The traditional tall riding boot will be available as a field style, which has lacing at the throat of the boot, or a dress style, which has no lacing. The dress boot is typically favored by dressage riders for it's clean lines. The field boot is a popular choice for the hunter/jumper rider. The laces at the throat make the boot much easier to get on or off. For a few dollars more, many bootmakers now offer boots with a hidden zipper running the length of the back seam. This makes donning your riding boots almost as easy as slipping on a pair of shoes. The drawback to zippers is that they come under a lot of stress, and repairing or replacing them can get expensive.

There are also now available several high tech options from manufacturers such as the riding shoe called the Terrain from Ariat International. This boot weighs only 10 ounces, has waterproofed leather uppers, and is an excellent choice for the casual rider. Just click on the link above for a description.

   Expect to pay from $50.00 to $1,000.00 for a new pair of boots. As in any consumer product, buy the best quality you can afford, and your boots will fit better and last longer.Children's boots will be sized from 11 to 5, and adult's footwear from 5.5 to 11. (*** ladies) At Ranchmart, we do stock men's boots, but in a limited range of price points and styles as male riders make up a very small part of our customer base.

• Blankets and sheets

Measuring your horse for a blanket or sheet is a very easy task. With a friend assisting you, put one end of a cloth tape measure at the center of your horse's chest, and have your assistant put the other end of the tape at the base of the horse's tail (in a straight line) ***Unless you are sure that your horse doesn't kick, avoid standing directly behind the animal.This is the size blanket or sheet you'll be shopping for. Blankets and sheets generally come in two inch, even number increments, and it's better to have one slightly bigger than smaller. (*** Weatherbeeta U.S.A. seems to be the exception to this rule for some unknown reason, producing sheet and blankets in oddly numbered sizes.)

   Blankets come in two styles - Stable blankets and turnout blankets. The stable blankets will either have a closed or buckle front, with two surcingles which pass under the belly of the horse. These are designed solely for use when a horse is kept in a stall, for warmth and to retard coat growth. Turnouts are similar, but may have only one surcingle and also have straps which crisscross between the horse's hind legs to prevent the blanket slipping when the horse rolls in the field.. This type of blanket is appropriate for a horse to be turned out to pasture (or in the stall), and usually will be water resistant.

•    Breeches and Jodhpurs

   Riding breeches may come with leather or suede kneepatches, or full leather seats. In most cases you can recognise that what you are looking at is a breech by the Velcro closure at the ankle. This style pant is designed to have the lower leg fit inside a tall riding boot. (A very few manufacturers such as Ariat now feature an elasticised cuff rather than the Velcro closure) Breeches are not suitable for use with paddock boots. In the U.S. breeches are measured by waist size in inches, and length designations of regular and long.

   A Jodhpur is recognisable by the cuffs at the bottom of the leg and elastic underpasses which fit over paddock boots to hold the pant firmly down in place. These are designed to be worn with Jodhpur or Paddock boots. (The term is interchangeable.) In the U.S. jodhpurs are measured by waist size in inches, and length designations of regular and long.

   A generally less expensive option is the riding tight. These are casual and comfortable riding pants that can be used with either tall boots or paddock boots. Riding tights are sized XS to XL in both children's and women's sizes.

• Bridles

English bridles are sized from pony, cob, horse, and oversized (warmblood) Prices will range from $50.00 to $500.00. Buying a more expensive bridle will get you better quality leather, more stitches to the inch, a tighter fit on components, and better hardware. A quality bridle that is cared for will last a lifetime, and is well worth the extra investment. Consider that the bridle is what connects you to a very large and powerful animal. Save money on those items that are not so critical to your safety.***A note on fit - The single determining factor as to whether or not a bridle fits properly is usually the length of the browband.

• Helmets

Riding helmets have come a long ways. Today's protective headgear is technologically advanced. Expect to pay $40.00 to $300.00 for a riding helmet. As with critical pieces of safety equipment, don't skimp here. Make sure that any helmet you purchase is ASTM/SEI approved. ASTM stands for American Standards for Testing Materiels. They set the standards to which riding helmets are made. SEI stands for Safety Equipment Institute. They randomly test helmets to ensure that the standards are being met. (*** Ranchmart does not carry "for apparel only" helmets".)

• English Saddles

   Ranchmart is primarily an English store. English equipment is our stock-in-trade. English saddles we stock may be divided into several main categories, close contact, all purpose, dressage, and trail saddles.

   Close contact saddles have a shallow seat, minimal kneerolls, and a square cantle. This is the style of choice for the hunter/jumper rider.

   All purpose saddles have a deeper seat, a rounded cantle, and substantial kneerolls. They are just what the name implies, an all purpose saddle.

   Dressage saddles have a straight flap, a generally deeper seat, and are suitable for work on the flat only, not for jumping.

   Trail saddles are comfortable and a bit larger in the seat. They will usually have a padded seat of some type. They are suitable for a rider who spends a lot of time in the saddle riding cross country.

   English seat sizes are measured from either of the buttons on the side of the pommel to the back of the cantle. The best way to determine what size saddle fits you is to have an experienced person see you sit in the saddle.

   Fitting the saddle to a horse is not "rocket science" but will require an experienced eye. On request, if you are local, we will come to your barn to fit a saddle for you. English saddles come in tree widths - from narrow to extra wide. Tree width may also be expressed by a number designation - typically 1, 2, 3, and 4. The most accurate way in which to express tree width from manufacturer to manufacturer is in centimeters. See the two examples below. The first illustration is of an english saddle fork. Tree width is measured in cm from one fork point to another. You can feel these points in a completed saddle, but getting an accurate measurement is problematic. Look on the inside of the flap on any saddle. Many saddle makers will stamp a number on the flap - if you see a number like 32 or 34, this will be the tree width for that saddle. This tree width is what will determine how a particular saddle fits your horse.

The second illustration is of a complete saddle tree - this is the "skeleton" on which your saddle is built. It may be constructed of steel and beechwood, which is the traditional method of construction. It may also be constructed of fiberglass, or some other exotic material, but the basic concept remains the same.