When I was eight years old I got my first pony, Savvy, and started learning how to ride horses. I rode constantly until I was about 20 and completed my associate's degree. From that point riding was sporadic. If I felt up to it and had time, I rode. If not - I didn't.
Now I feel as well as I'm going to feel and I have as much time as I'm going to have. So I'm riding again at a great farm with lots of horses that need work.
This post is inspired by the fact that I needed to get a new helmet last weekend. Equestrian riding helmets are meant to be replaced every three to five years because the styrofoam and other materials can break down and become less protective. Additionally, if you fall in your helmet, you should also replace it because the material could have become compressed.
My helmet was nine years old and I'd fallen in it no less than three times. So I found a helmet that is comfortable and safe and went on my merry way. But it got me thinking about a recent blog post I read about how much "stuff" you need to buy when you have a baby (keep reading, I'm getting somewhere). Horses are much the same!
I don't even own a horse since Savvy passed away over a year ago. But just to go ride someone else's horses I need, at a minimum:
- My own clothing - boots, half or full chaps, helmet, gloves, and possibly spurs and a whip
- Equipment - saddle, saddle pad, and possibly a fleece pad
- Brushes (if the horse doesn't have its own) - curry comb, hard brush, soft brush, mane comb, hoof pick
It's also nice to have:
- Towels, fly spray, and horse treats - it's nice to be clean, keep the bugs away, and reward the horse after a ride!
- Girths in various sizes - there never seems to be one that fits and if it's too small - well, imagine trying to put on a belt that's too small - you just won't be wearing a belt that day
- Coolers, anti-sweat sheets, and other blankets - on cold days or after a bath it's nice to be able to dry the horse quickly
- Clippers - in the winter particularly, horses get very fuzzy and things don't fit right - with clippers you can easily buzz off that hair!
- Bits - if you need to try something different it's helpful to have that vast bit collection you accumulated over 20 years
- Boots and wraps - some horses hit themselves when they move so it's nice to have assorted polo wraps, leg boots, and bell boots to choose from
- Training aids - martingales, side reins, and lunge lines make it easier to deal with a frisky horse
This list includes items I could think of in five minutes. I'm sure I left quite a few things out - and this is just riding equipment - it doesn't even begin to cover the equipment you need to just to own a horse! Needless to say, I have two big wooden trunks full of stuff at my disposal.
But when I rode Maverick last week (see picture from two years ago) I found four 42" girths (size small for you non-horse people) but no large ones. Luckily I was able to borrow a bigger one, because a horse with no girth holding the saddle on would make for a good comedy, but it would also test out my new helmet pretty thoroughly!
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