[[ CookieDough's Guide: How to tack up your horse ]]

Grooming
grooming means caring for a horses coat. It is something that will keep your horses skin healthy, it will also make your horses coat smooth and glossy.

Grooming Kit:
- Dandy brush
- Metal curry comb
   - Hoofpick
- Rubber curry comb
   - Sponges
- Water brush
 - Soft body brush

Tacking Up
Saddling....
1. Tie up your horse. Then from the near side lift the saddle and and numnah onto the horses neck, above his withers. then slide them both down to his back.
2. Tuck the numnah up into the arch that runs along the middle of the saddle. check that it is resting smoothly under the saddle flaps.
3. From the off side, bring the girth over so that it hangs down. then from the near side, reach for it under your horses belly.
4. Do up the girth buckles, enough to keep the saddle in place. The girth does not need to be fully tightened until you are about to ride.
5. Finally, run your hand under the girth to check it isnt pinching your horses skin anywhere. Make sure you do this on both sides.

Putting on a Bridle....
1. Lift the head piece and reigns up to your horses face. With your free hand lift the reigns right over his ears and onto his neck.
2. Gently press the bit against his lips. if he doesnt accept it, squeeze the side of his mouth with your thumb. Be careful not to bang his teeth.
3. Lift the head-piece gently up over your horses ears, and pull his forelock over the browband. Fasten the throatlash and noseband to secure the bridle.

A Full Groom:
1. First pick out the horse's feet. if he is muddy, dandy brush his neck, body and legs lightly, following the direction the hairs in his coat grows.
2. Next, body brush his neck, body and legs. Use long firm strokes. Scrape the body brush with the curry comb every few strokes to remove dirt.
3. To do his head undo the headcollar and, holding his nose gently brush his face. Then sponge his eyes, nose and lips with warm water.
4. Re-tie him and brush his mane over to one side, so you can body brush under it. Then use a damp water brush to bring it back over in sections.
5. In case he kicks stand to one side of him and brush his tail with the dandy brush it through in sections starting from the bottom.
6. Polish the coat with a damp stable rubber. If he wears a rug put it on and lastly paint his hooves with hoof oil.

Ready to ride
When you are ready to ride, tighten the girth, one whole at a time, if there are 2 or 3 buckles make sure they are all as tight as eachother. Then pull the stirrups down and you are ready to get on! :)