English Horse Riding Gear For You And Your Horse

In Jean M. Auel’s bestselling The Valley of Horses, cave people went riding without any horse riding gear whatsoever. No saddles, no bridles, no boots and usually no clothing of any sort. Very interesting to read, but completely unrealistic. You want to ride and stay alive and comfortable, you need horse riding gear. Your horse will also be more comfortable and a lot less stressed when the both of you are in the proper horse riding gear. This article will focus on English style riding.

For You

With your choice of horse riding gear, you need to keep both safety and comfort in mind. At the very least, you need:

A hard hat. The worst head injury I received while riding was when my mount, Leonardo, flung his head up and struck his neck full force on my head. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for the hard hat.
Boots or footwear with a prominent heel, so your feet will not slip through the stirrups.
Jeans or jodhpurs (also called breeches). Loose pants like sweatpants are right out – they will get caught somewhere. Ideally, you need to wear pants that you have to wrestle to get into but can still bend over in.

For Your Horse

Ever ride bareback? Hurts like heck, doesn’t it? The rubbing of your buttocks can also leave sores on your horse’s back. A saddle and blanket not only evenly distribute your weight on the horse’s back, but it keeps you in place. Not only are you more safe, but your horse is safer form getting sore and grumpy.

Your horse also needs a bridle of some kind. Most horses have been trained to a bit. Those that don’t usually are in Western style riding. Always try the mildest bits you can before resorting to more complicated ones. You shouldn’t be hauling on your horse’s mouth anyway, unless you physically cannot use your legs.

Used Vs New

New horse riding gear is incredibly expensive. The pros are that they are usually made to fit and are tough. If you are not used to telling worn, dangerous used horse riding gear from any other kind of riding gear, stick with new until you learn. This is a major investment.

If you have the knowledge, then by all means go for used horse riding gear for you and your horse (unless your horse has a special need). You can save an incredible amount of money and feel good knowing you are recycling.