Horseback Riding

Horseback riding takes many forms. As children we often learn to ride bareback. Just a kid and a horse and a bridle. That's how the Native Americans rode way back when. It's a good way to learn, because you have to depend upon your legs and your balance to stay on.

Then, depending upon where you live and the people who are teaching you to ride, you learn to ride "Western" or "English." I learned to ride with a Western saddle.

Western horseback riding tack includes a saddle with a horn. Contrary to what many beginning riders think, that horn is not to hang onto! The horn was there so that cowboys could wrap their end of the rope around it when they roped a calf. No man could hold a calf with his bare hands, so he wrapped the end of the rope around the horn and the horse held the calf. Western saddles also have "strings" to allow cowboys to tie things to the saddle.

Some of the things they tied on were their canteen and their bedroll, because Old West cowboys were sometimes away from the ranch for months at a time. They needed a way to take their gear along. The Pony Express riders also needed a way to secure the saddle bags so they didn't lose the mail on those long cross-country treks.

As for the bridle - there are two kinds that Western Horsemen use: a hackamore and a bridle with a bit. A hackamore uses a rawhide loop over the horse's nose. When the cowboy pulls on the reins it puts pressure on the nose and the horse knows he should stop, or at least slow down. Bits go in the horse's mouth and come in a wide variety, from a gentle snaffle to some pretty severe curb bits. A good horseman will use the most gentle bit possible on his (or her) horse. A horse who has been abused with a severe bit sometimes develops what the cowboys call a "tough mouth."

English riding uses a saddle with no horn. And instead of wide leathers that reach clear to the leather stirrups, the stirrups, called "irons" are attached with leathers that resemble a long belt. The irons are smaller than stirrups, and made of metal. There are several styles of English saddles, each with its own use. Some are for jumping, some for dressage riding, some for "Saddle Seat Equitation," and still others for racing. Some give your legs something to grip and have a curve in the back to help you stay on, while some are almost completely flat. Some describe riding on the flat ones as feeling like you're bareback on a greased horse. You have to have really good balance to stay on! These two horses are wearing English bridles:

Western and English riders dress differently too. Western riders wear jeans or western pants with long sleeved shirts and "cowboy hats." Many also wear a scarf or a bolo tie. Western boots usually have pointed toes, and often have higher heels than most boots. English riders dress according to the style of riding - but they never wear jeans! Their low-heeled boots often come nearly to their knees and are fitted. Their hats are either dressy bowlers or hard hats for jumping. Some wear white shirts, while others wear formal jackets that flare out and reach to their knees.

Each style of horseback riding has its own "rules." For instance, Western Horsemen hold the reins with one hand, while English riders use both hands - one rein in each. But all forms have a few things in common. For instance:

• You should always sit up straight
• Keep your toes pointed forward
• Heels down!
• Elbows in
• Always look where you're going

Maybe the most important rule of all is this: Be kind to your horse. Never lose your temper.