Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Selecting and Maintaining Horse Riding Equipment

It has been said that no sport can rise above the quality of its equipment. In other words, if the equipment employed in the participation of the sport is lacking, then the ability to properly play the sport will be hampered. In some cases, this hampering can lead to serious problems. For example, if a baseball catcher’s glove is not properly ‘stuffed’ then a potential hand injury is possible. If the pitcher throws the ball fast enough and the oversized catcher’s mitt is not adequate, then there is great potential for the catcher suffering a broken hand.

In horse back riding, careful attention to horse riding equipment must be taken as well. However, people sometimes do not properly think this all the way through. The reason is that they have a tendency to focus all their attention on the horse as opposed to focusing on both the horse and the horse riding equipment. Now, this can turn out to be a dangerously negligent attitude. After all, if a horse saddle is not adequate, there is the danger of the rider falling off the horse. While it is possible to fall off and dust oneself off and try again, such actions would be difficult if the fall resulted in a sprained ankle! As such, selecting proper horse riding equipment is imperative.

Proper Maintenance is in Order

First and foremost, it is important to select the absolute best horse riding equipment that you can afford within your own budget. This does not mean, however, to ‘skimp’ and purchase equipment that has a sub par reputation. If you are on a budget, you may be able to purchase used horse riding equipment that is in proper shape. If you do buy the horse riding equipment second (or third) hand please be sure to give it a complete inspection to make sure it is in proper working condition.

It must be noted that whether the horse riding equipment is used or not, the equipment must be properly maintained. If the equipment is neglected and wears down then the wear and tear could compromise the safety of the rider. When safety is compromised, any fun that can be derived from the sport will be compromised as well. As such, it is important to store equipment away from where it may be damaged or harmed by the elements. Also, if any imperfections or damage is noted repairs should be made immediately. Finally, one needs to know when to accept the fact that the equipment is too worn out and must be replaced. If you follow these brief guidelines, your ability to enjoy the sport will improve dramatically.

Selecting Horse Riding Boots

Some boots are made for walking and some are made for horse back riding. Now, while you can walk around on the street with horse riding boots, you simply are not going to be able to effectively ride a horse with sneakers on! If you are a serious hors back riding aficionados, then you are going to have to purchase a nice pair of horse riding boots. Of course, you will also need to purchase a pair of functional horse riding boots as well.

If you are looking for a nice looking pair of horse riding boots, however, you will not be short on the number of choices you have available. There are a great number of quality brands that have a stunning look. In addition to providing a quality look, these boots also provide the proper function of keeping your feet in the stirrups in a comfortable manner. Of course, some of these boots are expensive and may be out of your price range. Granted, there are also a great number of inexpensive horse riding boots that are equally good looking as well as functional. Sometimes it pays to shop around!

Quality Horse Riding Boots

There are a number of different boots that provide the valuable quality of look, affordability and functionality. There various brands that are quite popular include Konigs, Cavallo and Vogel. These brands have many variants to them and also a number of similarities in terms of the types of boots available. These include tall boots, zipped boots and season specific boots such as winter, summer etc. There are a number of reasons why an individual would choose these different types of boots and, in some cases, the reasons are self explanatory. Winter boots will provide better insulation in cold weather and also provide more traction if one has to walk around in terrain that is icy. Summer horse riding boots could prove problematic in such a season. Long horse riding boots also have a different mobility aspect to them and may be better suited for certain body types than others.

When it comes to selecting horse riding boots, there are a number of factors involved in making the proper selection. There is really no one choice that is better than the other and often the proper selection is based on the individual. Of course, that is no excuse for not shopping around because if one limited the amount of time spent looking for the proper horse riding boots, one may end up missing out on a real gem. So, be patient and the best boots may end up making their presence home.