Staying Fashionable - Western Show Tack

You know you've seen it: The person riding into the arena with the violent neon nylon tack....as Nancy Kerrigan says, "WHHHHHYYYYY??!!" If you are going to take the time to make your self look good, why not tidy up Spanky while you're at it? Spending money on your show clothes is pointless if you are not going to spend the money on your horse's tack. Properly adjusted and fitting tack is a must for the show ring. You look ridiculous without it, and chances are you're poorly fitting saddle is pinching your horse so he can't move correctly. Might as well of saved the entry fees.

The Rundown:
Bits:
Ah, yes, the bits are back! (Refer to "Leading Into Western Tack..." for more information on bits). Fads come and go, and we like to see our bridle horses (5 or over) in a shank bit with a bit of the fancy shmancy etching on the shank. Silver only.

Like the one seen at right. Don't worry, it's easy to find them in different mouth pieces.

Snaffle Bit horses are those 4 and under. But, snaffles are pretty out of style in the show ring. Bosals are all the rage, they look nice, your mecate drapes so nicely off so you can show your horse on a loose rein, but it's easy to pick up and fix the horse's face quickly if needed, without all the mouth opening and avoiding of the bit you would get in a snaffle. Bosals need to be legal. They have to be rawhide covered...no metal, no Quik Stops! Rope halters are not the same thing as a bosal. I understand that some people buy rope halters that have rawhide plaited around the noseband. These are not, not, not, not bosals and are completely unacceptable in showing! This is the type of bosal you need. These are 12-plait bosals, but you could also use an 8-plait at minimum.

Headstalls:

What's in is simple, two ear headstalls with silver. Browband are really, really, outdated now. Two ears are used with bosals and shanked bits, so if you're following the fashion rules, you should be okay. No worries. Two eared headstall with silver. They don't have to be top of the line, but they need to be clean and not have completely cheap silver plating that comes off the first time you try to clean it. Light oil is in. Dark oil and Black tack is completely out of style for AQHA and APHA classes. Like this one:

Saddles:

There are some people out there who think they will never win without a saddle covered in silver and get all sorts of butt hurt when their horse loses the class. More often than not, they are bouncing around on an old roping saddle and the horse is going to 90 to nothing.

For saddles, if you want to sit correctly for western performance classes, you need an equitation type saddle. These seats will put you in the correct position for horsemanship and all those "slow" classes. I also prefer to have my saddles with the "cut out" or "butterfly" skirt, depending on what you call it. This is where the skirt is cut out from where your leg goes and gives you better contact with the horse. It also won't push your thighs away from the saddle and lets you keep a better leg position.

Your saddle doesn't have to be coated in silver, but there are some rules you should stand by. Square skirts only. Round skirted saddles are for trail riders and barrel racers. If you don't want to look like Billy Bob come to show, get a square skirt saddle. Also, your saddle needs to be a light oil. Like I said, dark oil and black are pretty out of style. If that's all you have to work with, that's okay, just make sure no matter what color your saddle is, it is clean. This is the kind of saddle that a lot of people are afraid to invest in:

This particular saddle retails for under $5000.00 which is pretty darn good for the quality! However, if you are afraid of a lot of silver or are going to be doing a lot of other riding in your show saddle you may want to invest in a saddle like this:This is actually a reining saddle, but it would work for all around events provided you have the lower leg strength to keep your legs in position.

No matter what kind of saddle you get, it is important that it fits both you and your horse.

Back cinches are not to be used in showing western performance classes. Neither are those super long tie strings that people put on their saddle to.....tie themselves in? I don't really know what those are for.

What we didn't mention: Breastcollars.

Why we didn't mention them: They are so far out of style it isn't even funny. I cringe when I see someone showing in one.

Leading into Proper Western Tack with a Bit of an Issue

Pun intended.

A horse's bit is usually one of the first things people think of when they are having problems with their horse. Sometimes it is, but it's usually a combination of issues. (Saddle fit, needing a chiropractor, until eventually, eventually the rider looks at herself.)

Bits are important in the showring because they can definitely get you DQ'ed from a class if you're riding your horse in something that The Big Dogs deem illegal. (Think AQHA.)

Ready, Set, Start Your Printers....The Handy Dandy Wabbity Guide Bits!
Step One - Get Your Bit.
Step Two - Look at your bit closely.
Step Three - Ask yourself, "How old is Ol' Paint?" If he is five or older (by January 1, not his actual birthday) he needs to be in a curb bit. If he is four or under, he may be shown in a snaffle or a more stylish bosal.

So, what is the difference between a snaffle and a curb? Simply, a curb bit applies leverage. The reins and headstall attach to the bit in different slots or holes. The curb bit requires a curb strap or chain. Some horses do not need an actual chain and a plain leather curb strap will work. The general rule for the tightness of a curb strap is that you can put three fingers easily between the strap/chain and your horse's jaw when it is loose. The curb bit is made of a purchase (the part above the mouthpiece), the shank (often refered to as the entire "side" of the bit), and the mouthpiece. Curb bits apply pressure to the horse's poll, bars, and jaw. Examples of curb bits: Tom Thumbs (more on them in another post), Kimberwicke, Grazing Bits, Correction Bits...etc, etc, etc. Anything with leverage where the headstall and reins attach to different holes is a curb bit.

A snaffle comes in many varieties. They can have smooth mouthpieces, slow twists, corkscrew, twisted wire, French Links, Dr. Bristols...etc. They can have O-rings, D-Rings, Egg-Butt Rings, Full Cheek....etc. All that counts toward the bit being a snaffle is that the headstall and reins attach into the same continuous ring. The only snaffle bit that is deemed as a western-type snaffle is an O-Ring.

A snaffle bit requires the person to ride with two hands. A curb bit requires the person to ride one-handed. Some open shows may allow you to ride with two hands, but two-handing in a curb bit will keep you out of the ribbons in a Quarter Horse or APHA Show. When riding with a curb, the person should have only one finger between the reins and any more than that is a disqualification. Typically, Western horses are not shown in snaffle bits - unless they are Foundation Quarter Horse of course! Junior horses are shown in bosals. Bosals also require the horse to be ridden with two hands. The mecate should be properly tied . Bosals are more stylish and are the "it" item for Junior horses for various reasons.

The Rules for AQHA can be viewed at www.aqha.com.

A horse going in a curb bit on a loose rein shows brokeness. So, so many times I here "He goes so well in a snaffle, I've never thought of moving him to a harsher curb bit. Why would I want to?"

Here is the snarky brutally honest person coming out: IT SHOWS BROKENESS. Why, why, why would anyone go to look at a nine year old going in only a snaffle? I sure know that when I am cruising the classifieds looking for a horse, the horse that is "Super Gentle on the Trails! Bombproof!" and in a snaffle is skipped right over. A horse that goes well in a curb can go well in a snaffle too. If you want to ride him in a snaffle, it should be the same as riding him in a curb. Maybe it's because when you have a curb bit, your horse might flip over on top of you while you have a death grip on his face. I really don't know. In my opinion if the horse is four years old and going to be ridden Western, he should be able to be ridden in a curb bit on a loose rein without excessive guiding, jerking, or hauling on the face to get to stop. The only exception to my rule is the horse that is English specific and won't be used for Western events.

Stallions (that are not English only) should be ridden in a curb bit. If they are old enough for you to be breeding them to anything and everything, they should be broke enough to be ridden through the gate into a show ring in a curb bit...and win.

Stay Tuned!