Here's a Julie Goodnight tip on how to properly saddle a horse for the first time. Tip for First Saddling - When saddling a young horse for the first few times, it pays to be extra careful so as to prevent needless mistakes that can cause problems for a long time. If in the process of saddling, the saddle should slip and fall off the horse or slip underneath his belly from too loose a cinch, it could scare your young horse badly—a fright that he’ll remember for some time to come. As you saddle, never leave the saddle sitting unsecured on the horse—even for a moment. Always keep one hand on the saddle with a good grip on it so that if something were to happen, you could pull the saddle off without frightening the horse. Make sure the girth or cinch is tightened adequately to prevent the saddle from rolling. Often young horses withers are not fully developed and pronounced and their youthful figure can make it easy for the saddle to slip. Take all precautions to prevent saddle slippage, even tightening the girth several times during the session.
