What to Purchase Before You Start Riding

Horses are very intelligent creatures. Before getting one or considering hopping on one and cantering off, you need to make sure you know what you're doing. Of course, you can do lessons and learn everything you need from your teacher. There are a great deal of things and techniques that can really help you, and impress your new teacher. Here are some essentials you may consider purchasing,

A grooming kit — A good tote or caddy is a great thing to have. There are four very important tools for grooming your horse you may want to consider when buying. First thing is the hoof pick. A hoof pick is more important than it sounds. Before riding, make sure you pick all four of the horses hooves from any dirt, rocks, and anything that may make your horse uncomfortable. When you're picking the hoof, bend over with your behind facing the horse's front side. Either lean on the horse, cluck, or try picking up the horses hoof, depending on what your barn does. Then go in downward motions, picking away the dirt. Make sure you avoid the frog, which is the triangular-like part in the middle of the horse's hoof. The next tool is the body brush. The body brush is an oval brush that is used to brush the dirt and dust off your horse. Flick the brush towards the horses butt to make sure you're going with the fur and the dust should come off pretty easily. The next tool is the curry comb. Most curry combs are oval and plastic. When you use one, make circles to the right to dig the dirt out from under the fur. The last tool is the brush. It looks like a rectangular hair brush that you would use on the mane and tail. Of course, there are plenty more brushes and tools, but these are the basics for a beginner.

The next thing you want to consider purchasing is apparel. Your barn may provide you with helmets and boots, but it's really good to have your own stuff, especially since you don't want to ride in jeans. The first thing is breeches. These are pants that can either be full seat or knee patch. They are pants that have extra fabric either on the whole inside of your leg or just the knee. This is for extra comfort. They come in all styles and colours, and depending on what brand you buy they can also be pretty cheap. The helmet is an essential for safety, although people always make mistakes on which kind you should purchase. Plastic helmets are super dangerous, and even though you're just a beginner, that makes it even more dangerous. Always pay a little extra for a correct riding helmet. Never get adjustable helmets. When you tighten them you have extra space in the back of your head, so if you ever fall and hit your head it would hurt and damage even more because it's like a double hit. Make sure your helmet is extremely snug. It should almost be a bit uncomfortable. Another thing is boots and chaps. Getting proper boots is important since you need a heel. If you don't get tall boots, make sure you get chaps to go over them for more comfort for you and your horse. A shirt is optional since there is no importance for a proper one.

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