How to Saddle a Horse

Guide Note

Before riding a horse, it is essential to make sure that you have properly saddled it. Improper saddling will not only cause the horse discomfort, but it could eventually ruin the horse's attitude toward riding in general. Read on for proper instructions on how to saddle a horse.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Thinks You'll Need
• Step 1: Grooming
• Step 2: Western Saddling
• Step 3: English Saddling
• Step 4: Before You Ride Off Into the Sunset
• Conclusion
• References

Saddling Tips

1. Make sure your horse is safely tied.
2. Groom the horse completely.
3. Secure the saddle pad in place.
4. If using a Western saddle, lift it carefully onto the horse's back and secure the cinches slowly.
5. If using an English saddle, lift it slowly onto the horse's back and fasten the girth straps.
6. Lift the horse's legs to loosen any pinched or wrinkled skin.
7. Walk the horse to relax it.
8. Tighten the cinch/girth again to make sure it's secure.
9. Adjust stirrups to your height.

• by Jenny Hudock

Introduction

• Anyone who does it will tell you that one of the greatest things about horseback riding is the bond you form with your horse. That bond can be easily affected by discomfort brought on by improper saddling techniques. Whether you are riding for competition or show, or you're simply trotting through nature, taking the time and effort to perfect your saddling technique will ensure that you establish a good riding routine and relationship with your horse.

Things You'll Need

1. A halter and a lead¹
2. Grooming tools
3. Saddle pads or blankets²
4. Girth or cinch^{3 4}
5. A saddle
6. A horse

Step 1: Grooming

(Creative Commons photo by Thomas)

• Grooming is essential before saddling up. If even a small clump of mud or a bur were to get stuck under the saddle it could cause chaffing while riding.^{5 6} A horse who begins to associate saddling with discomfort could become agitated and make the process more difficult.

1. Secure the horse with a halter and lead rope.⁷
2. Begin on the left side ("near side") of the horse.⁸
3. First brush the neck, and then move on to the back and cinch areas.⁸
4. Brush the hindquarters and legs.⁸
5. Repeat the same routine on right side.⁸
6. While brushing carefully check for any cuts or abrasions.⁷
7. Make sure the horse is dry.⁹
8. Clean out the horse's hoofs with a hoof pick.⁷

• It is important to make sure the entire saddle area is clean. If while cleaning you do discover sores on the horse you may want to reconsider riding until after they have healed.

Step 2: Western Saddling

• Once you're sure the horse is clean and free of any sores you'll want to return to the left side to saddle up.¹⁰

The Saddle Pad

1. Before getting started, inspect your equipment and make sure there are no burs that could get under the saddle and irritate the horse.¹⁰
2. Place the saddle pad further up on the horse than it should be, around four to six inches.^{9 5} There are two reasons for this:
   1. It will give everything a little room to move backward without ending up too far back.⁹
   2. The natural shift will smooth the horse's hairs rather than rub them the wrong way.⁹
3. Make sure the pad is even on both sides to keep from exposing and rubbing the horse's skin with the saddle.⁶

The Saddle

(Creative Commons photo by Quinn Norton)

1. Secure all of the saddle's straps before you begin saddling.¹⁰
2. Hold the right side stirrup, breast collar and cinches in the saddle so they don't swing down and startle the horse.¹¹
3. Use control to gently lift the saddle onto the horse's back. Avoid dropping it down too hard, which could cause secured straps to fall and spook the horse.⁹
   • This technique may not be as simple as it sounds since the Western saddle tends to be on the heavy side. Try the following technique if you find you have trouble lifting the saddle with ease.
   1. Stand with your feet shoulder's width apart, and prop the saddle up on your right hip.¹⁰
   2. Hold your right hand near the cantle (back) and the left near the fork (front).^{10 12 13}
   3. Rock your body to gather momentum, and on the third rock pivot so your navel faces the horse.¹⁰
   4. Swing the saddle up over the horse's back.¹⁰
4. Slide the saddle and pad into place.¹⁰

The Cinches

• The cinch is connected to the rigging hardware and secures the saddle on the horse's back.^{4 14}

