Arreos de caballo del oeste

Western Horse Tack

If you have a horse for Western-style riding, then you will need tack such as saddles, bridles, and saddle pads. You may even choose Western tack depending on the specific purpose of the ride. Here are answers to some questions about Western horse tack.

There are several different types of Western saddles, including:

• Flexible tree: While these saddles have a rigid fork and cantle, they are often more flexible than other saddles that may allow the rider to have closer contact with the horse.
• Ranch: Most options have a deep seat, high cantle, low swells, and a tall, wrapped saddle horn.
• Trail: Most options have a place to attach a breast collar, and they often have forward-facing fenders as well as padded seats.
• Roping: Most options have a sturdy tree, a low-rounded fork, and forward-lying, roper-style stirrups.
• Cutting: Most options have tall horns, wide swells, low cantles, and slim stirrups.
• Reining: Most options have forward-hung stirrups, a medium-height horn, a medium fork, cut-out skirts, and free-swinging fenders.
• Barrel racing: Most options have a deep seat with a high cantle, a high fork with wide swells, free-swinging fenders, narrow stirrups, and short skirts.
• Endurance: Most options have padded seats, short round skirts, and deep stirrups.

Manufacturers produce a variety of snaffle bits for Western horse riding, including:

• French link: These two-piece bits have two small, peanut-shaped pieces in the middle, allowing them to lie flat in the horse's mouth.
• Mullen mouth: This unjointed bit is designed to rest on the bars of the horse's mouth and lie flat.
• Eggbutt: These two-piece bits have an egg-shaped connection between the mouthpiece and the bit rings.
• D-ring: The bit rings on these two-piece bits look like the letter D, and they are designed to suit the bit's position in the horse's mouth.
• O-ring: Sometimes called loose rings, these bits have a two-piece bit and full-circle bit rings that may be decorated.
• Waterford: These bits are made with many joints in the middle that resemble a chain, and they often have D-shaped bit rings.

There are many styles of halters available, including:

• Grooming: These leather or nylon halters usually consist of a single-buckle adjustment.
• Shipping: These fleece-covered options have extra protection built in.
• Training: These options usually have a second noseband or provide pull pressure.
• Foal: These options usually allow many adjustments for quickly growing colts.
• Combination bridle: These options usually have a place to attach a bit and reins.
• Bit over: These options are designed to be taken off after the bridle is in place.