Gear & What to Wear
Best Horseback Riding Gear for Maryland Trail Rides
The right gear turns a good trail ride into a great one. Here is what to pack.
Read articleEssential Tack & Equipment for Beginner Riders in Maryland
Meet the Gear Before You Ride
Learning the essential tack and equipment for beginner riders is a quietly satisfying part of starting out, and it helps every Maryland beginner feel more at home around horses.
You will not need to buy this gear yourself for lessons — the farm provides it — but knowing the words helps.
The saddle and girth
The saddle is your seat. English saddles are lighter and closer-contact; Western saddles are larger with a horn at the front. The girth (or cinch, in Western) is the strap that holds the saddle securely in place.
The bridle and reins
The bridle is the headgear that lets you communicate with the horse. It usually includes a bit in the horse's mouth and the reins you hold in your hands.
Stirrups and the saddle pad
The stirrups support your feet and help your balance. The saddle pad sits between the horse's back and the saddle for comfort and protection.
Your own essential: the helmet
The one piece of equipment that is truly yours is a properly fitted riding helmet. It is required on every ride. For deeper definitions, our horseback riding glossary explains many more terms.
Grooming tools
Before tacking up, horses are groomed with tools like a curry comb, body brush and hoof pick. Grooming is not just tidying — it is how riders and horses build trust.
What tack does a beginner rider need to know?
A beginner should recognize the core pieces of tack: the saddle and girth, the bridle with its bit and reins, the stirrups and the saddle pad. Riding farms provide this equipment for lessons, so the only personal essential a beginner needs is a properly fitted riding helmet.
Key takeaways
- Tack is the equipment used to ride: saddle, bridle, stirrups and more.
- Farms provide tack for lessons, so beginners need not buy it.
- A properly fitted helmet is the one personal essential.
- Grooming tools and grooming itself build trust with the horse.
Ride with Solitude Stables
We are a small family farm in Harwood, MD offering horseback riding lessons and guided trail rides for riders across Anne Arundel County. We would love to welcome you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
More on this topic, answered simply.
No. Riding schools provide all the tack you need for lessons. Most riders only consider buying their own equipment if they later get a horse of their own.
English tack is lighter and designed for close contact with the horse. Western tack is larger and heavier, with a saddle horn, and grew out of long days of ranch work. Both are good ways to learn.
Often, yes. Many lessons include grooming and tacking up when time allows, because caring for the horse is an important part of horsemanship and a lovely way to bond.
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Understanding your tack is part of good horsemanship, and it all begins with your first horseback riding lesson in Maryland.
Have a question first? Email us at [email protected].