clothing
For riding, you need comfortable clothes because you'll be in the saddle 5-6 hours a day - so ride in whatever you normally ride in. It is essential to carry some waterproof clothing (if only as an insurance policy). Bobbie from Bridle Rides wears a long Drizabone coat, which is fairly expensive but stands up to wet weather really well and has the added benefit of keeping your saddle dry. The Hackamac is a rather more voluminous alternative with built in reflective strips - order online at www.hackamac.co.uk. If these two are beyond your budget, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives in tack shops or from equestrian mail order companies like Robinsons and Derby House.

Gloves are also worth having - they help to prevent blisters if you are riding for more than a couple of days, and they keep your hands warm in wet weather or if you are riding in a hilly area.

There are several ways of avoiding sore bums. You can either buy undies that are specially designed for riding (such as Equibriefs), wear two pairs of knickers or pants, or wear cotton cycling shorts under your jods. You can also use a seat saver, either on its own or with any of the above!

Half-chaps with short riding boots are probably the most comfortable leg-wear for bridle riding. The half chaps protect your legs from brambles and nettles, and you should choose boots that are specifically designed for riding - ie. with a small heel to prevent your foot slipping through a stirrup in the event of a fall. Long rubber riding boots are fine in wet and muddy conditions, but they are uncomfortable in hot weather and may cause heat rash.

Non-riding clothes are up to you, but several thin layers can enable you to cope with temperature changes better than one thick one. We usually take a pair of trousers to wear in the evening plus long sleeved shirts, T-shirts and a sweatshirt which can also be worn while riding. If you take the Luggage Ferry, you can take as many non-riding clothes as you like.

saddle-bags
Even if you use the luggage ferry or you are doing a one-centre holiday with petal rides, you still need some means of carrying "necessaries" with you such as rainwear, a camera, coarse-mix for your horse's lunch, a penknife, baler twine, fly repellent etc. If you're not using the luggage ferry, you also need to carry your clothes and washing things.

Its surprising how much you can fit in to reasonably sized saddle bags, and they don't seem to bother the horses when cantering or galloping. We carry wet weather gear either in a roll-bag on the front of the saddle or a cantle bag which attaches to the D-rings at the back - and you can get away without alternative outdoor shoes unless you want to take a rest-day or walk to the pub. Don't be tempted to take too much - it's surprising how little you really need!

You can get saddle-bags that fit in front of the saddle or behind it. Rimmell Saddlers, 1 West St, Shipston-on-Stour, Warks (01608 662 000) will make both types in leather for around £50. Bridle Rides' founder, Adrian Moyes, used to prefer front mounted saddle bags. It is easier for your horse to carry the extra weight on his shoulders, and you are less likely to catch them on a gate - but they can interfere with your hands.

Bobbie prefers the more traditional rear mounted saddlebags which go under the cantle. Synthetic ones are readily available by mail order and from most tack shops - but make sure that the ones you buy either have straps that attach to the girth or a belly strap to stop them bouncing.

Synthetic saddlebags aren't as robust as leather and can tear if you catch them on a gate, but they are cheaper and more waterproof. Performance Equestrian have a good selection, and you can order online at www.performance-equestrian.com. Equikits (tel : 01568 760 267) also make saddlebags which they sell via trade stands at equestrian events around the country. The medium ones are OK for basic necessities on a petal ride, but you will need the large size if you want to carry enough for a 2-3 days.

Whatever sort of saddlebags you go for, its best to line them with a plastic bag and then pack your clothes in separate carrier bags inside it to make sure they stay dry on a wet day, and to prevent them coming into contact with horse sweat. Avoid putting hard or sharp things near the bottom on the inside where they might chafe your horse, and try to balance the weight equally on each side to stop them slipping.

In terms of other luggage carrying equipment, the best selection is available from Trec and endurance riding specialists such as Performance Equestrian and Raddery Equine. You can also get canvas roll-bags from army and navy shops (eg W S Surplus Supplies Ltd, 16 Lamarsh Road, Oxford (01865 241 433) for about £10.

You may find a small, light bum-bag useful for carrying items such as money, sun-tan lotion, baler-twine, etc. It is best not to carry anything hard in it in case you hurt yourself in a fall, although one possible exception is your mobile phone - at the end of the day, it is no use in a saddle bag if you part company with your horse! We don't recommend carrying a rucksack under any circumstances - it is unbalancing, uncomfortable and could be dangerous in a fall.

map-case
Wind and rain can be very destructive, so a mapcase is an important bit of equipment. The clear plastic keeps the map and route-notes dry and the mapcase can be slung round your neck or over one shoulder for easy access as modelled by bridle rider, Chris Paine, in the photo above right. The best mapcases for Bridle Riding have clear plastic on both sides. Bobbie puts her map in one side and the route notes on the other when she's route-checking - the idea is that everything stays dry and she can see both by simply turning the mapcase over. T o stop you mapcase flying around on a windy day or if you have a canter, tie a belt round your waist and tuck it in. If you haven't ordered an extra copy of the route-notes, you may want to make a photocopy of your own in case the one we supply gets wet or (as has happened on at least one occasion) blows away!

hi-viz gear
We recommend that you and/or your horse wear hi-viz clothing when you're bridle riding - once again, as modelled by Chris Paine in the photo above. It makes you more visible to traffic when you are riding on roads and to other path users on bridleways - and it also makes it easier for the emergency services to find you in the event of an accident. We have our own range of hi-viz safety yellow T-shirts and sweatshirts with the Bridle Rides logo on the back for the humans in your party. Check out the following link to our What's New page for photos and prices.

