Basic equipment for horses

Did you buy a horse? First of all, congratulations! Buying your own horse is a big step and there are many details involved in purchasing it. If your horse does not yet have basic equipment from the possible previous owner, then you have to purchase a few things. Go directly to the checklist for basic equipment for horses.

The biggest financial item is usually the horse itself. But the costs for the initial equipment should also be considered in advance. If you want or have to buy everything from scratch, you can count on another 1000 € or more, depending on which saddle you choose. But let's start with the "little" things.

The grooming box is part of the basic equipment for horses

Of course, you can't ride your horse if it's dirty. Grooming is also a way of strengthening the bond with your horse. In addition, you also have the opportunity to do so while cleaning eventual scratches or other injuries. During the change of coat, your horse will also be grateful if you help him to get rid of the itchy hair. Incidentally, the is suitable for this Change of coat from Fellschön especially good.

So what equipment belongs in the cleaning box?

• Grooming box or cleaning bag to store the brushes
• Plastic or rubber curls. A rubber curry bar has the advantage that you can also use it to get rid of dirt crusts on your legs
• Grooming brush to smooth the fur again and to pick up dirt, for example from HAAS brush manufacturer
• Root brush for removing coarse dirt
• Tail and mane brush to detangle. You should use a care product on your tail beforehand so as not to pull out tail hair unnecessarily.
• Hoof scratches to remove dirt and stones
• Hoof brush for care products such as hoof oil or balm

Of course, this is only the absolutely necessary cleaning kit. Sponges, washing gloves, sweat knives and damp baby wipes can also be found in most cleaning boxes. Here you can find all of our Cleaning kit assortment.

Care products are also required in the basic equipment for horses

Many care products are offered in the equestrian shop. Only once are really important in the initial equipment Care products for the hooves, like hoof oil or balm. Caring for the hooves is a very important issue. Especially if your horse tends to have dry hooves or they become soft quickly, you should work against it with the right product. Of course, a farrier needs to have both eyes on your horse's hooves on a regular basis 😉

In addition to hoof care, you will be assigned in summer Insect repellent sprays or gels need. Mosquitoes, stable flies and horseflies will chase you. Especially when there is a grain field nearby. To protect yourself from bites and stings, you can Insect repellent sprays to use. We at lepona.de almost all use the fly spray Extra Strength from Car & Day & Martin. But when it comes to fly sprays, opinions differ widely. Some riders find that Leovet Power Phaser or Effol brake blockers better.

There are also numerous products available to care for or wash your horse's coat. Especially if you want to brush the tail, it is advisable to use a tail spray beforehand. Then the brush glides through more easily, the hair is cared for and you don't need to pluck hair out. There are also special products for mold that are designed to help remove grass and manure stains. For dark horses there are Color Enhancing Shampoos, which make the color shine even more. In the Grooming category you can find all helpful products.

What you should also think about are leather care and Cleaning. The equipment should be cleaned of sweat, grease and dirt at regular intervals. Then you care for the leather with a leather oil or grease so that it stays supple. There are also products like the Leovet Leder Jerk-Zuck or the Effax Leather station wagonthat are both in one.

The stable pharmacy is indispensable

Wherever great forces are at work, scrapes and scratches sometimes occur. Horses are not that squeamish about the ranking. As a result, you may need to treat small wounds. You should always have ointment, disinfectant spray and silver or blue spray, bandages and have clean gauze bandages there. You should also put cooling gel against stings or bites in the tack cabinet. Cold Pack or Celsius Gel helps with swollen tendons. Before doing this, you should cool the leg with water. A thermometer should not be missing in any stall pharmacy. The normal temperature for horses is between 37,0 and 38,0 ° C. In young horses it can be one degree Celsius higher. If your horse is severely paralyzed, bleeding a lot, or you are unable to cope with the injury, you should definitely call your vet. They can often give you some advice over the phone.

Halters and cords are a must

At least one halter with rope is necessary to lead your horse. It is better if you still have a spare in case your horse loses its halter in the pasture or the rope got feet in the stable. That happens in sworn stable communities and the rope just reappears in front of your box at some point.

