Unfortunately, horse tack won't last forever, no matter how well you take care of it. After excessive use, you'll need to replace your horse equipment to keep yourself and your horse safe. Failing to do so could severely injure your horse and put you at risk of certain dangers, such as falling. For beginner riders, understanding when to replace your equipment can be a struggle.  Sometimes, your equipment needs replacing, while at other times, it is merely malfunctioning and needs adjusting. Whether replacing or adjusting is the solution, you should inspect your tack every time you plan to ride to get to…

Training a performance horse is a challenging experience that takes a lot of time, patience, and preparation. One of the biggest challenges when raising and training a performance horse is caring for and preventing injuries. Use these injury prevention tips for horses to make sure your horse stays as healthy as can be.   Warm-Up and Cool Down Techniques  Every time your horse partakes in strenuous activity, you should run them through warm-up and cool-down techniques. Warm-ups give your horse time to loosen their muscles before moving into a challenging workout. With the increased blood circulation from a warmup activity, your horse’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments are better able to stretch and flex, thus reducing the…

As most riders know, tack rooms can quickly become a space for storing anything and everything. A clean tack room will help you find any tack you need instantly, and help keep your tack well-maintained. Use these tips for keeping tack rooms tidy. Use Old Cabinets Old kitchen cabinets are a great asset to add to your tack room. They provide ample storage and protection for loose horse tack supplies and clear some floor space. If you don’t have any old cabinets lying around, post an ad on resale sites for some cheap cabinet options. Otherwise, plastic storage bins are also a…

With any new saddle purchase, you should know the steps to keeping your saddle in great shape. Saddles are significant investments, and with the right amount of care and maintenance, your saddle can last for years. To make sure you get enough bang for your buck, use this ultimate guide for proper saddle care.   Cleaning Your Saddle   Cleaning your saddle is the root of quality saddle care. Here’s all you need to know about cleaning a saddle. Supplies You’ll Need   Along with your purchase of a new saddle, make sure you have all these essential cleaning items to go along with it: …

If your horse is having trouble backing out of their trailer safely, it’s a sign they were never comfortable with the trailer to begin with. Often when training a horse to be comfortable with a trailer, we assume getting them inside means we’ve succeeded.    Just because your horse enters the trailer does not mean they’re comfortable. To ensure your horse feels comfortable enough to back out safely, you’ll likely need to retrain your horse. Here’s how to teach your horse to safely back out of a trailer.   Focus on Your Attitude   Training your horse takes a lot of patience, especially…

There are hundreds of different ropes available for roping on the market. From different lengths and materials to cost and color, picking out the right rope can feel overwhelming to a beginner. To make sure you end up with the right choice, follow these tips for picking the perfect rope for roping. How Does It Feel? As a beginner, you’re going to want a soft rope to work with. A stiffer rope can be more difficult, especially when you’re still learning to perfect your technique. Look for ones on the softer side until you get more comfortable.   Materials can play…

Like taking care of any animal companion, horses require a lot of attention and care. Although, your horse is likely going to need a lot more attention than the family dog would. Before you bring a horse home, it's crucial to understand how to properly care for your horse. Here are all the things you'll want to keep in mind and prepare for ahead of time. The Importance of Routines and Time Management   Caring for a horse takes a lot of time, patience, and financial responsibility. Before committing to this responsibility, it's best to sit down and plan the amount…

Cutting and roping are both Western-style horseback riding sports. They have many similarities on the outside, but their goals and techniques are vastly different. Their saddle types are also very different to accommodate some of these fundamental differences in the two sports.    Differences in the Sports   Understanding the difference between cutting and roping saddles starts with an understanding of each sport. Cutting specifically aims to separate a cow from its herd. In this sport, the rider and horse must work as a team as they anticipate and control the cow’s movements. On the other hand, roping involves taking an animal down.…

If your horse has never been trailered before, your trailer probably looks like a big scary metal box to them. Even some of the most trained professionals have trouble loading their horses sometimes. Regardless of your level of expertise, considering these extra tips to get your horse in a trailer successfully will make your future travel much less stressful. Let Them Be Curious and Comfortable First  If this is your horse’s first time in a trailer, don’t expect to load them right before you need to leave. You should practice many times beforehand and let your horse get comfortable at…

Anybody who owns a horse needs a saddle that fits them and the horse just right. However, the saddle they choose should also accommodate the type of riding they intend to do. There are many different types of saddles to choose from to make sure you and your horse are set up for success on your rides, and each saddle type has a different design to make riding for certain disciplines easier.   General-Purpose Saddle   For a new or intermediate rider who doesn’t yet have a riding preference, general-purpose saddles are the way to go. These sturdy saddles have flaps that…