Bare Essentials

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Rachel_M

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With new horsey due in the new year I am finding myself struggling to hold the purse strings!!!
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There is SOOOO many choices of everything that it is hard to just think "essentials" and as I have a will as strong as butter, I need you to keep me on the straight and narrow! ( My bank balance thanks you in advance!haha)
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What do you think are ESSENTIAL items to buy with new arrival to keep the horse healthy and happy.


P.S The horse is ISH if that makes a difference
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Jeez, you buy what you think are the essentials and then you find more things they 'need'.

Grooming kit, first aid kit (always best to have your own), headcollar, leadrope x 3 (cos someone always nicks them), saddle, bridle, numnah, girth, stirrups etc, tack cleaning stuff, shampoo, tail conditioner, mud fever barrier, feed, buckets, haynet/bar, boots, rugs (i got a lightweight cotton one that does travelling, bathing AND under stable rugs), spare hoofpicks (again they get nicked), bright paint to mark EVERYTHING.....the list goes on.
 
Hmmm. Much of it depends on what you want to do with him and what kind of livery he's on. If you're planning on competing then the list can be pretty huge..

1) Tack (obviously)
- How much you spend can be very budget dependent here. However, be aware that your choice of saddle might not be suitable for the horse. Its very difficult to say "im going to buy x saddle and it costs x amount"

Dont forget the little things here... its easy to forget to budget for girths... martingales (should you need one), bits, stirrup irons and so on. Remember if you're going to compete you need to consider not just the tack style (obviously) but most likely the colour!
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Are you likely to need to lunge? Might not seem essential but if you work full time and dont get to the yard until its dark, lunging can be a lifesaver for some people.

2) Rugs
- As essentials id go for:-

a) Turnout. This is tough because you're buying him at an awkward time of year and its going to be cold. Is he going to be clipped? When we bought my new horse last year, the first turnout we bought was a Rambo duo. This was because we got him in September when it was still mild enough for him to be using a m/w but we didnt want to spend on an additional h/w. Personally, id spend as much as you're able on a good turnout because they do need to be hard wearing

b) Stable rug. Again, it depends on whether your horse is clipped and how he copes with the cold. You can pick up some heavy stable rugs at reasonable prices though so this isnt as bad as the turnouts. Be aware though, if he's clipped you may find you're going to need an underrug as well
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c) Cooler. Some might argue this isnt essential but Id always grab a cooler. Cost depends on the type with the Thermatex coming at the top end of the price bracket (around £80-£90) and the cheaper fleece coolers coming closer to the £20.

You can easily run into spending thousands on rugs but id go for the above 3 as a priority. You can worry about l/w turnouts (which are cheap anyway), summer sheets (again cheap) and fly sheets (if necessary) as it gets closer to summer.

3) Boots

Sorta comes under tack I suppose.. but does the horse need boots? Again depends on what you're doing with him!

You can go on forever with boots and spend a fortune but initially, Id go with something general purpose and cheap - perhaps a full set of the economy woof wear boots? Will cover you against brushing at least!

Personally, I bandage mine but we only do dressage. But bandages are much more economical than boots - not ideal for some types of work though
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4) First Aid kit

- Depends on what kind of livery you are on. Im on full livery and the yard keeps an unbelievably comprehensive first aid kit and they treat any injuries using this as and where required.

This can be a scarey expense though as it adds up very very quickly. If you dont have one, something is bound to go wrong :/

5) Grooming Kit

- Pretty obvious really! If you're on a budget just grab the cheaper versions of the essentials. You can always add to your grooming kit later. Grooming kit containers are cheaper from DIY stores and generally you'll find something much bigger and sturdier too!

6) Stable Equipment

Again depends on what kind of livery you're on. As i said, Im on full so clueless about how much this stuff runs to (although Id guess its pretty high!). Off the top of my head:-

a) Wheel barrow - might not be essential... some DIY yards even provide these
b) Shavings fork / pitch fork - depends on how you're bedding him !
c) Brush
d) Feed buckets
e) Feed containers! - Try and think rodent proof
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Again im on full livery so dont need them myself but we use old chest freezers
f) Water buckets
g) Hay nets?

Remember head collars!

Its really hard when I dont know what you're planning on doing with him or what kind of livery you're on. Full livery may mean you can get away with a much cheaper initial investment (my horsey was in my trainer's tack / rugs for a while after we bought him)

Good luck with him and have fun shopping!
 
Okay.. speeking from a recent experience. I have just had a horse which came with nothing. Literally 2 weeks ago. i bought, water bucket, feed bucket, hay net, headcoller, lead rope, grooming kit, fleece, medium rug, medium turnout, saddle, bridle, saddle cloth, bit and bandages.

lou x
 
Thanks.


