Western & Horse News » Sports And Fitness

Western Saddles: 10 Most Common Replacement Parts

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:41:42 +0000

Beth Stefani asked:

With proper care, quality western saddles will last a lifetime. There are, however, a number of saddle parts that will have a shorter lifespan than the base saddle, or that may be replaced for personal preference reasons. The following are the ten most common western saddle replacement parts.

1. Cinches (Front and Flank). In addition to being cleaned regularly, cinches need to be inspected for wear and replaced when necessary. The front cinch, especially, is a crucial part that’s failure could cause a serious wreck.

2. Latigos (aka cinch straps). These straps take a lot of wear and can get worn relatively quickly with heavy use. You DO NOT want to be on a ride when your latigo breaks. Inspect and replace these relatively inexpensive straps regularly. A good way to test a leather strap is to try to tear it. If it tears, the leather is spent and should be tossed out.

3. Off billet. The off billet attaches the cinch to the saddle on the off (right) side. Like the latigo, it receives a lot of wear and needs to be inspected and replaced regularly for safety reasons.

4. Cinch Connecting Strap. This strap connects the front and flank cinches, holding the flank cinch in place. While it doesn’t receive a lot of wear, failure can cause the flank cinch to slip back and spook the horse. It’s a cheap part. Inspect it regularly and replace it when necessary. If you ride with a flank cinch, DO NOT ride without a cinch connecting strap in place.

5. Stirrup Leathers. Leathers receive a lot of wear and can wear out before the base saddle. Look for wear around the holes or where the hardware rubs against the leathers. Also try the “tear test” mentioned earlier.

6. Stirrup Hobbles. These straps hold together the fender extensions and the stirrup leathers so that the rider doesn’t catch his foot in between and get hung up. They are much more important than most riders realize. DO NOT ride without hobbles in place. Since hobbles are small and often removed to adjust stirrup length (although this isn’t necessary), they tend to “disappear” more than they wear out. Hobbles are another cheap part. Buy extras and have them on hand.

7. Saddle Strings. Additional saddle strings can be added to any saddle dees or rings. You can never have too many saddle strings to tie your gear on with.

8. Horn Wrap. If you’re a regular roper, you’ll need to replace your horn wrap often. Non-ropers will find that one will last the life of their saddle. Horn wraps come in a variety of leather and rubber materials and choice depends on personal preference.

9. Rope Strap. Like Horn Wraps, replacement of the rope strap will depend on use.

10. Stirrups Stirrups don’t tend to wear out. Most will last as long as the saddle. However, most riders have very specific preferences about their stirrups, so they are a very common replacement part. There are a wide variety of stirrups available in prices ranging from cheap to very pricey.

Whether due to wear or personal preference, there are a number of parts on a western saddle that you’ll probably replace at some point during its life. Most of these parts are relatively cheap and easy to replace. Make sure the key parts are inspected and replaced when necessary.

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Boarding Your Horse: What You Need to KNow

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 06:52:58 +0000

Susanne Malloy asked:

Unless you happen to live in a rural area, own a ranch or farm or have friends that do, you are likely going to have to stable or board your horse at a different location than where you live. The good think is that with so many people living in the city owning horses, there are typically professionally run and managed stables located within easy driving distance of most bigger towns and city. The cost of stabling or boarding your horse will vary on several factors including location, amenities and features offered by the stable.

The lowest cost stables will typically offer a box stall or a standard stall with a paddock or turn out pasture that the horse can have access to. Generally this turn out area will be for other horses as well, however you may be able to pay extra for a private pasture. As the owner you would be required to feed, water and exercise your horse as well as groom and provide all vaccinations and medical treatments. Keep in mind that if you provide your own feed you may also be charged a storage fee to have the hay or feed stored in the stable area. More costly stables may include heated box stalls, private paddocks or small pastures, feed and exercise services as well as on staff or on call farriers and vets. These deluxe stables may be cost prohibitive for many owners, but certainly provide the best care if the owner cannot tend to the horse every day.

