Horseback Riding

Horseback riding can be a very relaxing family activity. It takes a lot of time and money to care for a horse and to buy the gear needed for this sport. With the many breeds and styles of riding it can be very confusing at first.

Horses come in many breeds. Some of the most common are the Quarter horse, Morgan, Appaloosa, Arabian, and Paint. All have their own characteristics. The American Quarter Horse is 14 to over 16 hands in height. They come in many colors to include black, chestnut, and brown. The Morgan colors are bay, black and chestnut and they stand 14.1 to 15.2 hands. The Morgan excels in western and English disciplines and works very well for trail riding.

The main two riding styles are the English and Western. Both are very different from each other. Western style was developed for the “cowboy” and working on the range. The saddle is made to more evenly spread the weight of the rider over the horses back. It also has a horn to give the rider a place to tie the rope off. English style riding gets its traditions and equipment from the European mounted military.
When it comes to attire the western hat or “Cowboy” hat is the icon of the Western discipline.

The wide brim is to protect the rider while on the range in both the hot sun and in the rain. Blue jeans are a tough material to withstand the hours upon the horse and laborious work of the cowboy. The Western style boots are healed to assist the rider in the stirrups and finishes the overall cowboy appearance. English riders wear the traditional style ‘hunt cap’, made to protect the rider incase of falls during jumps. Long riding boots are worn for blister protection because of the many commands given with the knees and the feet.