Are you a tack bigot?

Snaffle with plain cavesson for me usually with no martingate etc. Brown tack on chestnut with brown numnah. However do have to use cheltenham gag for XC/hunting and commit the HHO sin of only using it with one rein. My little brain/hand eye co-ordination wont let me manage two reins.
 
Dutch gag with single rein on the bottom ring disgusts me - it should be banned..!

ok if you must use , then on middle or top, or 3rd and 1st with rounding. I also do not think children should use spurs -EVER.!
THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A PUNISHMENT..!

Also I hate to see children with out body protectors, if I had my way it would be mandatory for all children under 14.
 
cant stand dirty badly fitting tack but biggest bugbear hopeless riders with tons of gadgets thinking it makes them look good~~~~it doesnt.

notice that few people dislike "bling". i did too until children involved. one of my girls is pink bling while other purple not quite so bling! it costs a fortune but i find they take real pride in their bling and must say if it keeps them happy and cleaning tack!!!!!!
 
speighty79 said:
Dutch gag with single rein on the bottom ring disgusts me - it should be banned..!

ok if you must use , then on middle or top, or 3rd and 1st with rounding. I also do not think children should use spurs -EVER.!
THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A PUNISHMENT..!

Also I hate to see children with out body protectors, if I had my way it would be mandatory for all children under 14.
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oh dear re the body protectors!!!!!! my kids do ponyclub games and have an absolute ball but would be severely impeded by a body protector. i train a team of kids and must admit when new ones turn complete with body protectors i think oh dear could be a problem!!!!
 
Gosh there is some anger here!!! *hides*

I myself have a flash *gasp* however this is a new addition as previously she decided to go through a dressage test with her mouth "epically" open, so was advised to put a flash on.

We also have a sheepskin half lined dressage pad, which is the only type of numnah that alows her to move freely (and yes we do have a correctly fitting saddle!!)

Besides that our tack is black (shes grey) and i have a cheapy leather bridle cos im poor and i cant afford to buy £££ ones when they do the same job!! She also has a loose ring snaffle.

I may not be a tack bigot, but i do get a bit annoyed when you see the kids wizzing round with spurs and pony club kicking at a small jumping competition.

Also people with bubble bits on the snaffle attachment.
 
I am a simple tack kind of person, hate to see a tack shop on the face and back of a horse/pony.

I do however have a flash on my mare, drop didn't work. Mouth of a hippo, she is happy in it. :p

I hunt in a Pelham with two reins, although sometimes the top rien is forgotten as i'm trying not to go past the master for the third time!!!!!:rolleyes:

I say keep it simple, take it all off and put on what you need if you need it. As long as it is correctly fitting and clean.

Major thing for me, i'm a tackk cleaning freak, i love it. :D
 
some VERY interesting replies to this thread,

my horse came in....
a french link loose ring snaffle
plain cavesson
no martingale,

but he hadnt done much jumping and wasnt particularly strong when i first got him

when i got him i started doing lots of jumping with him and my instructor said to put him in a flash as he used to open his mouth and run out through the shoulder whatever i did didnt help this is now sorted

he raises his head sometimes when jumping hence why he now has a martingale and also as a safety device for me :)

he also now is in a 3 ring gag (the one with just one ring either side of snaffle ring) its a happy mouth also with a roller,

he used to chew his bit all the time but now he doesnt and he gets quite strong when jumping so i changed to the gag,

however i didnt go straight to this i tried a wilkey snaffle that didnt have as much breaks as the gag but that didnt really help,

he seems to love the bit he is now he is so much better and i am quite soft with my hands with him and he goes very well in it!

so i did try all the traditional things, but obviously java loves to jump

oh yes he has a lovely sheepskin pad to keep the pressure of his back with his low withers and a navy and gold piping saddlecloth
 
Oh dear.
I have black tack, a synthetic saddle, running martingale, grackle noseband and a hanging cheek french link snaffle.
On a very strong, spooky skewbald mare.
But I like black tack and my wintec, and the grackle is never too tight. Maybe I should hide under the cover of darkness?
 
speighty79 said:
Dutch gag with single rein on the bottom ring disgusts me - it should be banned..!

ok if you must use , then on middle or top, or 3rd and 1st with rounding. I also do not think children should use spurs -EVER.!
THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A PUNISHMENT..!