Halters are available in leather, nylon or with synthetic fur. There are also holsters for different applications, although you can actually use every holster for everything. But the individual types offer some advantages:

• Willow halter are mostly made of tear-resistant nylon and rather simple. They usually cost relatively little. When your horse wears his halter in the pasture, go for bold colors. You can find these again in an emergency on the large meadow if your horse has lost its halter.
• Foal halter are halters in very small sizes, even smaller than P (pony).
• Halter are actually only willow halters. However, many riders have a halter for "good", ie a particularly beautiful halter made of lambskin, faux fur, with glitter or made of leather. This halter is then also taken when the horse is being transported.
• GoLeyGo halter are equipped with the GoLeyGo adapter pin, which fits the GoLeyGo rope. This is a magnetic locking system, which is also known from the dog sector. The rope “snaps” to the halter due to the magnetism and is released again by pulling the locking ring downwards.
• Knot halter for floor work comes in many colors. The rope halter should support the communication between you and your horse while working on the ground. NEVER TIE YOUR HORSE TO THE HANGER!

In any case, one or two simple nylon halters in the appropriate size (W, WB/Full, XFull, VB/COB, pony or foal) with matching rope. The rope can either have a panic hook or a carabiner as a clasp. Both types of lock have predetermined breaking points that break so that the horse cannot hang himself up.

A well-fitted saddle is part of the basic equipment for horses

The saddle will probably be the most expensive piece of equipment you will buy. Depending on which type of saddle you choose, you can spend between 500 and several thousand euros. On average, a new dressage or jumping saddle costs around 1500 to 2500 €. Treeless saddles, lambskin saddles or bareback pads are significantly cheaper, but are not suitable for every horse-rider combination. Get advice from a saddler about the different types and models so that the saddle fits your horse and you. Of course you can also buy a used saddle, but the basic shape should also fit and must be adjusted by a saddler.

Minor irregularities in the fit can be compensated for with lambskin or gel pads. This Korrekturpads are suitable, for example, for horses in the training structure, but are not necessarily part of the basic equipment for horses. For example, if your horse has a poorly developed trapezius muscle, you can use a raised gel pad at the front until this muscle is built up. The same applies to pads raised at the back if the back muscles are missing.

Some riders also use lambskin pads when there is actually no muscular need. Sheepskin and gel pads cushion shocks from the rider and thus protect the horse's back. If you plan to use such a pad for protection, discuss this with your saddler as well. The pad then has to take this into account when making the adjustment so that the chamber of the saddle does not become too narrow.

The Girth you shouldn't forget either! At the bottom of the page in our shop you will find an explanation of the different shapes and which ones best suit your horse's body shape.

Bridle and bit

Next to the saddle is that Bridle Another important leather item that you need for riding and that is part of the basic equipment for horses. Usually the seller can give you an indication of the type of bridle your horse has been ridden with so far. Or maybe you want to choose another variant.

To give you a rough overview, here are the common types of bridles:

• Within the Hanoverian bridle the noseband lies rather low on the horse's nose and is buckled under the bit. It was developed for horses who want to evade rein aids by pushing the lower jaw sideways. Make sure to buckle the noseband high enough so that it still rests on the stable part of the nasal bone. However, it must be buckled deep enough so that it does not press the bit into the corner of the mouth. Due to the deep buckling, one speaks of a somewhat sharper version of the bridle.
• The English combined bridle is probably the most common. You can recognize them by the lanyard. The English noseband, which is used in curb bridles, was combined with the Hanoverian noseband in this variant. The noseband is two fingers wide below the cheekbone, the lanyard below the bit.
• The Swedish combined noseband is very similar to the combined English. However, it is often better padded in the area of ​​the noseband and has a pulley on the noseband. The result is that the pressure of the buckle is not applied selectively, but rather via the noseband. On the other hand, Swedish combined tempts you to buckle up too tightly due to the pulley.
• The mexican noseband is often seen in show jumping, which allows the horse a lot of freedom of breath. It is characterized by the leather straps crossed on the nasal bone, which are often softly padded.
• Anatomical bridles try to avoid sensitive areas on the horse's head, such as bones or nerve tracts. The headpieces are also often specially shaped to give the ears plenty of room to move and not to press the neck. However, this type of snaffle must also be adapted very precisely to the horse's head.

Which variant you choose depends on your taste, but primarily on the behavior of the horse. As a rule, all horses run well with an English or Swedish combined bridle. If your horse is sensitive or maybe already has osteoarthritis in the neck, you should take a look at the anatomical variants. If it's badly against the hand, a Hanoverian noseband might help.

And what about bitless bridles?

