How to Saddle Your Horse English:
Your Step-by-Step Guide, Part 2

This is the second part of a tutorial on how to saddle your horse. You'll learn how to attach the pad and girth up correctly.

If you just landed here, go back to the first steps

Now that the saddle is in place on your horse's back, you'll need to attach the pad.

• Run the billet straps through the keeper near the bottom of the pad. This will help keep the pad from sliding out of place
  

• Then run the billet strap through the girth keeper if it has one.
  

Note: This is an dressage style billet system. An all purpose or close contact english saddle will have a longer girth, and no keeper.

• When your are first learning how to saddle your horse it is common to run the leather billet strap through the wrong part of the buckle. The strap should go through the top metal section.
  
• It is easiest to girth up if you pull the leather up like shown
  

• After securing the girth on the first side, walk safely around to the other side and point your toes towards his tail. Reach under his belly with the back of your wrist and arm touching him. This will help to prepare him.
  

• Continue by securing the girth as shown before, by pulling up on the leather billet straps. Make sure each side is on an equal hole. 
• Only tighten it enough to keep everything in place and then do some groundwork and tighten it some more. This will give him time to work into it, and helps you to be polite in girthing.
  

• Now you are ready to warm up your partner, and your saddle should be close to this. Depending on your horse's build, yours may need to be placed a bit more forward. I don't like to have my saddle directly behind the elbow, but this looks like it has slipped just a bit further than I would have liked during my ground training.
  

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