If you travel a lot or can only ride occasionally, you may want to consider sharing your horse with another rider, splitting the cost of stabling, feed and care. This can be a wonderful option for your horse as he or she will get plenty of exercise and care from two loving owners. If you only ride during certain months due to business or school, leasing your horse to another person during the times you can’t ride can help cover the stable costs plus keep your horse well ridden and cared for. Leasing doesn’t transfer ownership of the horse and at the end of the lease the horse is returned to you.

If you are fortunate enough to live where you can keep your own horse and you have at least an acre of land, you can always build your own barn or even a lean-to that will provide shelter and safety for the horse. Under the best conditions the building should be fully sheltered and have a box stall, a straight stall and a separate and secure feed and tack room. Keeping the horse out of the feed is critical as overeating can cause colic and that can result in death.

The pasture or paddock area should be securely fenced with post and board fencing or special horse fencing, not barbed wire that can cause cuts or serious injuries if the horse’s leg or foot becomes tangled in the wire. The fence and posts need to be well maintained and strongly constructed, with any damage to the fence repaired immediately.

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How Saddle Club Games Offers Great Fun Stuff and Entertainment for Kids

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:20:54 +0000

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:

The Saddle Clue games offers great fun stuff and entertainment for kids. Their games are bought many kids who are fully crazy of horses. Such Horse Club Games are offered for kids of any age.

For small kids the simple and easiest games are offered by Saddle Club. The games are as follows.

Draw your own horse-

The drawing always gives fun. Kids wish to have a own horse and they demand it from their parents. For such kids, it is really exciting to make their own horse jut by drawing. It is quite difficult to draw animal figures on your won. But if you follow the drawing game of saddle club then it becomes easy.

The material required for drawing is pencil, colored pencils, felt-tip pen and rubber. The horse picture starts from drawing two circles. The front circle is bigger than the latter one. Then join them with each other with the use of lines. Go on drawing the head with triangular shape. The use of two small triangles is done for ears.

The sausage shape is used for legs. Use two sausages and attach small triangles for hoof. Make use of dot for nose and eye. The last step will be to highlight the horse with felt tip pen with curves.

Color-in Horse-

Then coloring is the next step in the above game as well as the new game. The colors can be used as per the type of horse like palomino, Chestnut or Appaloosa. The Saddle Club Games also include the color-in game in which you just have to fill the color in prints of horses. It is for those who can not draw the horse picture. They are very easy to do at home.

Saddle Club Board Game-

For other kids, a quite matured and funny game is the saddle club board Game. You can play the game at your place with friends and you can also own the horses like Carole, Lisa and Stevie. In this board game you have to take the way of jumping around the given route. You can collect the cards on jumping way and win the game. But the condition is that you should not lose the horseshoe and at the same time not to miss any jump.

The Saddle Club also introduces some new games in which you have to solve the mystery with your friend horse by taking jumps and bounces on the island. It is quite advance and fun game of saddle club.

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Top 10 Horse Riding Tips Series: How To Restore Equestrian Confidence By Keeping Fit

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:11:06 +0000

Margarethe De Clermont asked:

When you have had a bad fall, it can take a long time before you feel confident enough to get back on a horse. And so it should be, caution is the body’s way of protecting itself. But what do you do if you love horse and you love horse riding and you are yearning to get back in the saddle but your riding confidence is a rock-bottom low?

1. Maintain physical fitness, strength and suppleness

Start with what you have. Get fit. Lose any surplus weight that may have accumulated while you were laid up. Slowly build up your strength again and gradually regain your suppleness with stretches and yoga. If it was a severe injury, work with a professional, like a physiotherapist. You will automatically feel more confident when you are strong and fit

2. Eat a healthy diet. After an injury, you need to rebuild your physical strength. Eat enough, but not too much. Make sure you ingest all the vitamins you body needs while it is under all this physical and mental stress.

3. Limit alcohol, avoid drugs. Most horse riders know to avoid alcohol (and drugs, for the same reasons) if they plan to go anywhere near their horses. Be careful not to self-medicate with alcohol while you are feeling low and bored, it will not make you feel happier or better. You are only delaying the healing process; a very unwise approach indeed

4. Get enough sleep. When you sleep, your body takes time out to heal itself, physically and mentally. At no other time does your body need to recharge its batteries as desperately as after an injury. Invest in eight hours of deep, rejuvenating sleep a night, until you are fully restored.

