Thinking about Taking Up Horse Back Riding? Here are a Few Facts About the Necessary Equipment

Are you thinking about taking up a new hobby? Have you always want to spend a little bit more time in the great outdoors? Are you a huge animal lover? If you answered yes to the previous questions, then you might want to think about taking horseback riding lessons. Not only will you learn a new skill while spending time outdoors, you will also be able to get a great workout. Here are a few facts about the history of horseback riding, the horseback riding equipment you might need to invest in, and the different kinds of riding you can decide to learn.

Horseback riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, steeplechasing, or vaulting with horses. This rather all encompassing description includes the use of horses for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises, and competitive sport. Horses are trained and ridden for practical working purposes such as in police work or for controlling herd animals on a ranch. They are also used in competitive sports including, but not limited to, dressage, endurance riding, eventing, reining, show jumping, tent pegging, vaulting, polo, horse racing, driving, and rodeo.

Though there has been a lot of controversy over the exact date horses were domesticated and when they were first ridden, the best estimate is that horses first were ridden approximately 4500 BCE. Indirect evidence suggests that horses were ridden long before they were used for work purposes.

Appropriate horse riding gear, which is also referred to as tack. allows the rider and the horse to comfortably, and safely enjoy the ride. The type of horseback riding equipment you should be investing in depends largely on the type of riding that you will be doing. Western riding, which evolved from the cattle working and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, requires different horse apparel, horse riding pants, and horseback riding spurs then English riding does. English riding is the basic style of riding seen most notably in the Olympics. Though English saddles and other English horseback riding equipment are also used by many pleasure riders for everyday riding.

There is a huge amount of equestrian riding apparel that you can invest in including winter jackets specifically for horse riding to keep you at an adequate temperature. In fact horse riding and the equipment that is necessary for it is approximately a 112 billion dollar industry in the United States. One of the reasons for this is the fact that around 45 states in the country each have a population of 20,000 horses.

If you think about taking up horseback riding, you should make sure to do a little bit of research to make sure that you do not end up buying the wrong equipment. Continue your research here.