Whether you have just entered into the role of horse owner, or you just want to know the basics of preparing to ride, saddling and bridling a horse isn’t difficult. As with almost anything you do, practice makes perfect. The more often you saddle and bridle your horse, the better you’ll be at doing it. The first point you need to remember is to remain calm around the horse. Animals have the ability to sense when someone is nervous, uncomfortable, and afraid. They can and many times will adapt their behavior to yours. If you are nervous and afraid, they might become nervous and afraid also. This can make your experience in saddling and bridling the horse unpleasant and possibly dangerous.
You always need to use caution around a horse. Even if the horse is as gentle as a lamb, extenuating circumstances can change his calm demeanor in a split second. Sudden and unfamiliar noises, movements, and objects can all cause a horse to rear, kick, and buck. You want to always make sure that there is an escape route for you to take. In other words, don’t put yourself in a position to be trapped with a panicked horse and no way to escape. If your horse is in the pasture, you will need to call him to you or go to the pasture and get him. If your horse is accustomed to coming when you call, you may not have to leave a halter on him. On the other hand, if your horse doesn’t want to come to you, you may need to leave a halter on him so you can easily attach a lead rope. It is a good idea to train your horse to come when you call. You can do this by calling him right before you feed him.
A lot of people don’t like to leave halters on their horses for fear of the halter getting caught on fencing or trees. If you must put the halter on your horse, simply slip the halter over the nose, pull the remaining part of the halter along the sides of the horse’s head, position the head strap behind the horse’s ears, and buckle the halter. You should not secure the halter too tightly. Leave plenty of room for movement. You can lead the horse into the barn and secure him with cross ties attached to each side of the halter, or tie the horse to a secure post. Make sure the tie you make is a slipknot that can easily be undone. Tie the rope about head high and long enough to allow movement but not long enough for him to put his head under the rope. You don’t want to leave too much slack in the rope. A horse can easily become panicked if he gets his head caught under the rope.
The placement of the saddle is very important. Place the saddle blanket on the horse and the saddle on top of it. The front of the saddle should be slightly behind the withers. You should stand on the left side of the horse, and pull the left stirrup up, hooking it over the saddle horn. This makes it easier to tie the cinch strap to the saddle. Reach under the horse’s belly for the girth, which should be connected to the right side of the saddle. Take the cinch strap, located on the left side of the saddle, and pull it through the buckle on the girth, pulling the girth securely under and against the horse’s belly.
Make sure the girth is not twisted, and check to make sure there is at least a hand’s width between the front leg and the girth. You don’t want there to be too much space, as this can hurt the horse’s back. You also don’t want the girth too close to the front leg, as this can pinch the horse and restrict his movements.
Bring the cinch strap up towards the buckle on the left side of the saddle, and thread the strap away from you, through the buckle and back down and through the buckle on the girth. Depending on the length of the girth and the size of the horse, you may need to do this process two or three times. You are now going to make essentially the same knot you would make if you were tying a tie. Bring the strap up and through the top buckle for the final time, pulling it to the side, take the strap across the front of the girth, forming the knot, bring it around the back of the other side of the buckle, and pull it back down behind the length of strap that runs across the girth.
You should now have what looks like a tie knot. Pull as tightly as possible. If your horse has a tendency to blow out his belly while being saddled, you will need to tighten the girth some more after you put the bridle on him.
To bridle a horse, stand parallel to the left side of his head, holding the bridle in your left hand. You can place the bridle over the halter, so it won’t be necessary to remove it, and your horse should still be on the crossties or rope. Place the reins over his head to rest on his neck. With your right hand, take hold of the crown piece of the halter, and begin pulling it over the horse’s ears. At the same time, with your left hand, gently push the bit into the horse’s mouth, between his teeth. Keep your fingers out of harm’s way. You don’t want to be bitten.
The muzzle strap of the bridle should be about four inches above the nostrils. The chinstrap should be tightened but be sure and leave a space of about two fingers between the strap and the horse. You will now need to buckle the throatlatch. Leave enough space for a fist to fit between the strap and the throat of the horse. The strap will be buckled along the left side of the horse’s head. Check the saddle girth one more time to make sure it is snug. You are now ready to ride. With a little patience and practice, you can become more comfortable and adept at saddling and bridling your horse.
