Common Sense Horse Equipment Owning horses tends to eat a hole in your checkbook easy enough. Here are a few pieces of equipment that are cheap to own or make, while being good quality. My favorite Saddle Pad I use the same saddle on almost all my horses. Naturally not all my horses have the same back, so I use a Mattress Saver Pad from Wally World to round out the difference. I buy a egg carton type foam pad, twin size and cut at least 2 saddle blanket sized pads out of it. Using this pad helps the saddle slip less (forwards or backwards), adds general comfort for the horse. I cut it a little smaller than the blanket I lay over it, so that it isn't noticeable. If the general size of the tree doesn't fit the horse, I use another saddle. But if it is close enough, this pad evens out the difference very nicely. I cut the back of the pad round, and just long enough to where it ends with the tree of the saddle. This helps cut down on rub just over the kidneys during flexibility exercises. A caution!!! Some horses perceive this pad as very hot. The first time you use it, about 20 min into a ride, lay a hand underneath the pad and check your horses skin temp. For those horses I usually put it between the layers of my blankets. I have evolved!!! The space age has hit horse training at last. I now use a memory foam pad, the 1 1/2 inch width one. They last longer and are even better protection. I ride all day, and my horses do well w/ it. For those of you that only ride an hour or two at a time, the matress saver egg carton pad is probly plenty tho. Especially since it costs about $8, and the memory foam is about $60. Inexpensive Running Martingale A running martingale can help a colt get used to responding to the bit with a head tuck, instead of bringing his head up. Another benefit for a running martingale can be that a novice riders unsteady, sharp hands get blunted a little bit. A 6 1/2 foot piece of cord, one snape and two 1" rings is all you need. Tie the snap in first. Place the snap in the middle of the string and tie a regular half hitch knot to fasten it. Then tie in the rings, using any kind of knot that keeps them stable at the end of the strings. I usually use a bowline knot. Just make sure the are dead even. You can shorten and lengthen this running martingale by tying additional half hitches. The whole thing should cost you about $5. I have 3 of different lengths. That way I don't have to mess w/ lengthening or shortening them for different types of horses. The whole idea of a running martingale is that it is a great piece of equipment when things happen a little faster than you can react. So you want it to be totally loose when things are going right. Adjust the running martingale to where they rings stretch to the red circled area on your horses neck. That way the running martingale only comes tight and redirects the rein pressure when the horse raises his head in resistance, or your hands get too high for his level of training.  A Handy Breastcollar This breastcollar is hooked directly into the riggin, not the breastcollar D's. Because of that it sits a little lower, so I use a cross over strap to keep it in position. A regular breastcollar that hooks between the legs to the cinch can come tight, causing the horse to get sored. But using this breastcollar distributes the weight of the pull evenly across the chest. The picture on the right is the first one I used. I since have replaced 3 cinches in it, and am still using the same straps and hardware. It takes a little bit of leather work to put one together, but it is well worth it. The whole result is inexpensive and easy on your horse. At the time I didn't have access to rivets, so I used simple whang leather to tie all the buckles in. The blue arrows indicate where the rivets or whang leather should go. Punch holes into the strap to go back to the buckle and your are good to go. The buckles I used are 1 inch buckles, with the weight bearing leather being 1 inch straps. The cross over strap is not a weight bearing strap, so I use just a 1/2 inch leather strap. I also used a buckle to fasten the cross over strap, but I've seen others use cross over straps that they simply tie to the breast collar ring. A good looking caveson This caveson is attractive under a snaffle bit bridle and is simple to make. Find some old lariat rope, measure it around your horse's nose, and cut it, giving yourself plenty of room to tie a couple of tight, secure knots at each end of the rope. After you tie the knots, take a single link of a chain and slip it over the nose part of the caveson, all the way back till it rests against the knots. Now make a hanger for it, using 3/4" leather. You actually don't want the caveson tight. It should fit around your horse's nose fairly loose. I prefer for my horses to have to make a decision about listening... obey w/ a nicely closed mouth, or open your mouth and refuse, and feel the pressure of the caveson. I adjust it to hang loosely on my horse's nose. The back part of it usually falls down, making it as snug as it needs to be. There's a lot of wiggle room there. Mainly, I don't want it to fall into the bit at all. I don't want it to pinch, or impact the way the bit works.