Horse Riding Equipment

Tack is the term used specifically for the harness of a horse, which includes amongst other things (and largely consists of), a saddle and bridle of a ridden horse; and the harness and bridle of a driven horse.
Traditionally these items are made of leather; however, more modern materials are now also used. A workshop or shop that makes or sells such items is often referred to as a 'saddlery' or 'tack shop'.
In addition to saddles, and harnesses, all manner of associated equestrian items pertaining to the care of the horse are referred to colloquially as 'tack', including: saddles (numnahs), bridles (head pieces), bits, rugs, blankets, clippers, and even equestrian clothing.

Riding Saddles

(English: Dressage, Eventing, Jumping, Polo, Racing, Saddle Seat, Showing | Western: All Event, Barrel Racer, Cutting, Endurance, Plantation, Pleasure, Ranch, Roper, Show Equitation and Show Saddles)
Girth, Numnah, Saddle Cloth, Stirrup Irons, Stirrup Leathers

There are many different types and makes of saddle available that come in different materials, sizes and price tags. The most important consideration when choosing a saddle is whether or not it fits your horse and is it appropriate for the type of riding you want to do. The next consideration is whether it is comfortable for the rider.
Dressage Saddle
Dressage saddles are cut to offer the rider a long and secure lower leg position with a well positioned seat. They do this by being cut very long in the saddle flap with a straight knee roll and often the addition of a thigh roll will help to encourage the rider’s leg to stay in position in close contact with the horse side. Due to the riders leg being long and needing to stay close to the horse’s side the girth straps have been designed to extend down further from the underside of the saddle allowing a shorter girth used and keeping the buckles of the girth from interfering with the rider’s lower leg.
General Purpose Saddle
This saddle is for the rider who wants to do a little bit of everything whether it is dressage, show jumping, cross country or pleasure riding. The reason it is so useful as a saddle is it allows the rider the ability to change their positions by not being to extreme in the way it is made up. Therefore the rider can easily go from a dressage position to a jumping position with little more than adjusting the stirrup leathers. Some general purpose saddles now come with attachable knee/thigh pads which can be adjusted, added or removed completely when required from under the saddle flap.
Polo Saddle
This has been designed to assist the rider with freedom of movement due to the flatness of the seat and the low cantle and no knee roll on the saddle flap. This allows the rider to easily adjust their position when on the polo field.
Showing Saddle
These are generally similar in the way they are cut to that of a Dressage saddle, the main difference being they usually do not have a knee roll and have a much shorter saddle flap.
Side Saddle
This has been designed specifically to allow the rider to remain in position whilst sitting with both legs to one side of the horse. This puts one stirrup and saddle flap for example on the left hand side, with the girth straps coming directly from underneath the saddle flap on the right hand side. The rider is held in position by putting her right leg over the fixed head and her left leg pressed up against the Leaping head with her left foot in the stirrup a whip is carried in the opposite hand to control the right hand side of the horse. The saddle can be designed to have the rider sitting on either the near or off side.
Western Saddle
The western saddle has been designed to provide comfort to both horse and rider. Riders are frequently in the saddle for many hours at a time so the saddle needs to allow the riders weight to be evenly distributed, this is achieved by allowing the saddle to have a wide surface area, and this in turn gives the rider a secure seat with the added benefit of the Horn at the front of the saddle which the rider keeps a secure hold on and helps to prevent the rider from being thrown forward.
Treeless Or Part Treed Saddles
This type of saddle is unique because it is currently designed to fit any horse of any shape, and allowing it the freedom of movement, this is particularly useful for horses who do not always fit into regular sized saddles or those who are starting work and may changing shape rapidly or for horses who are not comfortable in conventional saddles. It is currently available in dressage or general purpose with different seat sizes available for the rider. An example of a partly treed saddle is the Phoenix this has the whole seat and front arch made up of layers of memory foam which gives great depth to the seat to the rider and quickly adapts to each riders individual position and also adapts to the horses back too if required a gel pad can be used in conjunction with this type of saddle.
Racing Saddles
These are designed with a flat seat, flat cantle, small and short saddle flap with very short stirrup leathers. The saddle itself is light by design and not bulky with the added benefit of the saddle flap being well cut forward to allow the jockey to crouch right up on top of the saddle staying very snugly in place and therefore allowing the horse to go at speed without the rider or saddle, slowing the horse down through wind resistance.

Horse Bridles

(Bitless, Bosal, Double, Endurance, Hackamore, Sidepull, Snaffle and Western Bridles)
Browband, Cavesson, Cheek piece, Crownpiece, Noseband, Throatlash Throatlatch', Reins

