You would think before ever jumping into to horseback riding, one would learn the basics of horsemanship. You would think. However, we know this is not the case. We’ve all met the horse owners who haven’t cleaned out the water trough in years; riders who skip the post-ride walk; horsemen who treat their tack like it was swept up in the muck pile.

Horsemanship doesn’t end with the horse. Knowing how to properly store and care for your tack doesn’t just protect your investment, but also helps protect you and your horse.

Here’s a quick and easy-to-understand refresher on how to properly hang your bridle, courtesy of horseman Steve Kutie. You might think you know how to do this, but do you really know?

There’s more than one way to properly stow a bridle, of course. The figure eight method is another popular and useful trick.

Or, perhaps you have your own routine you’d like to share?