Performing a Safety Check on Your Saddle.  This is one thing that I see neglected often among riders.

This is not for lack of caring for their own safety or their horse’s.  I have found that it is because they were never shown.

I was lucky as a growing equestrian at the tender age of 7, that my riding instructor was thorough as she was tough.

The first things I learned were all about safety.  From how to behave around horses to how to check my tack for wear and straps for integrity.

I found this knowledge has served me well over the years.  Like the old man in Mark Rashid’s books, my first riding instructor shaped me as a horsewoman for ever.  

This short series of videos goes over what a safety check is and how it is performed on a saddle.

Cathy Tauer of Hill View Farms, shows us how to perform a safety check on your saddle and some additional things to look for.