Saddling and Behaviour of horses

TYPES OF SADDLES

The style of riding determines the type of saddle.

The basic types are western saddle and English saddle

Western saddle 

Western or stock saddles tend to be large and heavy. They are nearly impossible for youngsters to handle. However, they offer a great deal of security for the beginner.

Western saddles are saddles originally designed to be used on horses on working cattle ranches in the United States. Used today in a wide variety of western riding activities, they are the "cowboy saddles" familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on tourist trail rides.

The Western saddle has no padding of its own, and must be used with a saddle blanket or pad in order to provide a comfortable fit for the horse. It also has sturdier stirrups and uses a cinch rather than a girth.

Its most distinctive feature is the horn on the front of the saddle, originally used to dally a lariat when roping cattle

English saddle 

They are usually rather light and easily handle. This type of saddle allows the rider to sit closer to the horse, to feel the horse, and to communicate more readily with seat and legs.

The major distinguishing feature of an English saddle is its flatter appearance, the lack of a horn, and the self-padding design of the panels: a pair of pads attached to the underside of the seat and filled with wool, foam, or air.

However, the length and angle of the flaps, the depth of the seat and height of the cantle all play a role in the use for which a particular saddle is intended

PRINCIPLES OF SADDLE FITTING

The withers must not be pressed or pinched upon.

The spine must have no pressure imposed upon it

The shoulder blades must have free and unimpeded movements

The weight must not be placed on loins

The weight must be evenly disturbed over the weight bearing surface which extend from the play of the should to the last rib

The weight must be imposed on the ribs through the medium of muscles covering on them.

SADDLING

The horse should be groomed thoroughly to ensure that there are not sores on its back or in the cinch area. If there are saddle sores, extra padding or a girth pad should be considered and sufficient time should be given to the score to heal.

The blanket or saddle pad should have no wrinkles and offer adequate padding fo the horse. Some horse requires more padding them others, and some may require extra padding at their withers to prevent binding the shoulder. The saddle cinch (western) or girth (English) must be clean because dirty cinches or girths can cause saddle sores.

The saddle should be raised as high as possible and set it down gently on the horse’s back. This helps to prevent back soreness and helps assure the horse that the saddle experience is nothing to fear. Throwing the saddle onto the horse’s back can cause bruising and may aggravate any existing back problem.

The saddle should be placed properly. It should not be placed too far front, which may restrict the shoulder movement and may cause discomfort or too far back, which can cause kidney damage and sore backs.

For a western saddle, let the cinch and stirrup down, making sure they do not slam down on the horse’s side. For English saddles, hook the girth on one side. Never release the cinch and stirrup by pushing them ouver the saddle from the left side. This could hurt or startle the horse.

In western riding, with the left hand under the buckle to prevent pinching, tighten the cinch slowly, 1 or 2 inches at a time. In English slowly buckle the girth but not too tight. Tightening it too quickly can cause your horse to be ‘cinchy’ or irritable, during saddling. Some horse may even begin biting or rearing when you tighten the cinch if they anticipate discomfort. Tighten

the cinch until it is snug enough to hold the saddle on the horse. It tightened more before ridding.

For unsaddling, the process should be reversed

BEHAVIOUR OF HORSE

The horse is a herd animal and needs to be able to communicate with other members of the herd.

Of course, horses do not have philosophical discussions, but they do need to convey basic emotions, such as fear, and to establish a hierarchy of dominance without resorting to violence.

Domestic horses treat us as members of their herd, so they use the same body language with us.

Signs of happiness

A contented horse is not worried about any other horses that may be around. It shows off its best features by carrying its head high and holding its tail up, and tends to make
its movements more extravagant than usual.

In the field, horses like company, they are usually pleased when they see a human being whom they recognize and trust. They will approach you without fear, rather
than running away from you.

In the stable If a horse wants to be left alone to enjoy a rest, it will turn away from other horses. A stabled horse may turn its back to the door to show you that it does not want to talk.