On the Right Tack

As with points of the horse, the nomenclature of the saddle and bridle varies from the obscure to the obvious.

Item #6 on the Horsemanship 1 test is:

Identify simple parts of saddle & bridle

While it may seem a nuisance to memorize these terms, it is fairly important to know your billet strap from your browband, and your pommel from your panel.  Pages 275 & 295 of your Manual of Horsemanship cover these points.  The terms you need to know are listed below.  See if you can match them to the parts of the saddle & bridle.

Question of the week:  What fault would you find in the fitting of this pony’s bridle?

Answer to last week’s question, ‘What is quartering and when is it done?’:

Although I enjoyed the creative responses to this question very much, here's the boring answer:  Quartering is a quick grooming, generally done before a ride, to ensure the horse's comfort.  To quarter, pick the feet, give a quick once over with curry comb & dandy brush, paying attention to the saddle & girth areas, and  rub the dirt off the legs and face with your hands.  You would also want to pick out any bits of shrubbery from the mane and tail before you're seen in public.

A full grooming is best done after a ride, when the pores are open and the scurf comes to the surface of the coat more easily.

Finally, because pictures of tack are not very exciting, I leave you instead with some photos from yesterday’s excursion to Maple Ridge for cross country schooling.  What a glorious day it was!