How to Prepare Your Horse For Riding - With a Western Saddle

Preparing your horse for riding, well there aren’t really in set guidelines to starting a young colt or filly. Every horse has id individual personality so you need to prepare yourself to work in that mind set. As a horseman you need to fit that particular horse to the situation and the circumstances. Remember those circumstances can change on a daily basis with a young horse. I’ll try to explain to you briefly how to prepare your horse for its first ride. These are some things that I do that work for me. Everyone has their own method.

1. Introduce your saddle pad to your horse. Make sure you do these things in a round pen with a halter and lead rope on. Offer the pad to your horse let him smell it. And look at it, get familiar with it. Then gently rub him all over with it. Rub it on his neck and back and on his over his hindquarters. Make sure you do this on both sides. What you do on one side of your horse you must do it on the other. Next after you feel your horse is comfortable begin to fling the pad on his back in a calm gentle steady rhythm, approach and retreat. When he is relaxed with this then lay the pad on his back and let him feel it I even walk him around with it a couple of steps then take it off rub him then put is back on. I do this a few times. This make take some time so don’t rush anything, be patient with your horse you don’t want to wreck what you have already accomplished on the ground.

2. Now its time to introduce the saddle. Make sure your saddle is set up cinches tied up correctly so they don’t fall and spook your horse. You want to make this an easy pleasurable experience for your horse. Again like with the pad present the saddle to your horse let him smell it see it etc… make sure the lead rope is in the cuff of your left arm saddle in the right. Now place the saddle gently on your horse in one swift move. Then retreat (take it off). Place the saddle on again then retreat. Stop for a minute and rub your horse to let him know every thing is ok. If your horse is moving then move or yield his hindquarters until he stands still. Once he’s relaxed then place the saddle on again.

3. Walk around to the right side of you horse and let the cinches down gently. Now walk back on the left side of your horse gently without being timid swiftly reach with your left hand and grab the cinch, don’t bend down looking for it unless you wanna bad migraine.
Now gently take your latigo and smoothly cinch your horse up in one swift gentle motion not too tight, but enough where the saddle wont fall off and roll under your horses belly
(a disaster waiting to happen). If you have a back cinch, gently cinch that up as well not too tight, but enough that he won’t get a hind leg caught in it the main function of the back cinch is to keep the saddle from moving up and down in the back. Remember to take your time and read your horse while doing this for any signs of hesitation.

4. Stand next to your horse after he’s saddle and let him soak in what happening, don’t be in a rush to move just yet let him get used to the weight of the saddle. Once you feel he’s relaxed lead him a few steps then stop. If he starts to buck quickly step out of the way and let him buck. Let him figure things out, when he’s stopped bucking gently walk over to him and rub him to let him know everything’s ok...

If you want to be a great Horseman or Woman learn how to get the best results out of your horse by building a solid foundation with your horse. Start learning today! Don’t put off til tomorrow what you can do right now!

Also view my article:
"How to train a yearling horse - Preparing a young horse for the saddle"