Why

[muddybay]

Here's a series of questions I have about why we do stuff like that in the horsey world!
Why do we have to have the mane on the right?
Why do we run our stirrups up on our saddle?
Why do we have banks in stables?
Add any more random ones you can think of

 

[EchoInterrupted]

Mane - not sure. Maybe the idea is that if there's martingales etc on the neck, the buckles would usually be on the left side, so less likely for mane to catch on them if on the right? That's a total guess though.

Running up stirrups - presumably so the stirrups don't uncomfortably hit the horse when tacking/untacking and so saddle storage is easier. When it comes to that versus just chucking them across the top of the saddle to the other side, my guess is that it just looks tidier and maybe bangs up the saddle less?

Banks in the stables - isn't this to make it less likely for the horse to get cast if it lays down and rolls itself into the wall?

Will have a think and see if I can come up with any more questions! I know there's always stuff I'm doing where I ask myself "why this way?"

 

[marmalade76]

The mane is to do with the side swords were carried back in the day.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I'm fairly certain banks originated to stop horses getting cast. Back in the day they were massive and sturdy I believe, not like the banks you see today.

I don't use banks or run up my stirrups (I use caged stirrups so can't) ... so I'm pretty rubbish on 2 out of 3 ?

 

[Shilasdair]

Here's a series of questions I have about why we do stuff like that in the horsey world!
Why do we have to have the mane on the right?
Why do we run our stirrups up on our saddle?
Why do we have banks in stables?
Add any more random ones you can think of

Mane on right - so that a rider can view the conformation of his mount when approaching from the left or near side. Why approach from the left? Because you mount from the left - as your scabbard (with sword in it) is on the left hand side of you. That enables you to draw your sword with your right hand. If you then mount from the left you don't end up getting fangled up in your scabbard*.

Stirrups run up - to stop them bashing on the horse's sides and causing him/her to spook - but also to stop them catching in gateways, the stable door etc. as you lead your horse through to put it away.

Banks in stables - to stop a horse rolling and becoming cast against the wall.

* Corrie-fisted people did not exist back in righteous days of yore as they were the Devil's children!

 

[fidleyspromise]

Stirrups - I run them up or cross them over the saddle so they don't catch on gates or bang against horse sides.

 

[meleeka]

Why do we tack up on the horses left? obviously bridles have buckles that side, but why?

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Why do we tack up on the horses left? obviously bridles have buckles that side, but why?

Tack up from the left? I tack up from whichever side is closest. Side saddle must be easier to tack up from the horses left but I'm using a regular saddle.

ETA: that made me think up another question, are there any side saddles the other way around? Is it that side for the same sword based thinking?

 

[rabatsa]

Yes you can get side saddles for the other way, the ones I have seen were made for use in America.

Banks also help stop draughts, more useful than the preventing getting cast role.

 

[littleshetland]

Im sure i read somewhere that banks in stables are only effective as anti cast if they're in excess of 4ft high.

 

[ycbm]

Surely the answer on manes is because the majority of horses manes fall predominantly to the right naturally?
.

 

[meleeka]

Tack up from the left? I tack up from whichever side is closest. Side saddle must be easier to tack up from the horses left but I'm using a regular saddle.

ETA: that made me think up another question, are there any side saddles the other way around? Is it that side for the same sword based thinking?

I think the correct way is from the left. Do you not do the girth up on the left?

Thinking about it, we mount from the left too, so perhaps it’s all to do with swords and armour?

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Plaiting - what is the value in plaiting outside pure aesthetics.

 

[Shilasdair]

I think the correct way is from the left. Do you not do the girth up on the left?

Thinking about it, we mount from the left too, so perhaps it’s all to do with swords and armour?

You tack up from the left because that is the side the horse is used to being approached on. You do the girth up on the left. Then, once mounted, you tighten the girth on the right (as we are mostly right-handed) thus ensuring that the girth is evenly tightened on both sides...

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I take the girth off the saddle after riding so I have to attach it on both sides.

 

[milliepops]

I take the girth off the saddle after riding so I have to attach it on both sides.

yeah me too. i also take my stirrups off rather than run them up, as I take my saddle home in the car and the extra crap hanging off it is just annoying
So i sling saddle on which ever side is closest to the stable door when I walk in

 

[mariew]

You tack up from the left because that is the side the horse is used to being approached on. You do the girth up on the left. Then, once mounted, you tighten the girth on the right (as we are mostly right-handed) thus ensuring that the girth is evenly tightened on both sides...

That's why when I had mine I ensured I tacked up from both sides and dismounted from both sides. I wasn't so good at mounting from both sides though as it was hard for the brain ? I believe banks need to be properly big and dense for them to be efficient against a horse getting cast

 

[humblepie]

I must admit I have a thing about manes being on the wrong i.e. left side, no idea why as makes absolutely no difference to the horse. Fortunately mine sit that way quite happily. Always useful for when I am going out in fully 18th century military regalia. Yes undo girth on both sides as well as easier to carry. Mine are used to saddle going on from whichever side, normally will be from the left but sometimes will be the right, perhaps in the show ring after stripping when it just happens that way.