Also I hate to see children with out body protectors, if I had my way it would be mandatory for all children under 14.
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Why should children not use spurs? When I was 14 I'd ridden for 12 years and rode medium level dressage - I also wore spurs which were used as a communication tool rather than for impulsion... I only ride well trained horses in spurs but to put an age on it seems silly to me.

I also commit the sin of riding my pony out and about in a dutch gag. He has a habit of bolting for home and it makes him much more civilised... I ride at home in a french link loose ring snaffle... and a double in the show ring. Oh and I own quite a lot of black tack too... that seems to be a dressage vs showing thing. So I have black for the dressage ring and brown for the showing ring.

Blitz
 
Well, mashnut, it's the Bell of Shame for you too. My first saddle was BLACK and SYNTHETIC, and I rode my boy in a FLASH, so you're not alone.
 
tbh as long a horse is comfortable, happy and the rider has control I couldn't careless

some people worry way to much about other people, you focus way to much of your time sitting slagging off other riders and now their tack!!!

Get a life, why does it matterrr

Would MUCH rather see a rider with a comfortable happy horse in their control in a gag with a grackle noseband than someone sawing and pulling at the mouth trying to stop a horse with it's head in the air with a snaffle and a cavasson...
 
Woodykat said:
Always do - No problem :p
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Ditto! I have always found double reins really easy, and I love being able to go rude horse - have curb, nice polite horse - have bradoon.

The only time double reins are even vaguely a pain are when horse takes a flyer out hunting and I get left behind and slip them, on landing (particularly at a drop!) we'll have a few scarily fast strides while I'm getting my knitting back! But I have two very different reins on bradoon and curb so that helps.
 
i also agree in pointless tack and endless amounts of gadgets most of which are badly fitted but a question to the people who hate black tack i have a very dark bay/ black gelding who i think would look silly in any other colour what colour would you have him in. i do understand about the chesnut and no black tack lol
 
I hate nosebands other than cavessons (even those I find pointless but I have to use it as its 'done' for competing!). Hate flashes, grackles, drops etc. I think its just covering a problem - horse opens its mouth because it hates the bit or whatever, hey lets strap its mouth shut! Yuck.

Also dont like faffy tack like martingales - again, as above - dont see the point in trying to yank the horses head down. I had a pony who had very high head carriage, I did try one and she simply fought against it more. I think too many people use them automatically, as they do with nosebands - they dont give them much thought.

Hate it when people also keep using the tack the horse the bought arrived in, why trust someone elses judgement? I'd rather strip the horse right back to a snaffle etc. Too many people say the use a certain bit / martingale / noseband just because the last owner used it.
 
On a more serious note, if you need tack at all you clearly need more NH lessons. The whole aim is to ride in complete harmony, nekked with nothing but the breeze and the carrot stick between you both (would suggest keeping those ShockAbsorbers on for safety reasons)

Bits are for wusses and saddles are for bony bottoms that hurt horses backs.

One should really aim to ride with the mind as that is the only way to ensure perfect balance between horse and rider.

Ladies should wear skirts at all times and ride side-saddle (unless you are level 46 in which case you won't need one) and bowlers should be polished with emu-oil only.

There! I've said my peice!!!!!!!

eta: oh and all sheepskin accessories should be of the brown vareity as white is considered "common"
 
'Fraid to say it but I'm a total tack snob....... I can't help it! :o

Tack has to be good quality English leather - I absolutely hate the cheap imported crap, none of mine would ever be subjected to that

Hate scraggy, frayed, holey numnahs. Sheepskin ones for me.