5. Increase your body awareness. If you were injured physically, you probably have no difficulty paying attention to your body’s messages – especially the parts that were injured. Even if you did not sustain a serious injury, pay attention to what is going on inside you and in the immediate area around you. Rediscover your sense of touch and physical orientation. Body awareness is an essential attribute of all good riders.

6. Review your commitment to observe standard safety procedures. Always wear appropriate riding apparel, always check your equipment, always wear a helmet

7. Learn how to fall. Martial arts students spend a lot of time learning how to fall without injuring themselves. If you haven’t mastered this useful art yet, take some time to do so now. You will be investing in your future.

8. Get your timing right. Next time you ride, take all the variables into account. Don’t go riding if you are rushed, or feel under the weather, or have too many other things on your mind. Give your horse not only your time, but also your full attention.

9. Take the environment into account (as well as your horse’s reaction to the environment). Do not put either yourself or your horse at risk because you are desperate to go riding. Life’s too short.

10. Buy insurance, personal, horse and third party.

Make sure you are fully insured, and so is your horse. Last thing you need when you are recuperating from the physical and mental effects of a horse riding injury is to worry about doctor’s and/or vet’s bills.

So you see, there is a lot you can do to restore your confidence long before you gat back into the saddle. And doing something physical is good for your body and your mind. Once you are strong enough to start exercising again, remember exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural analgesic. So get out there and start mucking out those stables. It will cheer you up no end and in no time. (Just joking!)

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The Barrel Racing Saddle

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:41:34 +0000

Janine Carter asked:

Beginning a career in barrel racing is a great challenge for young as well as older horse riders. Getting the right saddle and tack is just the first step. As with all saddles, finding a good balance between quality, price and style requires research. Here we will look at the requirments that a barrel racer and his horse must have in order to compete with the professionals of today’s rodeo.

A barrell racing saddle is distinguished for the most part by it’s size and weight. It is built for speed, so being smaller and lighter than any other western saddle is a must to this end. The outer skirts are minimized in size and the tree is small and light-weight on a barrell saddle. Often these saddles result in an under 30 pound rig, making the horse work less and move faster. The rider must be balanced out with his or her saddle. Hanging on in tight turns around the barrels.

The racing saddle seat is constructed with a relatively flat seat, which provides the rider ease of movement to balance the horse in tight turns around the barrel. The cantle however and the pommel are high so as to give the rider a more secure ride as the higher cantle gives support to the riders back, keeping him deeper in the seat. The barrel saddle horn is made tall and narrow so the racer can grab on to it for lightening speed sprints to the gate at the end of the race. It is easier to keep a boot in a stirrup that is narrow, thus the barrel saddle has a more narrow tread to keep booted feet tight in. Also, because of possible brushing against or hitting barrels in tight turns, the stirrups are often covered with rawhide, which is more resistant to scrapes than softer leather. To produce the most balance for the rider, the fenders on this rig are free-swinging for ease of movement so the rider can keep his or hers legs directly under their bodies at all times.

The summary of the barrel saddle is simple. It is a saddle that is built tough to be able to withstand the rigors of speed, tight turns and possible scraping against obstacles while being as light as possible. This saddle also must keep the rider feeling well balanced, safe and secure so as to maximize confidence in the fact that he or she won’t fall off their horse around a turn. Each rider is timed by a clock to determine the winner and every one-hundreth of a second counts.

If you have any questions on Horse supplies or J9 Farm Supplies, please call 979-221-7251. Our home office is located in Waller, Texas, with warehouses located throughout the United States such as Dallas TX, Houston TX, New York NY, Denver CO, Chicago ILL, Seattle WA, Kansas City MO, Miami FL, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, San Diego CA, Little Rock AR, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix Arizona, Dallas TX Texas.

