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Tips
 

Shine Your Western Saddle Silver

Here's a simple, three-step technique to shine your saddle silver like the pros!

Step 1. Apply.
Squirt a small half-drop of polish on the soft side of a flannel cloth. Apply the polish to your saddle silver with smooth, large strokes. To avoid accidentally streaking the surrounding leather, begin in the middle of the silver, use small strokes along the edges, and frequently turn the cloth to a clean section.

Step 2. Remove.
If your silver is black with heavy residue, leave the polish on for about 10 minutes. If your silver is simply dull, leave the polish on for about 5 minutes. To remove the polish, rub it with the soft side of a clean flannel cloth. Frequently turn the cloth to a clean area. (If there's black buildup on the cloth portion you use, you won't get an optimum shine.) As the polish begins to come off, continue rubbing to buff your silver to a high shine.

Step 3. Maintain.
If you live in a humid climate, your silver will tarnish quickly; polish it before every show, or about every 2 weeks. In dry climates, you may need to polish your silver only about every other month. Note that Wenol Polish leaves a residue that helps protect silver. Between cleanings, simply buff your silver with a soft cloth to bring out a show-ready luster.

Riding Problems

There are numerous riding problems. So many in fact that hundreds of books have been published to try and deal with each problem. If you have a riding problem firstly check all of the following.
•Have your horses teeth checked.
•Get a saddle fitter to check the saddle fits properly.
•Have the vet examine the horse to rule out any pain or discomfort in all regions.
•Have the farrier attend regularly to keep feet in optimum condition.
•Check the bridle fits properly and that the bit is not to harsh for the horse.
•Horses can only breathe through their nostrils so if a noseband is fitted too tightly it will obstruct the horse's airflow & may cause it to panic.


 

 

Recognizing Horse

Horses can recognize each other by sight, smell and sound, but how can we distinguish all of them. The answer is by size, color and marking.

The measurement of horses was traditionally undertaken in hands; each hand equivalent to four inches.

 

Barn Chores

If you feel like you are spending more time cleaning stalls than working on your riding, consider developing your riding while you clean! Try to use both sides of your body while doing barn chores. If you normally scoop and lift the shovel with your right hand and right leg leading, slowly but consistently begin using your left side (and vice versa). It will improve your riding by helping to keep you evenly balanced, left and right. If at first it feels too awkward or difficult, try starting with changing how you brush your teeth or brush your hair. It may sound crazy, but it does help you to focus on balancing both sides of your body.