Horses are magnificent creatures, full of grandeur and nobility. They’ve been carrying us on their backs for thousands of years and have led us to places previously unexplored. Now that horses ceased to be the primary means of transportation, equestrianism migrated to the sphere of leisure activities. Cars have replaced horses in everyday life, but nothing can substitute a living and breathing companion with whom you roam the vast plains and country roads.
In every horse riding session, there are two participants: the rider and the horse. Both need to prepare for the occasion to prevent avoidable traumas and make the experience smooth and mutually enjoyable. You can take care of yourself, but your horse cannot. Where to find the equestrian equipment? A local pet shop might focus on smaller animals, and not every town has a specialized horse gear shop. The times of brick-and-mortar stores’ dominance have passed, now is the age of the Internet. We can offer you horse tack, produced by one of the industry’s major players Intrepid International.
First of all, you need a horse bridle to guide your steed. The bridle consists of several parts, one of the vital ones being the bit. It is an assembly of components that are used to control the horse’s mouth and communicate the direction you want the horse to take. Without the bit, the bridle turns into a halter, which is not suitable for riding as it lacks the means to sufficiently control the horse’s movements. Intrepid International provides all main varieties of bits, including:
English bits, also called snaffle bits, are designed to control horses through subtle cues. They don’t have any shank pieces on the cheeks and usually come in various ring forms.
Western bits are distinguished from the previous ones by long shanks on the cheek pieces, but they also come in O-ring styles. Different styles of Western bits allow the rider to exert different leverage to guide the horse while riding with a single hand.
Mullen Mouth bits are a variation of snaffle bits with a straight bar as the central piece.
Tom Thumb bits have shorter shanks that allow for quicker response of the horse as opposed to bits with longer shanks. A great option for novice riders who need their horse to react swiftly to their commands.
Placing the saddle right onto your horse is a poor idea: you are going to bounce a lot when riding, and the impact may distract both you and your steed. Besides, a raw saddle is hardly comfortable for your horse to wear, so getting a pad is essential for your and your hooved friend’s comfort. Intrepid International produces saddles of different shapes and colors, equipped with some additional features to improve your riding experience.
Horse boots are designed to protect the horse’s front and hind legs during energetic activities like jumping, reining, and other forms of fast movement. If one leg strikes another, especially the one with a horseshoe, the trauma is unavoidable. Unless you’ve prepared for this occasion and provisionally equipped your horse with boots. Those are not actual human boots for horses, but soft pads with straps to protect the part of the leg above the hooves.
We also have other horse riding accessories for your consideration. Gritr Outdoors offers Intrepid saddles, horse straps, halters, and girths to make your equestrian gear set complete.