When humans first climbed onto horseback, a saddle was devised to keep riders stable and to help horses perform their duties. Early designs were purely practical, tailored to the demands of war, travel, and sport. Social convention also left its mark: since women were expected to remain modestly attired in long skirts, the side-saddle emerged, allowing them to ride without straddling a horse.

Better for the Horse. Better for the Rider. “We recommend ThinLine for horses that are back sore, horses that have saddle issues, and to help reduce the impacts that riding has on horses,” says FEI certified veterinarian Dr. Fernando Cardenas in North Carolina, USA who also breeds warmblood sport horses.

ThinLine introduces the Flexible Filly Grazing Muzzle with adjustable grazing hole size to customize the muzzle to your horse’s dietary needs. The muzzle is manufactured with food grade resins that provide a durable yet lightweight, flexible alternative to traditional muzzles. Veterinarian recommendations for safe grazing in a muzzle are a 3.5 to 4 cm grazing hole for full-time grazing, and 2 to 2.5 cm for restricted grazing often required for horses with metabolic issues. The industry standard is 3 cm and grazing holes are not adjustable.

My Journey Into Bitless Riding - About 15 years ago I first went bitless with my mare, Diva, after a particularly passionate foray, on my part, into natural horsemanship. Riding with a rope halter and lead rope felt a little like wearing a thong bikini to a public beach, with many people waiting to see if this get-up was actually going to do the trick once we hit the water, or in this case the trails.