To saddle a horse correctly means to ensure not only a comfortable ride, but also to take care of the animal's health. After all, as soon as a blade of grass gets under the saddle-cloth or weakly tighten the girths, scuffs will appear on the horse's back.
Instructions
Step 1
Going into the stall, call out affectionately to the horse, calling his nickname, go up to him, stroke him, give him a treat. Be sure to clean your horse, paying special attention to the areas where the saddle will be and where the girth will pass. Remove the halter and put on the bridle.
Step 2
Now check the condition of the saddle pad. It should not be wet, crumpled, in addition, remove all the specks adhering to it. Approach the horse to the left, flatten the coat on the back in the direction of growth and place the saddlecloth so that it also covers the withers.
Step 3
Place the girths and stirrups over the saddle to keep them out of the way. Grasp the back bow with your right hand and the front bow with your left, then lift and gently lower the saddle onto the horse's back. In this case, the front bow should be above the withers.
Step 4
Check if the saddlecloth is crumpled or moved to the side. If everything is in order, then pull the saddle back a little. It will pliantly descend onto the back along with the sweatshirt. If the saddle does not slide too far to the lower back, and there is a small gap between the withers and back, then we can assume that everything turned out correctly. Otherwise, do not move the saddle against the grain or to the sides, it is better to repeat it all over again.
Step 5
The saddle can now be secured with girths. To do this, approach from the horse's right side, lower the girths, placing the back on the front, and return back to the left side of the saddle. Bend over, stretch the front girth under the horse 10-12 cm from its legs and, holding the saddle with your left hand, fasten it. Then take the second girth, put it on the front and also fasten it.
Step 6
Lower the stirrups and adjust the height of the straps. Their length should be equal to the distance of the rider's outstretched arm. Now take the horse out of the stable and tighten the girths so that a palm can be inserted between them and the horse's body. You can enjoy horse riding!
