Tack up your horse.
o Put the saddle pad on. Make sure the pad is in the right direction. Put it on the horse's back, covering the horse's withers completely. Then slide it back so that the front of the pad is half on the withers, half on the back. You do this to make sure the hair on the horse's back is flat so the saddle and pad are not rubbing against the horse's skin, causing a sore.
o Gently set the saddle on the horses back. You then
o Put the girth on. You do this by fastening it to the keepers on one side. Then you go on the other side, grab the girth and fasten it to the keepers on the other side. It should be tight enough so that you can snugly fit two fingers in between the girth and the horse. Then make sure the saddle has not shifted. If you are using western tack you may just need to cinch it up.
o Put on the bridle. Does this by first, putting the reins over the horse's head, so that after you take the halter off, and the horse can't run off? Then remove the halter. Stand on the left side of the horse. Hold the top piece of the bridle in your right hand. Put your right hand, holding the bridle in between the horse's ears, so that the bridle dangles over the horse's face. Then with your left hand, insert your thumb into the corner of the horse's mouth, so that the horse opens its mouth. Use the same hand to move the bit into the horse's mouth, while pulling up with your right hand. Then put the top of the bridle up over the horse's ears, where it rests behind the horse's ears. Then situate the bridle so that it's comfy for the horse, and buckle up the nose band and throat latch. The first times you do this, I would strongly recommend you ask for help. Depending how tall the horse is and how short you are, you maty want to have a stool or mounting block for this.
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