Understanding Tack: Saddles, Bridles and What They Do

If you have recently started horse riding lessons at a BHS approved riding school in England, Scotland or Wales, you have almost certainly heard the word “tack” thrown around in the yard. Your instructor tells you to check the tack before mounting. The yard manager asks whether the tack has been cleaned. A fellow student heads off to the tack room before a lesson begins. But what exactly is tack, why does it matter, and how does each piece of equipment work?

This guide walks you through everything a beginner rider needs to understand about saddles, bridles, and the related equipment you will encounter at equestrian centres across the UK. Whether you are taking your first few lessons at a local riding school in Yorkshire, booking a trail ride in the Scottish Highlands, or working towards your BHS Progressive Riding Tests in Wales, a clear understanding of tack will make you a safer, more confident, and more capable rider.

What Is Tack?

The word “tack” is a collective British equestrian term for all the equipment placed on a horse to allow a rider to control, guide, and communicate with it. The word is believed to derive from “tackle,” referring to the tools or gear used in a particular task. At any reputable riding school affiliated with the British Horse Society (BHS) or the Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS), tack will be carefully maintained, regularly inspected, and properly fitted to each horse or pony in the yard.

The core pieces of tack you will encounter as a beginner are:

• The saddle
• The saddle pad or numnah
• Stirrup leathers and irons
• The girth
• The bridle
• The bit
• The reins
• A noseband

Each piece has a specific function, and understanding those functions will help you recognise whether tack has been fitted correctly and whether your horse is comfortable and working properly under saddle.

The Saddle: Your Platform for Riding

The saddle is the most significant and most expensive piece of tack. Its primary purpose is to distribute your weight evenly across the horse’s back, allowing both you and the horse to work comfortably for extended periods. A poorly fitting saddle is one of the most common causes of back pain and behavioural problems in horses across the UK, which is why qualified saddle fitters registered with the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) are routinely called to riding schools for regular checks.

Parts of the Saddle

To understand how a saddle works, it helps to know its key components:

• The tree: This is the rigid internal frame of the saddle, traditionally made from beech wood but now often constructed from fibreglass or synthetic materials. The tree determines the saddle’s shape and, crucially, how it sits on the horse’s back. Trees come in different widths — narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide — to suit different horse conformations.
• The seat: This is where you sit. For beginners, a deeper seat provides more security and makes it easier to find your balance.
• The pommel: The raised front arch of the saddle. It must clear the horse’s withers (the bony ridge at the base of the neck) by at least two to three fingers’ width when a rider is seated.
• The cantle: The raised back of the saddle that supports your seat from behind.
• The panels: The padded sections underneath the saddle that sit against the horse’s back on either side of the spine. These are filled with wool flocking, foam, or air and need regular maintenance to retain even pressure distribution.
• The gullet: The channel running along the underside of the saddle, between the two panels. It must never touch the horse’s spine.
• The flaps: The large leather panels that fall down the sides of the saddle and sit against your legs.
• The knee rolls and thigh blocks: Padded sections on the flaps designed to support your knee and thigh position.
• The stirrup bars: Metal bars set into the tree from which the stirrup leathers hang. Most modern saddles have a safety catch that should always be left in the open position so that the leather can slide free in the event of a fall.

Types of Saddle

At a general riding school in England or Wales, you will most commonly encounter the following saddle types:

• General purpose (GP) saddle: The most widely used saddle in the UK. As the name suggests, it is designed to be suitable for a range of riding disciplines, including hacking, basic flatwork, and small jumps. The flaps are cut at a moderate angle to allow a reasonable leg position whether you are riding on the flat or jumping a small course. Most beginners will start their lessons on a GP saddle.
• Dressage saddle: Features a deeper seat, straighter cut flaps, and longer, straighter panels. It encourages a longer, more classical leg position and brings the rider’s weight closer to the horse’s centre of gravity. You may encounter these at riding schools that offer dressage coaching.
• Jump saddle: Has a more forward-cut flap and prominent knee rolls to support the rider in a forward position over fences. As you progress from beginner lessons into jumping, you may be asked to ride in a jump saddle.
• Western saddle: Less common in UK riding schools but found at some equestrian centres that offer Western riding. These saddles are significantly heavier, with a prominent horn at the front and a very deep, secure seat.