A bitless bridle is, for example, the sidepull, the bitless bridle or the hackamore. The Sidepull is particularly suitable as an introduction. You can find the explanation of the different bitless bridles at the bottom of the page "Bitless riding". At first you should only try riding with a bitless bridle in a closed environment. So in the hall or on a fenced outdoor area. Please do not ride directly into the terrain on the first attempt.

Riding with this kind of bridle is always a self-control for you. Do you ride independently of the reins with weight and leg aids? Does your horse even react to these aids? Does it bend correctly and really run down your back? You can control all of this with a bitless bridle.

The bit is part of the basic equipment for horses

Not to be neglected in the basic equipment for horses is the choice of the correct one Dentition. Basics on the subject of bits we have already explained to you in detail. We've also provided instructions on how to do this Measure the bit correctly.

Basically, you can ride the "ordinary riding horse" with a single or double broken snaffle. It can of course happen that you have chosen a specialist who does not like this bit at all. Ask the previous owner or your riding instructor which bit he recommends. The vet can also take a trained look into the horse's mouth and help you make your choice.

The saddle pad is part of the basic equipment for horses

Of course, it can also be a saddlecloth. But actually they are almost exclusively valances Bought. The difference is in the shape. While the saddlecloth follows the shape of the saddle and can hardly be seen under the saddle, the saddle pad looks a bit more impressive. There are also saddle pads in all possible colors and designs. Equestrian manufacturers like Eskadron, PS of Sweden, Equestrian Stockholm or Cavallo design new collections every year that fit the latest trend in equestrian sports.

The reason for the saddle pad is originally to protect the saddle from dirt and sweat. A good saddle pad catches sweat and transports it away. Today the saddle pad is also a fashion statement, which with the matching color Bandages or gaiters and Fly ears is combined.

Saddle pads are available in the sizes dressage / Full,VS, Cob and bangs. Dressage and pony are probably self-explanatory. The size VS belongs under the jumping saddle or the all-purpose saddle. The size COB or VB is intended for Thoroughbreds or more delicate horses.

If you intend to get into competition riding, you will also need a white saddle pad for dressage. In show jumping you don't take it that seriously with color. It can also be a little stronger. You can also ride classically with a white saddle pad. This can then also be set off in both disciplines with a glitter border or colored piping. By the way, forget those Start numbers Not! These are also available for saddle pads if your horse doesn't like the start number on the bridle that much.

Turnout rugs, rain rugs, sweat rugs & fly rugs. Do you really need all of this?

The sweat rug belongs in the basic equipment in any case for horses. Especially in winter, it helps your horse sweat and dry off faster after a training session. The material wicks moisture away from the fur to the outside. Of course, a sweat blanket does not replace the cool-down phase after each training session, which means walking on the long reins for at least 10 minutes. A sweat blanket can also be useful on rainy days and when driving on the trailer. If your horse is soaked, it will dry faster. If your horse sweats a lot during the ride, it will at least stay almost dry and will not arrive at the destination soaking wet.

Willow and rain blankets are suitable for horses that do not cope well with cold or wet days or are clipped. Older horses, in particular, who quickly catch cold on their backs, should be covered up in winter and when it rains. These types of horse blankets are unnecessary for horses that live in an open stable. These are usually used to the temperatures of the year and develop suitable fur.

Unfortunately, riders often cover up too early and too thickly. But if you are already bitterly cold, your horse is just feeling good. The general comfort temperature of horses is between 5 and 15 ° C. If your horse is not shorn and is at its prime, you do not need to bother it with a winter blanket before the temperature drops below 5 ° C. However, this is only a guideline. Pay attention to your horse's behavior. If it feels very cold and stands in its box a lot without being able to move, it might make sense to reach for the ceiling. After a while, put your hand under the covers and feel the temperature. If your horse is unusually warm or even sweats, the blanket you have chosen is definitely too thick. Then reach for a thinner variant.

The Fly sheet is often used from summer to early autumn. Because even your horse can be quite annoyed by annoying flies, horseflies, tingling and mosquitos. If your horse reacts strongly to insect bites or is even eczema, you cannot avoid buying a fly sheet. Even very annoyed horses benefit from this type of horse blanket. Whether your horse is annoyed, it shows you very clearly with head banging, kicking out or running around wildly on its pasture.

Are gaiters & Co also part of the basic equipment for horses?

