11: Working from the Ground, Saddling, and Bridling in .NET

Drawer QR Code 2d barcode in .NET 11: Working from the Ground, Saddling, and Bridling

5 Open the horse s mouth and insert the bit With your left thumb, gently press down on the inside corner of the horse s lip to open his mouth and gently guide the bit into the horse s mouth, being careful not to bang it against his front teeth Raise the headstall in your right hand until the bit slides all the way in to the horse s mouth If the bridle has a curb chain, make sure it rests behind the horse s chin 6 Gently slide the headstall over the horse s ears Adjust the browband so it sits evenly on the horse s forehead, or make sure the horse s ear or ears fit comfortably through the one- or two-ear loops The bridle is now in place 7 Buckle the throatlatch and noseband, if any Western bridle: Figure 11-8 shows a horse with a Western bridle You probably won t have a noseband to tighten If the bridle has a throatlatch, make sure that two fingers fit between the horse and the strap English bridle: Figure 11-9 shows a horse with an English bridle The throatlatch and noseband should be snug but not so tight that you can t get three fingers between them and the horse

If a curb chain or strap is attached to the bit, make sure that it s loose when you let the reins go slack but that it makes contact with the horse s chin when you pull the bit shanks back at a 45-degree angle 8 Unbuckle the halter from your horse s neck If you plan to mount where you are, leave the reins over your horse s neck If you want to lead your horse to another area for mounting, remove the reins from around your horse s neck and lead the horse by the reins 12 has full details on mounting your horse

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ou can t do much riding until you ve gotten on your horse, and you can t get on with the rest of your life until you get off Thus, mounting and dismounting are important factors in the sport of horseback riding In this chapter, I tell you what you need to know before you get on a horse I also give you the details on how to get yourself into the saddle and how to get yourself out of it Your riding instructor will help you develop these skills as well

If you ve watched a lot of Hollywood Westerns, your idea of how to mount a horse may be a running leap from behind In real life, I hope no one mounts a horse like this The running-leap-mount is and should remain a specialty of Hollywood stunt riders Although mounting correctly is a lot easier than the way they do it in the movies, hauling your body up and into a saddle can be a challenge Doing it right requires a little preparation In the following sections, I explain what you need to do before you mount: examine your tack and select a place for mounting

Regardless of whether you ride English or Western, checking your tack before you mount is important You want to make sure everything is in proper working order and attached to the horse securely before you get on You may want to review the parts of the saddle in 8 and the parts of the bridle in 9 before you start Follow these steps in any order to check your tack: Examine the bridle Make sure all the buckles are securely fastened and that the leather isn t unduly worn in a particular spot If you re riding Western, check the Chicago screws that hold your bridle together to make sure they re tight Examine the cinch (on a Western saddle) or girth (on an English saddle) for wear Look at the leather straps that attach the cinch or girth to the saddle to make sure they re not worn and prone to breaking when pressure s applied (as it surely will be while you re riding) Check to see whether the buckles or knots are securely fastened Check your cinch or girth for proper fit Before you put your foot in the stirrup to get on, check your cinch or girth one more time It should be snug, securely holding the saddle in place (See 11 for more details on tightening a cinch or girth)