Always Check Your Tack
•A•L•W•A•Y•S• check your tack.
Constantly checking our tack helps us prevent behavior problems due to ill-fitting tack & injuries for us or our horse(s).
Well fitted tack is crucial for our horse’s comfort.
Tack inspections prior to mounting ensure our safety by preventing & addressing faulty equipment (lack of pieces, outworn leather, etc.) from causing accidents.
Attending to the wear & tear of tack often helps prolong the lifetime of tack. Replacing & repairing necessary components will save us from unexpected equipment failure.
Our horse will trust us more if we always use well fitted & comfortable tack. Showing respect for our horse by examining equipment before mounting only takes a few minutes & will invite a lifetime of positive relationship building.
Well fitted & placed tack constitutes good communication between horse & rider, resulting in clear cues to the horse. There isn’t much worse than confusion between horse & rider/handler due to equipment.
Additional measure: before mounting, always move your horse around in case you missed something. Don’t just tighten your cinch/girth & mount up, walk them a handful of steps or quickly lunge after tightening to ensure something didn’t just begin causing discomfort!
**The more often you check your tack integrity & fit, the safer & happier you & your horse are & we all know that happy horses = happy, safe riders!
Remember, it is your responsibility to check these things & ensure your horse’s comfort & safety amongst your own. YOU are THEIR VOICE & they TRUST YOU to translate what they’re saying.
Happy Trails!
How to check your tack:
Saddle Pad:
Cleanliness - an unclean pad can cause skin irritation.
Placement - in ill-placed pad can cause discomfort & rubs. Ensure the wither portion is tented (raised into the gullet of the saddle) & the end is in front of the flank.
Saddle:
Underneath - ensure the lining is not too worn, nothing is poking through where hardware is placed, & there are no cracks.
Hardware (rigging, conchos, decoration, etc) - ensure things are tight by jiggling & check for rust & ware.
Latigos, Billets, & Straps - ensure anything leather is smooth, supple, & free of cracks. Check for areas that may be thinning &/or weak & replace immediately.
Stirrups - ensure buckles are solid, free of rust, & fastened properly, ensure stirrup leathers are smooth, supple, & free of cracks. Check if any area is thinning or weak & replace immediately.
Cinches/Girths - ensure they are free of debris, hair, sweat, or anything that could irritate your horse. Ensure buckles are solid. If anything is leather, check the integrity of the leather & ensure it is clean as well.
Overall Leather - Inspect the topsides & undersides of all the leather (fenders, skirts, jockeys, etc), checking for dryness, cracks, or any lack of integrity.
Additional Equipment (breastcollars, tie strings, breeching, cruppers, etc) - Ensure the leather integrity is maintained & clean. Check buckles & attachment sites for weakness.
Bridle:
Headstall - ensure it is free of cracks, wear & tear, debris, etc & that it is smooth & supple when bent. Check integrity of buckles & replace immediately if they are broken or rusted.
Bit - ensure the bit is free to move as it needs. Free it of debris, check all attachment points, & ensure bit hobbles &/or curb straps are strong.
Reins - Check for overall wear, damages, or thinning. Check any buckles or snaps.
Buckles Overall - check that buckles are free of rust & working & not over any facial pressure points.
- LR