Your horse's legs are sensitive. This is also made weird by nature. A large, heavy horse body on such thin stilts. Many riders therefore constantly pack their horse's legs, be it on the meadow with gaiters and bells or during training. But is that really necessary?

In show jumping I would say: YES! Because when overcoming the various obstacles, the horse can cross its legs and step into something quickly. So you should definitely be in this area too Hard shell leggings and fetlock access, possibly even to Hoof bells.

In dressage it is not absolutely necessary to use leg protection. However, if your horse steps very far over, or crosses it very far, is not yet balanced or simply bumpy, you can move your legs with you bandages or Dressurgamaschen protect. The advantage of bandages is that they support the ligaments and eyes and give them hold. But be careful not to wrap the bandages too tightly. Gaiters, on the other hand, are easier and faster to put on and are often made of stiffer material or lined with lambskin / faux fur.

Some horses are a bit wild in the pasture or just a little cocky. If your horse is shod, it may kick its front hoof pads as it romps. And iron against meat? You can guess how that turns out. Therefore these horses often wear bell boots. If your horse is such a cocky candidate, you can also think about gaiters in the meadow. However, gaiters should not be worn for many hours. Because in the long run, gaiters disrupt the blood circulation and lymph flow in the horse's leg. The consequences are swollen legs, pressure points and necrosis. You can tell by the white hair on your leg that looks unnatural. In these areas the skin has died from the pressure.

Also, wearing leg protection all the time makes some horses careless. They no longer pay close attention to where they put their hooves and scratches are becoming more common. Scratches can be treated quickly with ointments and you cannot prevent a broken leg or tendon damage with the use of bandages, gaiters, etc. So just let your horse be a horse and only use this protection in the field, in show jumping and when it is really necessary.

Leg protection is therefore part of the basic equipment for horses under certain conditions.

Basic equipment for horses: the lunge, lunging belt and auxiliary reins for lunging

Lungeing is generally good for all horses. Some riders use the Farto just let your horse jog when you don't have the time or inclination to ride. Then usually on the halter or on Cavesson lunges and the horse can move freely as it likes. The point here is that your horse actually moves in all gaits, in the best case stretches forwards and downwards and loosens the muscles. This is particularly useful if you do not have a horse walker available and just want to move your horse in a controlled manner for 20 - 30 minutes. Especially if you keep stalls in winter without having to spend hours on pasture or paddock, you can let these crisp horses let off steam.

However, a well-planned lunging unit can do much more than simply tossing the horse in a circle.

ATTENTION! I know there are some views on lunging. Some only lunge tied to the bridle, others lunge freely on the cavesson and some are right in between. How you lunge in the end is up to you. However, find out beforehand how exactly this type of lunging is done and, if in doubt, get an experienced rider or riding instructor.
But here I write and I lunge both freely and tied, because both have advantages and disadvantages for me.

You can train muscles on the lunge with the double lunge even practice side movements, piaffe, passage and much more, and give your horse the opportunity to move properly without the weight of the rider. To do this, your horse needs to be able to approach the bit. That's why you untie your horse in this case too. Most riders use a triangle or walker reins. I already told you about the advantages of these auxiliary reins in the article Use auxiliary reins correctly - types, use, advantages & disadvantages explained in detail.

In order to be able to attach an auxiliary reins, you either need your saddle or one Lunging belt with a suitable pad. This can either be a saddle pad or a lunging belt pad.

You should also buy a lunge whip. This not only serves to drive your horse, but can also be used in a very targeted manner. For example (if you have practiced properly) you can specifically touch the cannon legs, thigh or shoulder of your horse. This is all for fine communication. If I touch my horse's cannon bone, it knows exactly that it should use its hind legs a little more, for example. Because my horse is a slouch and usually doesn't lift its hind legs very well, but traipses around on the forehand. If I touch his shoulder, he moves outwards. If I touch him on the thigh, he's just too tired for me. If your horse has learned to sit more when touched on the croup, you can also use this when lunging.

An Lunge with accessories So for me it is definitely part of the basic equipment for horses.

Basic equipment for horses - checklist

You managed to read this loooong article. Or just jumped right here 😉
In any case, you can download the practical checklist here. You can print them out and simply check off what is already there. So you won't forget anything and your new four-legged partner can move in relaxed.

As always, this also applies here. From my point of view, this text is written with my experiences. If you miss something or discover major errors, I would be happy to hear from you. If you think the article is good, then I would be even more happy to receive a comment 😉