Tacking up a horse takes practice. Making sure the saddle goes on right is important because you don’t want it to slip off while you’re riding. Correctly positioning and fastening the saddle on the horse’s back are also essential for the horse’s safety and comfort. An improper tack may hurt the horse which can result in rearing or bucking. Once you become familiar with the process, ask your riding instructor to help you the first few times you try it yourself. For the purpose of this post, we will focus on an English tack only.
Before you tack up, groom the horse thoroughly being careful to brush down the hair on the horse’s back and the girth area. Make sure no dirt, bedding, or other objects are stuck to these areas. The horse should be tied by the halter when you’re grooming and putting on the saddle. Follow the steps below to safely tack up a horse.
Saddle Pad
Stand on the horse’s left side and position the front of the pad a few inches in front of the horse’s withers at the base of the neck. Slide the pad backward a couple of inches, so the front edge of the pad is still covering the withers. Don’t slide the pad forward if you need to reposition it because doing so ruffles the hairs underneath which can irritate the horse. Check both sides of the horse to make sure that the amount of pad is even on the left and the right.
The Saddle
Grasp the front of the saddle in your left hand and the back of the saddle in your right. Make sure you’ve pushed the stirrup irons up to the top of the stirrup leathers, so they don’t flop around while you lift the saddle. Place the saddle gently on the horse’s back in the hollow just below the withers. After placement, about 3 inches of the pad should be showing in front and back of the saddle. To ensure you’ve done it correctly, look to see whether the girth when attached to the saddle will fit just behind the horse’s elbows.
The Girth
Fasten the girth to the right side of the saddle. Three girth straps, also known as billets, hang on the right side of the saddle, but you need to use only the outer two. The third one is present just in case one of the other straps breaks. Fasten the buckles about halfway up each girth strap. Move to the horse’s left side and reach underneath the horse to grasp the girth.
Tightening of the Girth
Gradually tighten the girth on the left side over a period of several minutes one hole at a time. Doing so gradually is kinder to the horse. Make it snug enough that the saddle doesn’t dramatically move if you grab the pommel and move it from side to side. If you run out of holes on your left side girth straps, begin tightening the buckles on the right. Ideally, you should have the girth attached at the same notch on both sides or as close as possible for even pressure. Before you mount, make sure one more time that the girth is snug enough that it feels tight if you put your fingers between it and the horse’s body. The girth may have loosened up after the horse starts moving.
The Stirrups
Before you mount, determine whether your stirrups are the correct length. One way to check is to slide your right-hand palm down under the flap of the saddle where the stirrup leather attaches to the stirrup bar (the metal bar holding the stirrup leathers to the saddle). Using your left hand, grasp the stirrup iron and pull it toward the crook of your outstretched right arm, allowing the stirrup leather to lay flush against the bottom of your arm. If the stirrup iron fits snugly in the crook of your arm, the stirrups are most likely the correct length for your leg. If your stirrups need lengthening or shortening, adjust them by using the buckle on the stirrup leather. After you’re finished, slide the stirrup leather buckle so it’s under the skirt and won’t rub on your leg when you’re riding.
Below is a quick video demonstrating how to put an English saddle on a horse
For details on how to put on a bridle, please follow Part II – Bridling
