Picking the Right Tack & Clothing

Here is a guide for tack and clothing for English and Western disciplines.

English Clothing:
When buying English boots, having the right measurements of your lower leg is crucial. For riders below the age of 12 wear short English boots with half chaps in lessons and with jodhpurs in the show ring. Purchasing tall boots requires three measurements: the height and width of your calf and foot size. Each boot brand has their own signature fit that may work for some riders but not others. Popular boot brands like Ariat will have short/tall and slim/regular options to fit your leg. However, there are brands like DeNiro where riders can customize their boots for an affordable price.
Unlike Western riders that wear the classic, fancy spurs with rowels, English riders wear smaller spurs with little to no decorations. Spurs can have various sized stubs or stubs with a ball on the end for a gentle poke depending on how much pressure your horse needs to keep moving.
Gloves are an addition to a new rider’s wardrobe that they never knew they needed. They protect your hands and strengthen your grip on the reins. Gloves are wonderful for horses that lean on the bit and prevent blisters from pulling on the reins. Hunter Jumper and Equitation events require riders to wear all black gloves as well as Dressage riders, but they can choose between all black or all white.
In all equestrian events, riders should own a helmet. Although there are many Western events where helmets are optional, all English events require a functional, protective helmet. In Hunter Jumper and Equitation events, helmets should be all black with no rhinestones. However, in Jumpers and Dressage, riders can wear any color and sparkly helmet. Popular English riding helmet brands include Charles Owen, Samshield, Ovation, GPA, Tipperary, and One K.
Finding the best pair or brand of breeches to purchase is an English rider’s moment of glory. When looking for breeches, there are three measurements you should keep in mind: waist, hips, and from the top of the thigh to the heel. Breeches also include sizes that are not available for normal jeans/pants sizes including a size 22, which often works for riders that would wear a 24. Breeches come in high and low waist options as well as lengths from the mid-calf to the heel. There are also breeches made for specific disciplines so it is important to search for breeches for your discipline.
When in lessons, riders can wear any top that can tuck into their breeches. There are colorful riding shirts such as ones made by Kastel and ASMAR Equestrian that are often worn by riders during lessons. However, in the show ring, English riders in Hunter Jumper, Equitation, and Dressage should wear white, long sleeve show shirts- with a fold up collar. In Jumpers, riders can typically wear whatever color show shirt, but should have a white show shirt for classic events.

English Tack:
English saddles are lightweight with no horn with a pommel and a leather seat. Saddles are a big purchase, so riders often order them custom. Voltaire does a great deal for young riders, who will grow out of their saddles, where they purchase a saddle while they are still junior riders and then can receive a brand new, custom saddle on the rider’s 19th birthday. Underneath the saddle, English riders use a square pad and half pad for additional support. In the Hunter and Equ show ring, riders must use just a white wool show pad.
Girths keep the saddle on the horse. English riders use girths with two buckles on each end that attach to straps on the saddle.
English bridles often include a browband and noseband and the reins are selected based on what works best for both horse and rider. There are different types on nosbands including a rolled elastic grackle noseband and a flash noseband which both serve to keep the horse’s mouth shut. While that does not sound super friendly, horses will sometimes open their mouth just enough to where they can resist the bit.
Choosing the right bit is all about what works best for your horse. You don’t want something too strong, or something too soft. Riders often own more than one bit from the trial and error process of trying to figure out the right bit.
Martingales are often paired with a bridle to add more control of the horse’s head movements- mainly to prevent them from whipping their head in the air while jumping.
Boots and wraps protect the lower legs of the horse from experiencing trauma. They can also absorb the shock of the horse’s hooves hitting the ground.

Western Clothing:
Riders can wear any pair of cowboy boots, but the boots should be comfortable and durable. Recommended boots include Ariat Heritage Lacer Western Cowboy Boot and Ariat Fatboy.
Boot cut jeans that cover the cowboy boots are worn in all Western disciples. Because these jeans need to be made of real denim to withstand all the wear in the saddle and in the dirt, jeans by Wrangler and Ariat.
Chaps complete the Western lifestyle-look in several western disciplines. However, full chaps are an investment so it is important to get a high quality pair that will not only match all your rodeo outfits in the show ring, but also last for years.

Similarly to English disciplines, riders typically lesson in whatever shirts they can tuck into their pants. Additionally, not all western disciplines require riders to wear show shirts. However, Western show shirts come in multiple, vibrant colors and can be found at CR Ranchwear and Schneider’s.
The fancy Western spurs are comprised of the leather strap, metal heel band, a chap guard, shank, the rowel pin cover and the famous rowel. The spurs act as an extension of the rider’s heel to reinforce leg cues.
Gloves are not as popular in western disciplines as they are in English, but special gloves are made for roping to protect the rider’s hands while using the lariat.
Contrary to English disciplines, Western riders can, but do not often wear helmets. The reason is simply that cowboys and cowgirls love their cowboy hats and would rather wear them than a helmet.

Western Tack:
Like English, there are different types of saddles for each discipline, but generally, western saddles are much heavier than English saddles, are wider with a deep seat, have a tall horn and skirts with beautiful designs in the leather. Underneath the saddle are just one thick rectangular paddles.
Girths are wider than English girths, but are very similar except for the way they attach to the saddle. The Western saddles will have a long length strand that is looped through the ring of the girth and then tied around a ring on the saddle.
Breast Collars are an optional piece of tack that serves to secure the saddle in place and prevent the saddle from sliding back while riding.
Western Bridles simply consist of an additional brow band that either goes straight across or is split so the leather pieces wrap around each ear. Choosing the right bit is all about what works best for your horse. You don’t want something too strong, or something too soft. Riders often own more than one bit from the trial and error process of trying to figure out the right bit.
Boots and wraps protect the lower legs of the horse from experiencing trauma. They can also absorb the shock of the horse’s hooves hitting the ground, especially during the tight turns and explosive movements in many Western events.