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Horse Saddle Tack

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:06:16 +0000

Janine Carter asked:

The Western Saddle is used for “western riding” and is the saddle used on working horses on cattle ranches throughout the United States and especially in the west. The “cowboy” saddles are familiar to rodeo fans and movie goers and to those who have gone on trail rides at guest ranches. The Western Saddle was designed to allow the cowboy comfort and security during long hours of work herding cattle in a time when that was their livelihood.

We give credit to the Spanish vaqueros for the design of the Western Saddle. They were the early horse trainers and cattle barrens of the Southwest and Mexico. A combination of the Moorish style saddle and the jousting style were employed with the added innovation of the saddle “horn”. The horn allowed the vaqueros to control the cattle with the use of a rope that could be quickly tied to the horn.

Today, there is not much roping of cattle except in competitions, but the saddle still has these features incorporated in to it from history. There are a few variations on the western saddle design such as those used in bronc riding, endurance riding which have no horn. The historical saddle was made for comfort and to be ridden for many hours every day of the week. A working tool for the cowboy. For the novice it may give the impression of providing a more secure seat, but this is misleading as the horn is not meant to be a handle for the rider to hang on to. Seat, high cantle and heavy stirrups are meant to be all independent of each other in a control issue.

The most common “western style” saddles include the following:

* “Equitation”: A show saddle with an especially deep seat to keep the rider in place.

* Show: Saddle is characterized by the addition of leather and tooling with lots of silver decorations. Can be based on roping, cutting, pleasure etc.

* Trail: A comfort saddle for the rider as well as the horse. Deep padded seat for long slower rides.

* Endurance: Lighter weight saddle often without a horn built in. The tree spreads the riders weight out over a large area of the horses back. Many times the stirrups are rigged slightly forward for fast dismount.

* Barrel Racing: Lightweight with wide swells and high cantle allowing rider quick dismounts.

* Cutting: Has a deep seat and wide swells for control in quick turns and fast sprints.

* Roping: Heavy, sturdy saddle with a thicker horn for securing a rope. Low cantle and a slick fork that allows the rider to dismount quickly when needed.

The history and romance of the Western Saddle makes it a favorite especially among the people of America where it was refined and expanded in to what it is today.

If you have any questions on Horse supplies or Posh Pampered Pets, please call 979-221-7251. Our home office is located in Waller, Texas, with warehouses located throughout the United States such as Dallas TX, Houston TX, New York NY, Denver CO, Chicago ILL, Seattle WA, Kansas City MO, Miami FL, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Los Angeles CA, Fayetteville AR, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix Arizona, San Antonio TX Texas.

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Horse Breastplates, How to Install on Your Horse

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:55:37 +0000

Tammy Patterson asked:

ng breastplate are the most commonly used in English riding. They are fitted by sliding the encircled leather over the horses head, this is called the Yolk. Off this is the breast strap that attaches to the underside of the girth (between the horses front legs). The remaining two smaller straps on either side of the withers attach to the D-rings of the saddle. This can sometimes be a problem as this is a weak point for attachment and can often be pulled out. Standing and running martingales can be attached to the ring on the front of this breastplate. They are used in Cross Country, Show Jumping, Show Hunting, Eventing, Steeplechase, Flat Racing, Endurance riders and by Fox Hunters.

The Polo Breastplate attaches as leather, elastic or webbing strip across the front of the horse’s chest from billet to billet. Attachment here makes it a very secure breastplate. The strap running over the top of the withers can be altered to raise or lower its height. This brilliantly secured breastplate is more favourable in higher risk disciplines, Eventing, Polo, Show Jumping and Cross Country especially. This is a brilliant design as it gives the horse complete freedom of movement at its shoulder although it can interfere with horses breathing if the exercise being undertaken means that the horses head becomes too low. It should sit horizontally across the chest with 3-4 inches width between withers and wither strap and between chest and chest strap.

The Breast girth of Loop breast girth is a simpler but similar design to the Polo breastplate. It attaches to either D-ring of the saddle, running across the underside of the horse’s neck. There is almost no shoulder restriction however breathing can be restricted as poor fitting can make the breast girth onto the horse’s windpipe.

