Under saddle

occurs. With regular stirrups it is important that the stirrup fits the rider's This is the 12th in a series of articles by R.M. Miller, DVM. Dr. Miller is a recognized foot. No stirrup made can possibly fit authority on horse behavior and the author of"Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal," as every foot. Too small a stirrup can trap well as other books and articles. Reprints of a foot, especially when the rider is this article are NOT available. unseated or when dismounting. Too large a stirrup is a more common mistake, especially when the rider is a child, and will allow the entire foot to go through the stirrup, a possible preUNDER SADDLE lude to catastrophe. In any case, tennis shoes, boots Robert M. Miller, DVM with lugged or treaded soles, or any We have already, in previous is- footgear with a "sticky" sole are dansues, mentioned the importance of safe gerous because they predispose to enequipment such as halters, lead ropes trapment. Any footgear with a too-low and metal snaps. The same rule applies heel may allow the foot to go through to riding equipment, from what the the stirrup. For this reason, the tradirider wears as well as what's on the tional American cowboy boot, with a horse. Although some of the advice heel high enough to prevent the foot below is based on comfort, the majority from going through the stirrup, a slick is, as always, based upon the flightiness leather sole, a somewhat pointed toe to of the horse. When a horse suddenly allow the stirrup to be easily regained if goes into a fear-induced sprint, we want lost, and a top high enough to protect to be sure that the equipment we are the leg against friction but loose enough to slip off, if the rider is dragged, is the using minimizes the chance of injury. safest footgear that has ever been designed for riding. Safe Riding Apparel This also means that the traditional 1. Footgear- It is very common these days to see riders wearing tennis Western boot is safer than the English shoes or other inappropriate footgear. boot, or the currently popular Western Having been hung up with one foot in "Roper" boot. Keep in mind that rodeo the stirrup and dragged by a frightened styles are designed to facilitate perforhorse (a well-broke horse), I have strong mance in specific sports, and are not feelings about footgear. In my case I necessarily ideal for general horsemanwas wearing a regular cowboy boot. ship. Tie-downs, for example, may be a My spur hung up in the cinch as I was necessity for the competitive roper, but dismounting. After a 50-yard "sleigh they are not recommended for ordinary ride" my boot came off. I could have riding. For more than 40 years, rodeo affected Western saddle styles adbeen possibly dragged to death. An even more dangerous situation versely. The high rise in the saddle seat, occurs when a foot goes completely an advantage to bronc riders and calf through a stirrup and the rider is un- ropers, put ordinary riders too far back seated. There are safety stirrups avail- in the saddle. Today, saddle styles have, able in both English and Western styles to a great extent, reverted to pre-rodeo

Volume 18, Number 5, 1998

cutting and reining saddles, a big change from the styles of the '40's, '50's and '60's. The working cowboy's saddles of the '90's actually more closely resemble those of the 19th century than they do the rodeo-influenced work saddles of the mid-20th century. So, for riding, what is ideal footgear for the rodeo calf-roper who must dismount and run to the calf may not be the ideal boot for a pleasure rider or a working cowboy. The packer's boot too is designed for those who must spend a lot of time afoot in rough terrain, and who usually ride well broke horses at slow speed. Such a boot is not ideal for those who must ride green, unpredictable horses, or horses of any kind at speed. On the other hand, the buckaroo style boot, with a two-inch high heel, which may be the ultimate in protection for those who work full-time on horseback, is not going to be comfortable for the rider who is afoot more than horseback. The classical cowboy boot, with an in-between heel is, in my opinion, the perfect footgear for most riders. English boots, although they usually have a low heel, are designed to minimize the chance of a foot going through the stirrup, especially in the proper English style of riding. Polo boots are a good compromise, and many English and Western riders like them. Again, the stirrup must fit the rider, and children are the most frequently neglected riders in this regard. I personally never allowed my children to ride without riding boots, unless they were riding bareback. I found it ironic, in my veterinary practice, that some stables don't allow anybody to ride without a helmet, yet actuContinued on overleaf

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ally encouraged people to ride in tennis shoes. 2. H e a d g e a r - There's not much I can say about this subject. A well-made and properly fitted helmet has proven its value in preventing head injuries in many sports including riding. Since it is acceptable and conventional in the English riding discipline, every English rider should wear one. Obviously this is especially true if one rides jumping horses or plays polo. Western riders don't traditionally wear hard hats and are not likely to change since the Western hat is, more than anything else, a characteristic part of Western dress. I often wonder iL some day, rodeo bronc riders will wear hard hats, in which case it may become socially acceptable for all Western riders to do so. Is it a good idea? Absolutely! Is it likely to become popular soon? No! Not until Vaqueros, Gauchos, Bedouins, Mongols, and other horse cultures start wearing hard hats. I've never worn one.

The day before I wrote this, a colleague told me that his father, a 79-yearold Wyoming rancher and life-long cowboy, had been killed as the result of a head injury when he was bucked off a horse. I suppose that's the way a man like that would choose to go, but I can't help wondering if he'd still be riding if he had been wearing a helmet. 3. Gloves- Even though modern riders, both English and Western, rarely wear gloves on a day-to-day basis, there is a tradition in both disciplines, centuries old, to protect the hands with gloves. The only comment I can make is that riding gloves should be flexible, well fitted and made of soft leather. Obviously, if gloves are worn because of cold temperatures, they need to be warm. Ropers often wear special roping gloves. Personally. I usually wear gloves (buckskin leather) when I ' m working green horses on the ground, to prevent rope burns on my hands. Many cow-

boys, especially old-timers, wear similar gloves all the time when they're riding, even in warm weather. 4. Riding in Brush- Many of us find it necessary to ride in brushy country, and I ' d like to make a few comments about protective clothing and equipment for this kind of riding. a. This is a good place for gloves. b. Riders worldwide who wonder how c h a p s ( f r o m the S p a n i s h chaparejos, or leggings) evolved should ride in Southwestern brush or Rocky Mountain timber to find out. c. Tapaderos ("taps"), covering; Western saddle stirrups prevent branches from going through the stirr u p - - good protection against an accident. d. Despite my fondness fora closed rein, as in the Western or California Romal Rein mecate, split reins are a godsend in the brush when a rein hangs up on a branch, especially if you are riding fast after a cow on a green horse.

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