Horse tack can refer to any equipment used to make equestrian sports easier, though it usually refers to the items a horse "wears" while being ridden. Saddles and bridles are the most common and well-known forms of horse tack, but there are plenty of others.
Saddle
The saddle is the piece of horse tack that is placed on the horse's back, and is where the rider sits for equestrian activities. There are dozens of different types of saddles, though they are primarily categorized as "English" and "western".
English saddles are further differentiated as cutback, all purpose, side saddle, close contact and several other types. Western saddles, on the other hand, are usually named for the sport in which they are used, such as barrel saddles and reining saddles.
Bridle
A bridle as horse tack is the piece of equestrian equipment that is placed on the horse's head. Nearly all bridles have a cheek piece, headstall and throatlatch, while others come with a cavesson and brow band.
Bridles, like saddles, are usually constructed of leather, and can be decorated to suit a particular equestrian sport. For example, dressage bridles are typically black and white, while saddleseat bridles might have colorful cheek pieces.
Girth
The girth (or cinch) is the strap that holds the saddle to the horse. This piece of horse tack can be constructed of leather, plastic, rubber or other materials. A girth for an English saddle usually has two buckles on either end of the strap, which connect to the saddle billets. A cinch on a western saddle is sometimes equipped with a buckle, but more often simply has two metal rings around which the latigo is tied.
Reins
Reins are a piece of horse tack that are attached to the bridle for equestrian sports. They are usually made of leather, and may be either smooth or braided. Western reins are typically buckled at one end and leather at the other, while English reins have buckles on both ends.
Martingale
A martingale is a more sophisticated piece of horse tack that is used to keep a horse's head from lifting too high in the air. A running martingale wraps around the horse's chest, slips between the legs to the girth, and has two leather straps with rings through which the reins are threaded.
A standing martingale, on the other hand, has a single leather strap that connects to the cavesson rather than the reins.
Breast Collar
Most often used in western sports, a breast collar is a piece of horse tack that is used to keep a saddle in place. It wraps around the neck and chest like a martingale, but is attached to the saddle rather than the reins by two leather or nylon straps with buckles.
Saddle Pad
If a saddle is placed directly on a horse's back, the leather will rub sores in the skin and be very uncomfortable. This is why an additional piece of horse tack, called a saddle pad, is used. In English riding, a saddle pad may be contoured to the shape of the saddle or cut like a rectangle instead. Western pads are thicker and are generally rectangular in shape.
These are the basic pieces of horse tack, but there are other types of equestrian equipment used for specific sports or training. It is important to know how to use all of this equipment effectively to avoid danger to the horse and the rider.
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