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Horse Training

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:26:07 +0000

Janine Carter asked:

In order to get to the fun part of owning a horse, one that you can take with you on trail rides or let your friends ride, you must first put in the training necessary to make him calm and agreeable in any situation. Its always great to find an older horse that is already “kid safe” but in the event you can’t find or afford such a horse there are some things you can do to train your horse for trail or competition.

A “spooky” horse is no fun at all to ride as you are constantly worried that he will jump at the slightest sound or movement and you will end up with your backside on the ground looking up. A great partnership with your horse starts from his trust of his owner. Spend as much time with your horse as you can and get the groundwork in so that trust is built. Groundwork is the time and training you put in to your horse. It is the basics of horse training to work with a horse on the ground before even getting in the saddle. Daily grooming and working with your horse in different situations forms a bond or trust with your horse. You must become his “lead horse”. Trust is invaluable as there are times when you need your horse to overcome his natural instincts to flee when he feels threatened. If your horse trusts you to keep him safe, he will ignore his instincts and remain calm. Take your time when grooming him and adopt a firm but fair attitude when handling him so that he learns to respect you as his herd leader.

One good way to help your horse react differently to situations is to take him out with a seasoned “kid safe” horse that stays calm under all conditions. When a horse sees and feels that another horse is not concerned or spooked at every paper bag blowing in the wind or scary leaves blowing around, then it helps him to realize that the world isn’t quite as scary as he thought.

If your horse is scared of certain things, then make sure you expose it to him every day until he is completely comfortable around it. For example you can tie plastic bags to the fence and let them flap in the breeze. Then keep taking your horse past the bags every day as part of his training to NOT be afraid of things that are moving around him when he’s under saddle. Fear is the main thing that drives a horse. The point is to make him comfortable with as many things as possible on an every day basis. Your horse can over-come 90% of all the outside influences that you can come up with and eventually even more.

If you have any questions on Horse supplies or Posh Pampered Pets, please call 979-221-7251 or email info@poshpamperedpets.com. Our home office is located in Waller, Texas, with warehouses located throughout the United States such as Dallas TX, Houston TX, New York NY, Denver CO, Chicago ILL, Seattle WA, Kansas City MO, Miami FL, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Los Angeles CA, Fayetteville AR, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix Arizona, San Antonio TX Texas.

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Western Saddles: Top 7 Buying Mistakes

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:39:21 +0000

Beth Stefani asked:

Buying the wrong western saddle is a very common occurrence in the western riding world. It’s also a very expensive learning experience. You can skip this painful lesson by avoiding the top seven western saddle buying mistakes.

1. Buying Pretty. While we’d all like a nice looking saddle, letting looks drive your buying decision is asking for trouble. The quality of the saddle materials and the construction are far more important than the look of a saddle. A poorly made saddle can look awfully pretty, especially to the uninitiated. Don’t fall for this one.

2. Buying Image. Have dreams of riding the range and working the cattle drive? Or maybe riding to an NFR championship buckle in barrel racing? While the cowboy and cowgirl dreams and imagery can be strong and enticing, don’t let those images determine your saddle choice. Choose a saddle type that fits the actual type of riding that you’ll be doing.

3. Buying Cheap. Cheap saddles are not a bargain. Poor quality materials and construction will shorten saddle life, and, more importantly, will cause discomfort and impair movement in your horse. If you can’t afford at least a middle-of-the-road new saddle ($500 and up), then buying used is a great solution. Quality saddles last a long time, making buying a “pre-owned” saddle a smart buy.

4. Buying Dumb. You need to educate yourself on some saddle basics before buying. Ride in as many different saddles as you can. Talk to all the horse people you know about their saddles. Pick the brain of knowledgeable saddle folks. And, always, before purchasing a saddle, know the seller’s tryout and return policies.

5. Buying Selfish. You found a saddle that’s high quality, pretty, and fits you well. You’re all set right? Wrong. You’re forgetting one very important partner in this deal – your horse. If the saddle doesn’t fit your horse well, than the rest doesn’t matter. Make sure you understand the basics of horse fit and determine beforehand whether the saddle will be a good fit for your horse.

