Horseback Riding 101

Lesson 2: Basic Rider Equipment for Safe Riding

Other useful equipment to acquire, children and adults

Crops and whips. Most beginners just hate the idea of striking a horse with a crop or bat or whip. (These are somewhat interchangeable terms, although each does actually mean a specific instrument.) And most beginners cannot yet handle all the operations they are expected to perform on horseback, never mind adding holding and using one of these aids.

(Aids is a term used to describe what we use to influence a horse. The legs, hands and seat are natural aids. Whips, crops, bats and spurs are artificial aids.)

But it would be as well to acquire one of these now, so that you will have it when your instructor decides you need it. Tell your instructor you have one, but do not carry it into the lesson unless asked.

A bat is a long stick, often wrapped in a colorful binding, with a rubberized grip handle and a one-inch wide or better doubled popper, or the end that strikes the horse. A jumping bat is the longest variety, and one you are unlikely to need until you are jumping very big fences, or have a very stubborn horse. A regular bat is somewhat shorter, and a pony club bat, the shortest, is appropriate for young junior riders on ponies. Bats do not have wrist straps.

A crop is a long stick, also covered, with a slender handle, often topped with a button to keep it from slipping through the hands. The popper is doubled leather, but only about ¼ of an inch wide. There is usually a wrist strap because this is the aid traditionally used by foxhunters. If it slipped out of their hands, it wouldn’t’ fall to the ground, saving them a dismount and remount to retrieve it, and the problems of catching up with the rest of the hunt. In lesson work, it is best not to use the wrist strap but just let it hang to make switching the crop from hand to hand easier; the crop is often switched to influence a particular side of the horse until the rider gains strength and skill. Plus, if it drops in the riding arena, it is no problem for the instructor to pick it up or the rider to dismount to retrieve it.

A whip is a long, covered stick with a handle that has a string popper, rather than leather, on the end. Some horses respond better to this than to the leather popper.

Spurs

Spurs are things you will not need until long after you begin to canter and jump and your leg position is stable. On the other hand, there are some very old, very lazy school horses that not only tolerate the imprecise use of a short spur by a beginner, but also require it to move at all. So invest in them; they won’t spoil, and you never know when your instructor will call for them.

Buy Tom Thumb spurs (the shortest shank, or part that touches the horse’s side) or Prince of Wales (the next longest). Do not buy rowel spurs, ones with a moving wheel either with notches or without. These are sold in English tack shops, but they are for dressage use only and are not allowed in Hunter shows. Some people use them to train horses. But beginners will have no need of them; they are very harsh and take a very experienced, stable and tactful rider to use without abuse.

Fly Spray

In almost any climate, this is handy to have in the summer. It doesn’t matter what kind you buy; most are about equally effective. If you’re so inclined, there are new all-natural fly sprays on the market, which is appealing since you will get the stuff on your hands and clothing. It’s hard to imagine a thousand-pound horse being harmed by a little bit even of the older, more toxic sprays.

Use fly spray all over the horse—legs, body, neck and tail—but not his face, unless you spray it into your hand and rub it on his ears and face, but not too close to eyes, nostrils and lips.

You can also invest in a fly repellent roll-on for the horse’s face, still being careful not to get it too close to his eyes, lips or nostrils.

Basic grooming kit

The content of this kit was described in Lesson One. If you are going to buy your own kit, be sure the barn will allow to you use it; some barns prefer that you use only their equipment.

If you can have your own grooming things, buy a plastic grooming box to carry the equipment in. These are available at tack shops in all colors and should easily hold everything you will need at this point.

Be sure to clean your brushes occasionally in warm, soapy water. Rinse them well, and set them outside, preferably on some grass in the sun, to dry. Dry off the wooden handle and then set them down bristles down so the water drains out and does not warp the wood.

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