How To Saddle A Horse

Optional Step

This next step is optional, but is practiced by a large percentage of riders. Many riders feel that the saddle pad can sometimes be pushed down too tightly over the withers of the horse by the saddle. These riders will slide their hand underneath the saddle pad at the withers, then push down with their hand so it raises up, lifting the saddle pad above it into the gullet of the saddle. This results in a little bit of extra room between the saddle pad and the withers.

In the picture shown at right, the hand is just starting to slide between the withers and the saddle pad. It should be pushed in a little deeper before the pad is raised.

Tip: You may have to loosen the front cinch a little during this step.

While your hand is underneath the saddle pad, you can also
loosen any mane hairs that may have been pushed down tight.

Buckle The Back Cinch

Buckle the back cinch.

Buckle The Breast Collar

Buckle the breast collar. If your breast collar is the type that has a strap that runs between the front legs, first buckle the left side of the breast collar to the saddle (shown) then run the strap between the front legs and snap it to the front ring on the front cinch.

There are many different styles of breast collars. Not all of them are designed to be buckled to the D-ring on the saddle's front rigging as shown. Fasten your breast collar to the saddle the way it was designed to be fastened.

Finished

When you're finished, step back and look things over. It's a good idea to walk around to the other side of the horse and make sure everything looks all right over there, too.

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Unsaddling A Horse

When you are ready to take the saddle off of your horse:

Unbuckle the back cinch and the breast collar before you undo the front cinch. Your front cinch is the main thing that keeps the saddle secure and upright on the horse. As stated in our safety tips at the bottom of the first page of this article, unbuckling the front cinch while leaving the back cinch and/or breast collar fastened could allow the saddle to slip underneath the horse and cause a serious wreck for the horse, equipment, and any people or property nearby.