, pay particular attention to the snap hook. So-called safety snap hooks, which unclip by themselves in the case of a strong jerk, are very popular. While in some situations this can protect the horse from injury, in the case where the lead rope is to be intended for a young horse that is only learning to be led, it is better to choose an ordinary snap hook.
A set of brushes – essential in every stable. A basic set is a curry comb, at least two brushes such as these (a soft and a hard one), a hoof pick, a sponge and a comb for the mane and tail. It is very important that every horse has its own set of brushes intended solely for it. This helps prevent the spread of diseases, mainly skin ones.
Lunge line and lunge whip – regardless of the stage of training your horse is at, lungeing will always be an important part of training. It may also happen that for various reasons the horse will not be able to be ridden under saddle for some time – lungeing will then help it get rid of excess energy. A special, long lunge whip will then also come in handy, thanks to which it is possible to give commands to a horse several metres away from us. If you would like to learn more about lungeing and the equipment intended for it, here we have posted more information on this subject.
If your horse is going to work under saddle, then apart from the things mentioned earlier you will have to add a few more things to this list, such as:
Saddle – without doubt one of the most important purchases for every rider. The type of saddle depends on the discipline and the style of riding you practise. The saddle should be comfortable for you, but more importantly, it should be fitted as well as possible to your horse and its anatomy. A good saddle will serve you for many years, which is why it is not worth saving money on this particular piece of equipment.
Saddle fittings – usually not included in the price of the saddle and have to be bought separately. Saddle fittings are above all the girth, stirrups and stirrup leathers. Regardless of which discipline you practise, it is worth investing in safety stirrups, which will not allow your foot to get jammed in the stirrup in case of a fall.
Bridle – here too the choice is very large. A bridle can be made of leather or of synthetic material. The key thing here is choosing the right size, so that the bridle sits well on the horse’s head, but does not press on the sensitive ears or the strongly innervated mouth. Reins are also necessary for a bridle, and they are rarely sold as a set. Here you can read more about how to choose the right reins and how the individual models differ. Depending on the horse’s build and temperament, you may also need auxiliary reins such as a running martingale or a breastplate, which will help keep the saddle in the right place.
Bit – an indispensable part of most bridles (although there are also bitless bridles). If you are not sure which bit will be suitable for your horse, it is best to choose a relatively gentle and universal bit such as, for example, a double-jointed egg-butt.
Saddle pad – we place a saddle pad or pad between the saddle and the horse’s back. Its task is cushioning, protecting the horse’s skin from chafing and absorbing sweat. It is important that, like the Balotade saddle pads, it is made of a material that will absorb moisture well. For a saddle pad to fulfil its function well, it must be kept clean and washed regularly. That is why it is best to have at least two saddle pads to alternate.
Boots/bandages – essential if your horse is shod and/or you intend to jump obstacles on it. Boots protect the horse’s legs, in particular the tendons, from mechanical injuries, being struck by poles or catching with its own horseshoe. In one of our previous posts, which you will find here, we have posted a short guide to training boots.
If the horse is going to be transported, it is also worth getting travel boots and a tail guard protecting the tailbone.
