Saddling Your Horse

Are you a new horse owner needing some assistance on how to saddle your horse?

"Instructions on how to saddle your horse."

Maybe you're an owner after a long absence and need a refresher on saddling a horse.


Unless you're prone to riding bareback, you will need to properly saddle your horse for your ride. To begin, you need to first groom your horse. For the horse's comfort you want to make sure the coat is free of any mud, dirt or hair clumps that can become irritating under the saddle when being ridden.

Check to make sure there are no sores on your horse's back or cinch area. If there are saddle sores present, use extra padding or a girth pad. Though you may want to consider letting the sores heal before riding again.

Make sure the saddle blanket is also clean and free of debris and is dry. Place the saddle blanket well forward and pull it back toward the rear of the horse so the front of the pad rests just in front of the withers. Always slide the blanket with the horse's hair and not against it to prevent any hair from getting clumped under the blanket. Be sure to use a large enough blanket so it shows all the way around the outside of the saddle. Using too small of a blanket will not adequately protect your horse from the saddle and make it very uncomfortable.

More on saddling your horse...