The four main types of bridle are the snaffle, double, western, and endurance.
Traditionally these bridles come in leather which, provided that they are well maintained, will be long lasting and comfortable for the horse to wear. You can also get synthetic bridles (such as nylon) which come in varying colors and are easy to clean and maintain.
Snaffle Bridle
This is a commonly used bridle which can be easily modified to suit the type of horse and it's way of going. By simply changing the bit, noseband or both you can increase or decrease the severity of the bridle.
The width of the leather itself also plays a part in the way it will look on a horse; for example a Cob horse should wear a snaffle bridle that is slightly wider than that of an Arab which would be better suited to a slightly thinner bridle.
The size of the bridle will vary from Pony, to Cob to Full size, depending on the type of horse and the size of their head.
A snaffle bridle consists of: Head Piece; Browband; Cheek Pieces; Noseband Reins; Bit
Double Bridle
This is a bridle which offers the rider a higher degree of control such as when riding Dressage.
It is similar to a snaffle bridle with a headpiece, browband and cheek pieces.
The noseband must be a cavesson so that it does not interfere with the action of the bit.
The double bridle consists of two bits; the curb bit is attached to the cheek pieces, while the bridoon bit is attached to the bridoon slip head which goes up under the headpiece and through the browband holding it in place.
Western Bridle
This is made of thin leather and is quite minimal in appearance, one reason being so that in hot climates the horse is not bulked down with leather wear to allow the horses skin to breath.
It is also easier to repair if a long way from home.
The bridle consists of a headpiece with either a full browband, or a split eared browband which goes around each of the horses ears independently, or a one eared browband which goes around only one of the horses ears.
This is frequently worn without a noseband.
The bit used with this bridle is a western curb bit with the reins being split at the end rather than joined with a buckle.
Endurance Bridle
This is clever in design as it allows the bridle to be easily changed from a bridle into a headcollar which is excellent for long distance rides where quickness and practicality are essential. The bit can be removed to allow the headcollar to be used or for the bridle itself to be used as a bitless bridle or scrawbrig where the reins are attached to the headcollar.

Horse Bits

(Continental, D-Ring, Double Bridle 'Bradoon and Weymouth', Egg but, Full Cheek, Filet Baucher 'Hanging Cheek', Fulmer, Gag, Kimble wick, Loose Ring, Pee Wee, Pelham, Specialist, Sweet Iron and Copper Bits)

Bits allow the rider to communicate with the horse as to direction, bend, pace, speed, amount of engagement and give general overall control.
There are five main types of bit and they all effect the horse in different ways by acting on different areas of the horses head.
Which ever bit is chosen, the horses level of training must also be considered along with any past injuries or sensitivities in the mouth itself.
Types Of Bit:
Snaffle Bit
Double Bit
Gag Bit
Pelham Bit
Bitless Bit
Where Bits Affect The Horse:
Corners
Gag, Pelham and snaffle for example a French link bit.
Bars
Gag, curb, Pelham and snaffle for example an Eggbutt snaffle.
Tongue
Gag, curb, snaffle and pelham for example a jointed pelham.
Side
Snaffles for example a Fulmer snaffle.
Chin Groove
Curb chain for example a single link from a pelham.
Nose
Bitless for example a Hackamore or Kineton noseband.
Poll
Gag or Curb for example a balding gag.
Roof Of Mouth
A bit with a ported mouthpiece for example a high port correction bit.
Materials:
Stainless Steel
Long lasting and silver in appearance.
Cupro Nickel and German Silver
Light gold in colour, the taste encourages the horse to relax and salivate.
Copper
This causes the horse to relax and salivate in its mouth due to the warming nature of the metal.
Sweet Iron
gives the horse a sweet pleasant taste in its mouth.
Rubber and Plastic
these are gentle and flexible in design.
 Either measure an existing bit that your horse wears or put on your horses head-collar and with someone holding them get a piece of string approximately 9 inches long. Gently pressing on the bars of there mouth and when they open carefully holding the string at both ends insert into the mouth to where the bit should sit up at the corners of the mouth, move your fingers to where the bit rings will go, then keeping hold of the string remove it from the horses mouth and mark on the string where you were holding it,you now need to allow quarter to half an inch to this measurement to allow for the bit to sit clear of the lips and corners and then measure the total distance.
Fitting A Bit
The bit should fit snugly into the corners of the mouth and leave a slight wrinkle in the edges. The bit should allow a clearance of a half to a quarter of an inch spare on both sides of the horse’s mouth.
Fitting A Double Bit
The Curb bit for example the Weymouth should sit a quarter to a half an inch lower in the mouth than the snaffle or bridoon bit which sits in the corners of the mouth again just wrinkling the corners of the horses mouth, this allows the curb chain to be fitted into the chin groove.
The curb chain acts when pressure to the rein of the Weymouth is applied, the rein pulls the curb chain and it in turn causes pressure to be applied to the chin groove in combination with pressure also being applied to the poll, the longer the shank of the bit the more severe the pressure. When fitting a curb chain it must have all the links smooth and lying flat and when pressure is applied to the rein the shank of the Weymouth should be at a 45 degree angle to the mouth.
Varieties of Curb Chain
Single Link Chain
Fairly strong in its design as the chain acts directly on the chin groove.
Double Link
Quite strong in design as the curb acts directly on the chin groove.
Elasticated Curb Chain
Mild in its action due to the flexibility of the curb chain the pressure applied is not that strong.
Leather Curb Chain
Mild in its action
Rubber Covered Curb Chain
Mild in its action due to the rubber softening the action of the chain.
All curb chains should have a lip strap which passes through the fly ring on the curb chain or through the fly ring on the chain covering, this secures the curb chain in position.

Bit Sizes

Horse bit sizes are measured by taking the distance between the two bit rings in either centimetres or inches:

Harnesses (Mediaeval, Breast Strap, Classical)
Riding Whips (Riding and Hunting Crop, Dressage Whip, Jumping Whip, Lunging Whip, Hunting Whip, Driving Whip)
Riding Boots (Over Reach, Tendon, Brushing, Fetlock, Sausage, Travel, Magnetic, Knee, Water, Over, Speedicut, Covering, Hock)   Studs, Shoes, Bandages
Horse rugs (Exercise, Fleece, Fly, Foal, Sweat, Stable, Turnout and Under Rugs)