&the tack. nf

[kiwi »]

General Tack:

Halter -

A halter (occasionally headstall) consists of a noseband and headstall that buckles around the horse's head and allows the horse to be led or tied. The lead rope is separate, and it may be short (from six to ten feet, two to three meters) for everyday leading and tying, or much longer (up to 25 feet) for tasks such as for leading packhorses or for picketing a horse out to graze. Some horses, particularly stallions, may have a chain attached to the lead rope and placed over the nose or under the jaw to increase the control provided by a halter while being led. Most of the time, horses are not ridden with a halter, as it offers insufficient precision and control. Halters have no bit.

Lead Rope -

used to lead an animal such as a horse. Usually, it is attached to a halter. The lead may be integral to the halter or, more often, separate. When separate, it is attached to the halter with a heavy clip or snap so that it can be added or removed as needed. A related term, lead shank or lead chain refers to a lead line with a chain attached that is used in a variety of ways to safely control possibly difficult or dangerous horses if they will not respond to a regular lead.

English Tack:

Saddle -

specifically developed to allow the horse freedom of movement, whether jumping, running, or moving quickly across rugged, broken country with fences. There is no horn like there is on a western saddle.

Girth -

a piece of equipment used to keep the saddle in place on a horse or other animal. It passes under the barrel of the equine, usually attached to the saddle on both sides by two or three leather straps called billets. For horses on which the saddle sits nicely, neither slipping forward or back, the first and third billets should be used. On horses where the saddle slips back, the first and second billets should be used.

Stirrups -

supports for the rider's feet that hang down on either side of the saddle. They provide greater stability for the rider but can have safety concerns due to the potential for a rider's feet to get stuck in them. If a rider is thrown from a horse but has a foot caught in the stirrup, they could be dragged if the horse runs away.

Bridle -

English Bridles have a noseband and are seen in English riding. Their reins are buckled to one another, and they have little adornment or flashy hardware.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PARTS OF THE SADDLE.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PARTS OF THE BRIDLE.

Western Tack

Saddle -

used for western riding and are the saddles used on working horses on cattle ranches throughout the United States, particularly in the west. They are the "cowboy" saddles familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on trail rides at guest ranches.

Cinch -

attaches to the saddle by means of a latigo on either side. The latigo is a wide, flexible leather strap, usually of leather, though nylon webbing is also seen. The latigo is attached to the off (right) side of the saddle at the saddle's cinch ring or "dee ring", doubled in thickness and knotted or buckled to the cinch, usually kept attached to both cinch and saddle at all times, except to make fitting adjustments. The latigo on the near (left) side is attached to the saddle at all times, but the loose end is used to secure the saddle for riding by running it through the left cinch ring one or more times, back through the saddle's dee ring, and then finally buckled or knotted when tight. It is loosened and removed from the cinch to take off the saddle.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PARTS OF THE WESTERN SADDLE.