6. Buying One-Size-Fits-All. While you shouldn’t need a different saddle for every horse you ride, one saddle will not fit every horse you run across. The best approach is to choose a saddle that will fit the basic physical type of horse that you’ll ride. For instance, I ride Quarter Horses that are on the smaller size. I have a saddle that will fit most horses of this type. If you ride more than one type of horse, you’ll need multiple saddles.

7. Buying Brand (or Endorsement). This one is a little trickier. Buying a well-established brand is not a bad idea. You just need to be aware that a number of saddle brands have been around a long time and the quality of their saddles have varied significantly over time. The quality can also vary over their current product lines. Never just blindly buy by brand without thoroughly inspecting the quality of the saddle in consideration. Additionally, celebrity endorsement can seem like a stamp of approval, but it really doesn’t mean more than that the celebrity is receiving payment for use of his or her name. Very few celebrities have any input into the design and construction of the saddles bearing their name.

Many riders have a tack room full of saddles that didn’t work out. Others are constantly buying and selling saddles in search of just the right one. It doesn’t have to be this way. If you do your homework beforehand to truly understand your horse’s and your own needs, you can purchase the one saddle that will be a match for you, your horse, and your riding activities.

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Western Saddles – A Brief Survey

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:40:53 +0000

Janet Bugby asked:

Trail Saddles

The most popular type of saddle, trail saddles are designed for comfort over rough terrain and many miles. Designed for comfort they are lighter than ranch or roping saddles which are designed for heavier work. New materials and features often appear in trail saddles first due to their popularity. Some features include an easy to hold thin horn, a higher fork for stability, a deeply recessed cantle for comfort, wider stirrups treads and padded seats. Rounded or cut out skirts may also be present to further reduce the weight.

Ranch Saddles

Ranch saddles, also called buckaroo, cowboy or old time are heavy weight saddles designed for heavy work. Made for long hours in the saddle and for functionality around the ranch they may include comfortable deep seats, low swells to be out of the way when working and thick horns. Other features include plate rigging for better strength, a high cantle, double rigging and rope straps.

Roping Saddles

Designed for freedom of movement these saddles are made for heavy duty. Maximum freedom while roping and chasing cows is ensured by the saddle tree design and the strong horn. A wooden saddle tree covered with bull hide, a rounded low fork, double rigging and a deep suede or rough leather covered saddle all contribute to the ease of use while working. High cantles allow easy mounting and dismounting and the stirrups are forward hung to help the balance.

Cutting saddles

For cutting out single cows from the heard, cutting saddles were developed. A cutting saddle needs to endure good balance for the rider during extreme turning, starting and stopping maneuvers. Features include easy gripping with a tall thin horn, long flat seats, slim stirrups, low cantles and forward hanging fenders for extra balance.

Reining Saddles

For reining sporting events a purpose designed reining saddle is ideal. These saddles need very close contact between horse and rider for ease of execution of circling, spinning and sliding stop maneuvers. Subtle communication between horse and rider is ensured by the close contact which, if properly carried out will not be seen by the spectators. Because of the close contact reining saddles are also popular as training saddles.

Endurance Saddles

For competitions involving long rides of up to 100 miles, endurance saddles are needed. They must be light weight and well made to stand up to the long miles of riding. Bulk must be minimised while at the same time maximising close contact. In addition for the long hours in the saddle they must be comfortable for both rider and horse. Because they are designed for comfort they are also becoming popular for trail riding. They feature comfortable padded seats, no horns, lower weight short skirts, deep stirrups and multiple saddle strings for your gear.

Show Saddles

Show saddles, unlike the other types are designed primarily for their looks in the horse show arena. Fashion is important and designs change frequently. Ornate and deep tooling and decorative silver ornamentation are used extensively on show saddles. Designed for good looks rather than work these saddles follow fashions and change accordingly. For show saddles the latest fashion is important! Other features include deep skirts for more decoration turned stirrups with silver trims, and padded seats.

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