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I know the choice is very dependent on what I plan to do, away from basic tack its the extras that get me staring at the wallet! With him being 4yrs he will be schooling for the most and small comps but last one I bought for was a good doer native, nice hack whilst I was doing College etc, only need a rug in the deepest of winter, and the quick changing british weather, and I think I took for granted how easy he was on the purse.

Its the rugging. Like you said its a difficult time and I appreciate opinions. He is traced clipped at mo until later in the year but when I start thinking about all the types of weather that we get in any one week here in the N-W I end up with a bakers dozen of rugs lined up for turnout and stable. Out during the day and in at night!
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My new horse came a month ago, An ISH too,

Head collar and panic lead rope (always good for a settling horse i think)
Large hay nets inc a small hole hage one to keep him busy (im guessing if yours is stabled at night like mine need two large hay nets a night!!)
Biggest water flexie tubs you can find!
Closer to the time decide on what rugs he will need i would guess a heavy wieght and meduim weight will keep him going.
Idealy a day/show/travel/sweet rug type (though i still havn't found a suitable one and mines living with out it happily!!)
Over reach boots and four bursh/gallop boots (these are for turn out too, spesh for the first few time you turn out)
Lunge rope, Whip, and canvason. (Always start your groundwork first spesh while hes still settleing and your finding tack etc)
Full grooming kit and wash kit.

Pretty much what i started with, keep us happy, and given me no rush to buy things like bridles so i can really hunt for the perfect one!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ahem.....I do believe you are borrowing the saddle from a rather amazing friend of yours <img src="http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Seriously though, you need one of these on your essentials list <img src="http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[/ QUOTE ]




I want the pink one!
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Saying that.......That would save me having to worry over getting a longer necked rug.........oooh
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[ QUOTE ]
My new horse came a month ago, An ISH too,

Head collar and panic lead rope (always good for a settling horse i think)
Large hay nets inc a small hole hage one to keep him busy (im guessing if yours is stabled at night like mine need two large hay nets a night!!)
Biggest water flexie tubs you can find!
Closer to the time decide on what rugs he will need i would guess a heavy wieght and meduim weight will keep him going.
Idealy a day/show/travel/sweet rug type (though i still havn't found a suitable one and mines living with out it happily!!)
Over reach boots and four bursh/gallop boots (these are for turn out too, spesh for the first few time you turn out)
Lunge rope, Whip, and canvason. (Always start your groundwork first spesh while hes still settleing and your finding tack etc)
Full grooming kit and wash kit.

Pretty much what i started with, keep us happy, and given me no rush to buy things like bridles so i can really hunt for the perfect one!

[/ QUOTE ]


Thats brilliant, thankyou, I appreciate it.
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Clothes for me are my achillies (if it fits, get it in every colour comes to mind
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) and I don't want to end up going into a tack shop and coming out with numnahs and saddlecloths in every shape, size and colour.....which I tend to do
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i would say the main essentials would be:

main rugs(l/w,m/w,cooler,h/w)
feed
basic grooming kit
tack(if you need it)
and if u need it there and then -travelling stuff.

thhen i would just keep building up with what u need later on.
hope this has helped u
 
Rugs - all neddies need rugs! (unless they are native things!). And decent tack! Bare essentials - well, a grooming kit, saddlecloth, girth, headcollar & rope, feed!, buckets etc. I dont think there ARE bare essentials, the list goes on and on! You see for me, my essentials include things like 3 different types of cooler rug PER horse, sheepskin jumping boots, a set XC boots, set of home boots and then a set for lessons! You will find you have no money and will think nothing of spending £100 on a rug, yet gawp at spending £30 on a pair of trousers for yourself!
 
The essentials - Saddle, bridle, bit, irons, leathers, 2 girths and saddle cloths (so you have one to use if you're washing the other), first aid kit, tack cleaning kit, grooming kit (including spare hoof picks), head collar and lead rope, travel bandages or boots, multipurpose cooler, a stable rug, at least two turnout rugs (in case one is wet or gets damaged, mine have 3 a lightweight, a medium weight and a heavy weight), two haynets, 2 water buckets, 2 feed bowls and feed bowl covers (these are likely to get damaged and lost), two lunge lines, lunge whip, lunge cavason, side reins and a roller, schooling whip, any boots your horse needs during excerise. Wow that sounds a huge amount
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when i brought Linx he came with most things he needed to get started in the summer, as your horse is coming during the winter you'll need certain things right now but wont need everything right now. i would say you'd need:

<ul type="square">
[*]rugs, differing weights depending on clip/breed etc for stable &amp; T/O
[*]sweat/waffle rug for after excercise (when hot)
[*]grooming kit, i brought the 'kids' sized ones as i found them easier &amp; cheaper!
[*]saddle/bridle
[*]boots - just brushing for now if you want to do XC get them later when itsthe season
[*]buckets/haynets/feed bins/headcollar/leadrope
[*]flourescent stuff for road work [/list]
 
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