Finding Good Western Horse Tack
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It will be time effective to look at and perhaps
purchase western tack when I’m looking for the used
western saddle.
Since the saddle will be in a western style, I’ll
keep my eye out for tack that is also western, and even
perhaps used if it’s in good shape and well-priced.
I’m going to look into used
Vinton saddles, so I’ll look at their tack as
well.
Another brand I liked was the Brooks, so that too will
be a place to research tack.
I’ll check out the Barnsbys and Marshalls as
well. It
seems it would be consistent to get the same brand for
both saddle and tack.
From what I understand, I’ll need a
bridle and a martingale.
I’ll keep Buttercup’s tack in the tackroom in my
small barn.
The tack is like her clothes, and when they’re on,
she’ll be said to be “tacked up”.
The bridle and martingale will help me to manage
Buttercup.
The bridle is made of leather and can often be quite
decorative with tooling and silver or other metal
hammered onto it.
The bridal has a bit which goes into the horse’s
mouth. The
reins are attached to this bit, so through them I can
create different pressures on the sensitive bars of
Buttercup’s jaws.
I hope to one day not have to use a bit.
I know they can be necessary, I just can’t
imagine how I’d feel with one in my mouth and someone
jerking on it all the time.
The martingale is another device used to help in
managing a horse.
It keeps them from raising their heads too high
and when a horse does that, it makes them more difficult
to manage.
I’d place it around her shoulders before I put her
bridle on.
There are three types of bridles, the Pelham bridle,
the double bridle, and the snaffle bridle.
From pictures I’ve looked at, I think the snaffle
looks to be the least complicated and the most
comfortable.
But I’ll ask people at the tack and saddle shops what
they think is best.
Many things I’d thought were separate parts of the
tack are actually part of the saddle.
For instance, the stirrup and also the girth
straps are attached to the saddle.
There are all sorts of variations on these as
well, like a folded girth, balding girth, string stirrup
and Fitzwilliam girth.
Going on-line for information and tack for sale
seems to be really productive, as I can do it all right
at home. There’s
an on-line catalog I can download called “2009 Saddle
and Tack Catalog”.
Also “Saddle Up Tack & Supplies” and “Otto F.
Ernst Saddle and Tack Catalog #12” looks like a good
one.
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