One of the key recommendations that came out of a joint BHS and Ministry of Defence safety conference in September 2005 was that riders can make themselves more visible to low flying military helicopter pilots by wearing hi-viz items that are visible from above such as a fluorescent hat cover. Click on the following link for a copy of the joint MOD/BHS leaflet Military Low Flying : Safety - a Guide for Riders.

numnahs
A well-fitting saddle shouldn't need a numnah provided you clean it after each days ride - and we provide saddle soap and a sponge at each overnight stop.

However, most bridle riders prefer to use a numnah or saddle cloth to keep their saddle clean. These can get very sweaty while you are riding and there may not be enough time to wash and dry one overnight, so we suggest either using light mumnahs that dry quickly or more expensive ones (eg. Prolite) made of fabric that is specially designed to wick away moisture from your horses skin.

If you are carrying everything with you rather then using the luggage ferry, you may do best to take two lightweight numnahs that dry quickly, one to use and the other in your saddle bag so that you can alternate them each day. Once you have been on the trail for a couple of days, you'll need to carry the spare in a plastic bag if it hasn't been washed. Another approach is to copy western riders and use a blanket under your saddle which can be refolded several times.

picnic equipment
If you are not stopping at a pub or cafe, you can take a pack lunch from your host. You may also want to take picnic equipment, eg. plastic cutlery and a groundsheet, but please note that some items are bulky and quite heavy to carry.

first-aid kit
It is worth taking a small first-aid kit containing the basics for horse and rider. For horses you might want wound powder, a basic dressing and some fly-repellent; and for riders, plasters, antiseptic and analgesic. You may also want to carry bandages (normal, not leg) which are useful in a variety of situations for horse or rider.

Bobbie bought a Trip Kit from her local branch of Boots several years ago. It is about the size of a camera and comes in a small zip up case. She adapted the contents for humans and horses by retaining the original lint, bandages and scissors and replacing the rest with a small pot of veterinary wound powder, a small tube of antiseptic cream, a small tube of Anthisan for bites and stings, a couple of antiseptic wipes for cleaning wounds, a folding hoof pick, a few cotton wool balls and some paracetamol. She also carries a separate bottle of fly repellent for herself and Herbie.

tools
A penknife or Swiss army knife is essential, especially for cutting any baler twine that has been used to tie up gates (don't forget to re-tie it afterwards). You also need a small stock of baler twine to tie up gates where there is not already enough string and to fasten round trees or other large objects before tying your horse up. In combination, a penknife and baler-twine can also be used to make emergency repairs to tack - eg stirrup leathers, bridles, etc.

grooming, tack-care, etc
It is worth carrying a hoof-pick with you en route - you can get folding ones which pack up very small. Each host also has a basic grooming kit comprising of a dandy brush, body brush, plastic curry comb, 2 regular hoof picks, a sweat scraper and a mane comb which is reserved for Bridle Rides customers. You should not need to carry any of these items with you unless you prefer not to use brushes that have been used on other horses. Saddle-soap and a sponge are also available if you want to clean your tack.

It is worth taking a boot-lace or string so that you can tie the head-collar to the bridle head-piece. This stops it slipping back and causing pressure on the nose.

- saddle, bridle, head-collar, headrope
- saddle-bag(s), roll-bag(s) and straps
- numnahs
- riding clothes
- riding footwear (boots, jodhpur boots, chaps, etc)
- hard hat
- gloves
- hunting crop or crooked stick for closing gates
- top-wear (eg. T-shirts, shirts and sweatshirts or light jumpers).
- rain-wear
- trousers or dress to wear in the evening
- footwear (when not riding)
- socks
- underwear
- bedwear
- toiletries
- penknife & string or baler-twine
- maps and map-case
- big belt for tucking map-case into
- Bridle Rides guide, routes, etc
- hoofpick
- plastic carrier-bags for lining saddle-bags
- smaller plastic bags (always useful for something)
- book(s), such as pocket guides to birds and flowers
- money - cash and cheques (to pay for lunch, tea, drink, etc)
- fly-repellent
- water-bottle
- first-aid kit
- picnic equipment
- sun-tan lotion
- secateurs for cutting back brambles etc
- camera and films
- mobile phone