Hate bridles with buckles, made up bridles using different coloured parts. Using a brown bridle with a black saddle. I could go on & on & on

Colour of tack to suit the horse's colour - i.e black tack on blk/wht, brown tack on bays, etc. I personally prefer brown tack. However my mare has 2 sets of tack - black for when she's black in winter, brown for when she's bay in summer (am I going to get slammed for this! :D)

I'm not into over bitting or gadgets but will use necessary bit when required - i.e gag for hunting, snaffle all other times. I have no choice, I cannot stop her in anything but the gag when hunting - she is far too enthusiastic.

I always try & buy the best my money can buy & I regularly update my horse's stuff to keep it newish.

Most importantly good quality tack but it has to fit properly too - or what's the point?

The way I justify my tack snobbery is that I wouldn't want to go to work in cheap shoes that were 2 sizes too tight, in a rank colour, shoddily made, etc, so why should my horse, especially when she has the added chore of carrying my fat ass on her back.

I don't really care what others use but I have to be honest & say many a time I have looked at a horse & thought " poor you" ;)

This thread has made me chuckle as I have been a secret tack snob for such a long time, I'm relieved to hear it's not just me who hates rank tack !!! :D
 
tallyho! said:
On a more serious note, if you need tack at all you clearly need more NH lessons. The whole aim is to ride in complete harmony, nekked with nothing but the breeze and the carrot stick between you both (would suggest keeping those ShockAbsorbers on for safety reasons)

Bits are for wusses and saddles are for bony bottoms that hurt horses backs.

One should really aim to ride with the mind as that is the only way to ensure perfect balance between horse and rider.

Ladies should wear skirts at all times and ride side-saddle (unless you are level 46 in which case you won't need one) and bowlers should be polished with emu-oil only.

There! I've said my peice!!!!!!!



eta: oh and all sheepskin accessories should be of the brown vareity as white is considered "common"
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ahahahah..........:D:D:D xxx love it!! :D:D:D very funny
 
Faracat said:
I just want to state that all my mare's tack does fit her and it is good quality... however (brace yourselves :p )...

She is chestnut and her tack is black. :eek:
She has a diamonte V browband.... and a diamonte noseband. :eek: :eek:
A martingale. :rolleyes:
A stud girth with a sheepskin lining. ;)
Saddlecloths rather than numnahs. :o

But she is matchy matchy as she has a white saddlecloth and boots or a black saddlecloth and boots... although the effect is spoilt by the hi-viz stuff that I add in non-matchy yellow and pink. :(

Sorry to all that have witnessed our abomination. :rolleyes:

*Hides*
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SHOCKING!!! :eek::eek:
 
No I'm not.

I hate to see poor riding - but I couldn't care less what tack someone is using so long as it isn't hurting the horse.
 
skewby said:
"bubble bit" (and no mention of two reins either ;)).
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I tried out a horse for loan once, the owners sister had a very sweet natured 12.2hh 28 year old pony that had 'been good as gold since they got the 'bubble bit'..."

By 'bubble bit' they actually meant a Cheltenham Gag... with only a rein on the gag attachment...
 
mhorses said:
yes i am

i always say 'oh that must be a novice' if i see a rider with a synthetic sadde!
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I think that is ridiculous! How can you justify that someone is a novice just because they have a synthetic on?! I have synthetic wintecs on my girls, because one is a 3 year old, nearly 4 and is shanging shape, and I dont want to go treeless! And the other is a lil bit on the chubby side and has weight to lose so will also be changing shape!

I think people need to grow the hell up and stop passing judgements on others, at the end of the day as long as it fits and horse and rider are happy, who on earth is everybody else to judge because it really doesnt affect you! I dont normally like writing on here, but all these comments are ridiculous! Get a grip! What other people use on their horses does not affect you! Stop all the judgementalness!
 
mhorses said:
yes i am

i always say 'oh that must be a novice' if i see a rider with a synthetic sadde!
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Seriously? I've been riding for 14 years and got my first leather saddle 6 months ago, so apparently I spent 13 and a half years as a novice. Can I take my stabilisers off now?
 
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