1. Let the cinches down on the right side first.⁸
2. Start with the front cinch.¹¹
3. Adjust the cinch ring so it is above the foreflank.⁸
4. Thread the latigo (or tie strap) through the cinch ring and dee-ring twice.^{15 11}
5. Pull the latigo to tighten the cinch.⁸
6. Tie a cinch knot by:
   1. Crossing the loose end of the latigo over the end layers of the latigo.¹⁶
   2. Pass it through the dee-ring.¹⁶
   3. Bring the latigo end back down through the loop you created.¹⁶
   • If done properly, this is very similar to tying a necktie.¹⁶
7. Tighten the cinch slowly around the horse's belly, but not so tight as to rub or cut off circulation.¹¹
8. Secure the rear cinch.⁸
9. Make sure the front cinch and rear cinch are connected by connector strap.⁸
10. If you are using a breastplate, attach it to both sides of the saddle skirt.²

• After you have everything in place, you'll want to take a moment to slowly lift and stretch the horse's legs. This process will help to stretch out any wrinkles in the skin that could be caught in the cinch and cause irritation and discomfort.¹⁶

Step 3: English Saddling

(Creative Commons photo by A V)

• The English saddle is used throughout the world for all styles of English riding. They are specifically designed to be much lighter so they don't interfere with the horse's freedom to move quickly.¹⁷

1. You will want to start on the left ("near") side.
2. Begin by placing a saddle pad or pommel pad three to four inches ahead of where you want the saddle and pad to rest while riding.⁸
3. To avoid trouble later, run the stirrup irons up the stirrup leathers.³
4. Remove the girth completely, or you can lay it over the seat to make sure it doesn't get in the way.^{17 5}
5. Gently lower the saddle onto the horse's back so the front rests near the upper-rear edge of the horse's shoulder blades.⁸
6. Make sure the pad is properly lined up around the edges of the saddle.³
7. Slide the saddle back so it rests behind the horse's shoulder blades³
8. Walk around to the right ("off") side of the horse, and bring the girth down.⁸
9. Attach the straps and then return to the left side and fasten the straps so they are secure.³
10. Your hand should fit snugly between the secured girth and the horse's belly.³
11. Check the gullet to make sure it's not putting pressure on the withers.^{17 18 19}
12. Lift and stretch the horse's legs to make sure there is no pinched skin.¹⁸

Step 4: Before You Ride Off Into the Sunset

• After you have finished securing the saddle into place, you will want to take a few minutes to walk the horse. Walking the horse will help it relax its belly and lungs. Now that the horse has relaxed, you may want to re-tighten the cinches or girth straps before you begin riding.¹¹

• You're almost ready to ride. The last thing you'll want to check is that the stirrups are the proper height. One way to determine the proper length is to keep only two finger-widths between you and the saddle while standing.¹¹

Conclusion

• Horseback riding is a great way to bond with horses, but if you don't go about the saddling process properly you could not only cause the horse pain, but ruin it for riding altogether. The horse's sensitive nature requires extra care and a willingness to make sure the horse feels comfortable at all times. Be sure to exercise caution when working with horses to avoid personal injury.

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References for How to Saddle a Horse

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Halter
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} eHow: How to Saddle a Horse
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} WikiHow: How to Put on an English Saddle Properly
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Westerm Saddle Guide: Cinch
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Buy a Horse 101: How to Saddle a Horse
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} About.com: How to Saddle Your Horse Step-By-Step
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Slideshare: Saddling A Horse
8. ↑ ^{8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11} University of Arkansas: Saddling the Horse(109KB)  
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4} Cowboyway.com: How to Saddle a Horse
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7} Western Saddle Guide: How to Saddle a Horse
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5} Front Range Frenzy: Saddling Your Horse
12. ↑ Western Saddle Guide: Cantle
13. ↑ Western Saddle Guide: Fork
14. ↑ Western Saddle Guide: Saddle Rigging hardware
15. ↑ Western Saddle Guide: Latigo
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4} Western Saddle Guide: How to Tie a Western Cinch
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2} Wikipedia: English saddle
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} NASD: Saddling and Bridling a Horse Safely
19. ↑ Wikipedia: Withers

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