Equine

The general term 'equine' is a horse reference that can be used to describe anything pertaining to horses. Those who are passionate about horse riding, known as equestrians, need to invest in a variety of equine products, which are collectively known as horse tack. Horse tack includes saddles, harnesses, reins, bits, stirrups, and bridals, among other things. Saddles come in two major categories: English saddles and Western saddles. Western saddles are used primarily for roping, endurance, and pleasure riding, while English saddles are used for jumping, dressage, racing, and polo. Many people find the distinguishing factor between the two saddles to be the presence of a horn, but because horns are not present on all Western saddles, this isn't always a reliable distinction. Another important piece of equine equipment is the bridle or halter. This arrangement of straps is put around the horse's head and attached to a bit in the horse's mouth. The presence of a bit is the key difference between bridles and halters. While bridles are attached to a bit, halters are not. The reins are attached to the bridle or halter to help steer the animal and give commands.Martingales are used to keep the horses from raising their heads too much. This keeps the animal within the ability of the rider to control, so that the horse isn't able to toss its head around, which could injure the rider. Different types of martingales include standing martingales, running martingales, and Irish martingales. The Irish martingale is unique, because it doesn't control the animal's head. Instead, it keeps the reins safely away from the horse in the event of a fall.