Saddle Fitting in the UK

Saddle fitting is taken very seriously at BHS approved riding schools. The BHS and the Society of Master Saddlers both advocate for regular professional fitting checks, and in a school environment saddles should be checked at least twice a year or whenever a horse’s weight or muscle condition changes significantly. As a rider, you should be aware of the basic checks: the pommel must clear the withers, the saddle must sit level and balanced, and there should be no pressure on the spine from front to back.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which applies across England and Wales (with equivalent legislation in Scotland), horse owners and those responsible for horses have a legal duty of care to ensure that equipment does not cause suffering. An ill-fitting saddle constitutes a welfare issue, and responsible riding schools take this obligation seriously.

The Saddle Pad and Numnah

Underneath every saddle you will find either a saddle pad or a numnah. A numnah is cut to the shape of the saddle and sits snugly beneath it, while a square or rectangular saddle pad is a more general-purpose cloth that is folded or placed under the saddle. Both serve the same core purposes: they absorb sweat, provide a small additional layer of cushioning, and protect both the underside of the saddle and the horse’s back from friction.

Before tacking up, the pad or numnah must be pulled up firmly into the gullet of the saddle so that it does not press flat onto the horse’s spine. This is one of the first things a good instructor will check when you begin to tack up independently, and it is a detail that beginner riders often overlook.

Stirrup Leathers and Irons

Stirrup leathers are the adjustable straps that attach to the stirrup bars and support the stirrup irons. They should be checked regularly for wear, particularly at the keeper and along the holes, as leather can weaken with use. At a good riding school, leathers will be made from sturdy English leather or high-quality synthetic materials.

The stirrup irons are the metal foot rests that you place your feet into. Safety is paramount here. For beginner riders and children, most BHS approved schools use safety stirrups, which have a design feature — such as a breakaway side — that allows the foot to release easily in a fall, reducing the risk of a rider being dragged. The Peacock safety stirrup, which has a rubber ring on one side in place of the rigid outer bar, is common at UK riding schools for younger or beginner riders.

Stirrup size matters too. Your iron should be approximately 2.5 centimetres (one inch) wider than your boot at its widest point. Too small and your foot could become trapped; too large and your entire foot could slide through. Your instructor will check this as part of the initial mounting check at the start of each lesson.

The Girth

The girth is the strap that fastens around the horse’s barrel (the widest part of its body, just behind the front legs) to hold the saddle securely in place. Without a correctly fastened girth, the saddle will slip to the side, which is both dangerous and uncomfortable for the horse.

Girths come in several materials: leather, neoprene, cotton, and various synthetic fabrics. Many riding schools use synthetic girths for their durability and ease of cleaning. Girths also come in different shapes — some are straight, some are shaped (narrowed at the centre to avoid pressure on the horse’s elbows) — and the appropriate style will depend on the horse’s conformation.

As a beginner, you will be taught to tighten the girth before mounting and to recheck it after walking the horse forward for a few minutes, as it can loosen slightly once the horse moves. Tightening the girth gently and gradually, rather than all at once, is both kinder to the horse and safer for the rider. You should be able to fit two fingers flat underneath the girth, but no more.

The Bridle: Steering and Communication

If the saddle is your platform, the bridle is your primary means of communication with the horse. The bridle fits over the horse’s head and, together with the bit and reins, allows you to give signals for direction, pace, and balance. At its most fundamental level, the bridle works alongside your seat and leg aids to create what good riding instructors across the UK describe as a “complete picture” of communication.

Moving Forward

Once you have the fundamentals in place, the possibilities open up considerably. The UK offers fantastic opportunities for anyone interested in this hobby, and with the right foundation you will be well placed to make the most of them.