 

[Tarragon]

I think that the answer to "Why" in a lot of cases will go back to something military and fighting on horseback.
I have a question ...
why do we have cavesson nosebands, as they don't seem to serve a practical purpose? I wonder if it was used to tie up your horse in the days gone by.

 

[Gloi]

Plaiting - what is the value in plaiting outside pure aesthetics.

It keeps horsey kids out from under your feet for a couple of hours.

 

[Gloi]

why do we have cavesson nosebands, as they don't seem to serve a practical purpose? I wonder if it was used to tie up your horse in the days gone by.

Jaw protection from old rough riders and to fasten standing martingale to.

 

[Cowpony]

I think that the answer to "Why" in a lot of cases will go back to something military and fighting on horseback.
I have a question ...
why do we have cavesson nosebands, as they don't seem to serve a practical purpose? I wonder if it was used to tie up your horse in the days gone by.

I think it's from hunting - there were some quite horrible injuries if the horse fell over a jump and had its mouth open.

 

[marmalade76]

I think the correct way is from the left. Do you not do the girth up on the left?

Thinking about it, we mount from the left too, so perhaps it’s all to do with swords and armour?

I do my girth up on both sides, keep it even and I remove my girth completely when not in use so it's not constantly on the same holes on the right hand side.

 

[Cowpony]

OK here's another one - why is the showing outfit such an awful mixture of colours? Blue hat, green or brown jacket, brown gloves and black boots. Who decided that and were they colour blind?

 

[Shilasdair]

I think the 'cavesson' noseband originated from the same source as the lunge cavesson - a training noseband or headcollar which you could lead a horse from, or attach reins to (when mouthing a young horse).
To some extent cavessons also stop horses opening their mouths.

 

[Shilasdair]

OK here's another one - why is the showing outfit such an awful mixture of colours? Blue hat, green or brown jacket, brown gloves and black boots. Who decided that and were they colour blind?

Oh that's easy - because all showing people are mad.

 

[NLPM]

My guesses are...

Running up stirrups - safety when leading (had a horse catch a stirrup on a gate before - not a good experience), and to keep them off the horse's back when the saddle is lifted off?

Tacking up on the left - so your right hand is the one closest to the horse, as most people are right-handed so generally leading etc. is done from that side.

Cavessons - nosebands came before bits, I think, so as Shilasdair said would be the standard bit of kit for training and riding. Then when bits came along the noseband stayed, probably for the reasons above?

I did think manes went on the opposite side to the sword, to avoid it getting caught up in battle or at speed, but that wouldn't make sense now I think about it as most people would be right-handed. Maybe plaiting has its origins here! (That's PURE speculation on my part and extremely unlikely to be true. I'm sure the solders had more important things to do in the hours before battles!). I like the idea that plaiting was invented by parents


I would like to know why 40x20/60x20 are the standard dressage arena sizes, and where the letters came from?

 

[Keith_Beef]

I would like to know why 40x20/60x20 are the standard dressage arena sizes, and where the letters came from?

I'm sure that I read somewhere that the letters came from some Prussian cavalry school; the Kaiser's favourite horses used to line up in a particular order and the letters around the arena correspond to the first letters of the horses' names, in the order they would line up.

I must admit I have a thing about manes being on the wrong i.e. left side, no idea why as makes absolutely no difference to the horse. Fortunately mine sit that way quite happily. Always useful for when I am going out in fully 18th century military regalia.

Ah! Maybe you can help me out... I'm looking for a pattern to make something to hang a sabre on a sword belt. Doesn't have to be exactly correct for a narrowly defined period, nation or regiment, but anything that would work for a Pattern 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre (often called a Blücher pattern sabre).

 

[Cowpony]

I'm sure that I read somewhere that the letters came from some Prussian cavalry school; the Kaiser's favourite horses used to line up in a particular order and the letters around the arena correspond to the first letters of the horses' names, in the order they would line up. QUOTE]

I've read something similar about the Prussian army, but that the letters related to where the different people/groups stood on the parade ground.

 

[Wishfilly]

In terms of doing things from the left, I once read horses lack the connections between the two hemispheres of their brains that we have- they have connections but they are much smaller. Therefore, they struggle to transfer learning from the left to the right.

In practice this means a horse that has learnt to be mounted and led from the left, has to relearn it from the right. Some of the skills may be there, but not all- it is essentially a new experience for the horse. IMO, this means the trainer should train the horse from the left and the right, but in practice is may mean you are safer doing it from the left, because this is what the horse is used to.

Some horse may transfer learning more easily than others, but in general, you should not assume a horse that can do it from the left can do it from the right.