Learning how to saddle a horse is one of the most important aspects of horse riding. Granted, saddling a horse is not as fun as riding one, but if the horse is not properly saddled a great deal of the fun in riding the horse will be eliminated. Additionally, an improperly saddled horse is dangerous to ride.
Many, many years ago, it was not uncommon that the riders of the great, wild horses rode bareback. When looking at the texts of the Roman Empire, one can clearly see detailed explanation on the soldier’s saddling their horses. This means that somewhere in between the days of the cavemen and the Roman Empire, someone figured out that horses needed to be saddled. The reason for this is obvious: people who rode bareback fell off their horses and fell off often! While this may seem humorous on the surface, the reality of the matter is that if one falls off a horse when riding there is great potential for serious injury. As such, proper instruction on how to saddle a horse is mandatory.
Generalizing on How To Saddle A Horse
When it comes to saddling a horse, there are a number of general steps to follow that include properly cleaning the horse before saddling, properly approaching the horse, placing the saddle within the proper position on the horse, affixing the saddle in place, making sure the saddle does not slide, etc. Of course, these are all general points and there are numerous details to follow, but they can not be learned out of a book nor can learning how to saddle a horse be taught in pictures. Again, improper saddling of a horse can be a dangerous proposition.
Learning How To Saddle A Horse
The best way to learn how to saddle a horse involves first watching an individual who understands the proper way to saddle a horse. Paying close attention to the proper means of going about saddling the horse is the first step in breeding a sense of familiarity with the subject. The next step is to attempt to saddle the horse yourself while under the watchful eye of a person who knows the proper way to saddle. This will reduce your chances of making a mistake or learning improperly. If you learn properly then you will maintain the level of safety that was previously mentioned and this will make the sport of horseback riding a fun activity as opposed to a hazardous one.
