01/10/2025
“HOW TO TELL YOU I KNOW NOTHING… WITHOUT SAYING I KNOW NOTHING!”
Every time we show up at the barn, or the schooling show, or the lesson, we’re holding up a sign. It tells our truths, either way. When we unload our horse, or join a group of riders to gather cattle, we’re telling them a lot about our horsemanship and ourselves.
A knowing horse(wo)man will glance over and immediately savvy that the other is a hand, even at a standstill, or while their horse is still tied to the trailer, waiting. How? It’s the gear being used and how it is set upon the horse.
I’m a ranch girl, so this is from a Western viewpoint but turn out is a thing, no matter our discipline of choice.
The horse is clean and reasonably fit. His feet are done. His hocks and tail aren’t full of crud. The lower legs will not be scurfy or brewing with scratches. The blanket or pad will fit, that is, by following the horse’s topline. It will likely be of a natural material. The saddle will fit by setting as low as possible, while amply clearing the withers.
The stirrups will be turned.
If a rope is carried, it will be coiled to lie flat, secured to the saddle snugly at the fork, with the hondo facing forward at about two or three o'clock. It won't bounce and flop, nor will it present a hazard down by the rider's boot, or behind his leg.
The back cinch won’t be left hanging loose. The latigo will be long and pliable, without the end reaching too low down the horse's lower legs. The cinch is the correct length, set evenly from side-to-side, instantly apparent by the D-ring visible between the horse's front legs.
A breast collar will be in just the right spot; not hanging too low, nor set too snugly. All the tails will be tucked into the keepers.
Saddles always tell us a lot. Are they maker-made or a respected name? A good horse(wo)man won’t ride a bad saddle. Period. They will always choose the excellent build, used and high-mileage, rather than a poorly-made saddle, new. Was the seat put in right, with the low point in the correct spot to give a balanced ride? Are the stirrups hung in the right place, without being too far forward, or set too far back?
We talk a lot about saddle fit, as it regards our horses. The mindful horse(wo)man will not ride a poorly-fitted saddle when it comes to the horse but neither will he, or she, ride any saddle that bodily prevents an effective position.
Many saddles will either throw a rider in a backwards chair seat, or else, have them leaning forward, making the classic ‘ear-shoulder-hip-heel’ vertical line impossible. No matter our discipline, a effortlessly balanced seat is the hallmark of a knowing rider.
If used, the horse’s boots will be at the ready, on the saddle and not left for long periods on the actual horse. Bandages are put on just before schooling and are removed immediately afterward. I’ve argued this one, alone, for years and am happy to say that science is newly backing up my ‘cooked legs’ theory.
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Bridles also tell us a lot. The design will be classically ‘quiet’ and of a quality make. The poll and browband or ear piece will be roomy enough for this particular horse. The bit will be in just the right spot, not too low and not too high. While individual horses may prefer a setting one or two holes from the norm, precious few do. The buckles will be adjusted evenly from side to side and the strapwork will not be flapping.
Even if a horse(wo)man rides eight horses a day, the straps will be tucked into the keepers. There will either be no noseband, or a correctly-adjusted cavesson on the bridle. The horse will always appear comfortable and able to flex and relax its jaw.
The reins will be long enough and of good ‘heft’, if Western. They will have a beautiful ‘hand’ to them, which means they are pleasant to hold, pliable from use, cleaning and conditioning. Reins are always telling when it comes to our horsemanship.
A rider who is proud of his, or her, turn out is remarkably free from gimmicks or trends. Seldom will their horses be seen in the latest bit or piece of headgear that promises excellent results. No, they trust in their own hands, feel and the passing of time.
As for our own turn out, our headgear is telling. From the Western viewpoint, they will be shaped in an up-to-date way and not just pulled like a taco shell from the store rack. They will suck down levelly, to just above the eyebrows and they will not blow off. Jeans are ‘stacked’ long enough to never sore the rider’s knees, nor ride up.
Our boots are workmanlike, even if they are coloured—and the good Lord knows I love my coloured boots—but they still do the job. This means that I can ride in them, I can walk in them and most importantly, my foot will slide out when it’s time to step down.
I know that the same can be said by how we turn ourselves out in the jumper and dressage worlds, too. We can say the same thing when we watch carriage driving. By the way, loosely-hanging hair ranks right up with poorly-fitting helmets and fly-away hats.
Unless we’re rodeo queens, we can’t go wrong with severity in our hairstyles, under our head gear. It’s about tradition, yes, but it’s also about safety, lowering the risk of hanging up. Reducing the number of moving parts. Being still and workmanlike, not throwing the horse into our own shadow. Good turn out means letting the horse be the star of the show.
We women want to be riding in undergarments that are up to the task.
People will get defensive about their gear, saying they’re not rich and can only afford second-rate saddles and that they don’t care about keeping up with the Jones' or the latest trends. This is my point. Turn out is about quality. It's about getting real bang for your buck, about safety and comfort. It’s about rising above the whims of fashion.
It's about keeping everything on board ship-shape.
There are used gear groups online with top-quality custom saddles going very reasonably, due to their high-mileage. Short of a broken tree, most good used saddles are worth taking to a saddler for new latigos and to check out the health of the stirrup leathers. We can instantly up their ‘curb appeal’ by adding a pair of more current stirrups, or a set of good vintage conchas, if that sort of thing matters to us.
I have many saddles in my tack room, to serve different horses and needs. This was only made possible because I buy used gear.
I would rather put what money I can, into a high-mileage, top-quality saddle and bridle, than pretty much anything of the same price point, new. I feel the same way about bits. I don’t buy bits made in China, or saddles made in countries that don’t ride my discipline—not because I’m a xenophobe, or I’m making any political statement—but because I believe that our bit and saddle makers need to know something about horses. They need to know, first-hand, the job we’re doing and the feel we seek.
For good or bad, our tools say so much about the people we are, the standards we uphold and how we ride.
Like it or not, that mysterious thing called ‘turn out’ always tells the story of how deeply we honour the horse.
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