Horse Show Tack

What You Need For Your Western Classes

Having the right horse show tack for your western classes is very important when showing.

As you have probably figured out by now, you need to have tack in order to ride or show your horse.

If you are newer to horse showing you may be even more confused. Wondering where to begin shopping and how much it’s going to cost? My best advice would be to relax. If you are starting from zero and don't have money sitting in the bank waiting to be spent on your horse, you are not alone.

We are going to cover the horse show tack you need to compete in your western classes. horse-show-tack

The Tack You Need For The Classes You Show

When trying to organize the horse show tack you need for showing, it may be best to break it down by class. For each class you show in, different horse show tack may be required. Below we will take a look at the tack you need for western in-hand and riding classes.

Halter & Showmanship:
Both halter and showmanship are the most common in-hand classes you will encounter showing horses. Fortunately the same horse show tack can be used in both classes. Both classes require some type of show halter and lead. At the very least you want a nice leather halter.

If you spend some time at most horse shows you will find that many show halters are made of different shades or oils of leather. Some are lighter and some are darker. You may also find many halters decked out in a variety of silver and in some cases, colored stones.

You also want to be sure you have a matching leather lead with a chain.

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Events

Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Trail, and Western Riding:
For your basic western under saddle classes the horse show tack you need should remain the same.

First, in order to ride you must have a saddle. A western show saddle is recommended though some show in a basic western saddle. Show saddles for western show classes can come decked out with tooling and silver.

The higher quality of leather, silver, and other components will add to the cost. There are also specific brands or makers of show saddles that may add to the cost.

Under the saddle you will need a show saddle pad. You can have a basic black saddle pad as long as it has been cleaned and is presentable. Another option to consider is to use your regular riding pad with a thinner show pad or blanket over top of it to cover.

Show pads come in many more colors and patterns other than just black. Make sure you choose a color that works well with your show clothes and your horse's coat color.

A bridle is always needed when showing under saddle, unless the class calls for no bridle. When showing you can consider getting a show bridle. This consists of a headstall and matching reins with your choice of bit.

A show headstall, like a show saddle, may have an extra bit of silver compared to a regular work bridle. Like the show saddle the added quality of the leather and silver will increase the cost.

Games and Roping:
There are other classes or events that may require a different type of western saddle. For barrel racing, a barrel saddle can be purchased and for roping, a roping saddle can be purchased.

Tack Care Tips

Once you have your new pieces of tack here are a few tips to keep them in top shape:

Room temperature should be considered when storing tack to prevent mold or drying out of your tack
If tack is new you may want to oil it to keep it soft and supple while breaking it in. This prevents rubbing on your horse.
Make sure you clean your tack on a regular basis to keep the leather in optimal condition