Busy-body tack shop assistants

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Erehwemos

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I am currently 'in the market' for a skull cap and a body protector - Ellie and I might be doing a bit of cross country this year, and at present I only have my peaked GPA showjumping hat, and a body protector which was made for me when I was 12 (now 22)
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Anyway, whilst on holiday with my OH this week, I managed to persuade him to accompany me to two tack shops
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The first shop was lovely, and the lady was very helpful. I didnt buy a hat, but I was certainly given some good guidance as to what I should be looking for, which type fits me best etc. The second shop was somewhat different. I was just glancing at what hats they had (bearing in mind I now know what size/model I want and am only shopping for price) when the shop woman came over. I told her that I am going to be doing some XC, and therefore need a skull cap just to use when XC, as I have my perfectly good GPA to wear when hacking.

"You shouldnt be wearing that for hacking," she instantly butted in.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not what they're designed for, and it could be dangerous."

I was a bit taken aback, and simply said, "Ah well, I've been wearing it for years without any problems!"

To which she replied, "Another reason you should buy a new skull cap, if you've been using your GPA 'for years'. You know it's unsafe."

What the hell is her problem? I have not even mentioned the age of my GPA, and I have never ever heard of this kind of hat being 'dangerous' for hacking.

Needless to say, I did NOT buy a hat from this woman. Who does she think she is??? This kind of attitude really puts me off - and it was a shame, as the shop was lovely. But my God, I hate busybodies!
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I went to one tack shop once, I was looking for a Charles Owen J3...

Once shop pretty much crammed a hat onto my head...then went off to ring it up on the till....IT WAS TINY and made my head hurt!!! I said it was too small and she said nonsense it is a perfect fit...I could barely get the bloody thing off!

Went to another place and the woman was so helpful...she explained how my head was more designed for the original velvet hats (oval head
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) but helped me find the right size skull cap and padded it out to fit me so there were no pressure points etc!

i was only going to try them on so I can buy in the online sales....but she was so helpful that I bought it full price from her
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A friend of mine nearly wasn't sold the hat she wanted (here in Argentina) because apparently it was 'only for Olympic riders'!
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Yep, like Olympic riders are soooo thick on the ground here that random shops in the middle of hicksville sell exclusively to them... *sigh* What a crock of shite. I wish I'd been there to ask about specific safety standards....
 
tbh i wouldn't ever hack out in a hat with a fixed peak for safety reasons and she does have a point- however i think maybe she needs some lessons in customer relations!
 
Oh I LOVE tack shop owners / assistants. I walk in wearing a business suit and the look of 'pratt' flicks across their faces. They then speak to me like I'm five years old (if they speak at all) and so I have a good look round and leave.

This Christmas, I was looking for some Ariat stretch tights for my OH, as they fit her well and she really likes them. I had found a shop in Bristol that advertised them on their web site the year before, I checked again and sure enough there they were "Ariat Riding Tights" cool. I called in to the shop only to be told they weren't a sports shop and could not get running tights, 'um no, these are Ariat riding tights, you have them on your web site' , no apparently they did not sell them ' err, strange, I bought two pairs here last year', no I'd have to go to a different shop in Bath. I called the shop in Bath and they didn't stock Ariat clothes at all. I got two pairs at a shop outside Wellington in the end .

The reasons I support my local tack shop are because they talk to me like a human and they know their stock. But it is fun to visit other shops, just to see what reaction I get.
 
You see, I really don't understand that. how can it be any less safe to hack in such a hat than it would be to showjump? The peaks have to be collapsible anyway
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i know what you mean, my friend went to buy a muzzle for her pony, the woman asked a million questions as to why we wanted one, and i got fed up and said... have you got one or not?
to which she didnt! grrrr.... waste of time!
 
My pet hate in tack shops is the ones staffed by teenagers who know nothing but like to pose around wearing the Anky clothing range grrr.

Last time I went in this particular shop was to look for a Medium TO rug. Now I know my horse fits a 195 in Amigo and this Dolly dingbat was telling me that as they had no stock of the 195 then the 205 will be fine as it is only 10cms bigger. Yes dear granted but it will also reach his fetlocks!

I also had the classic of wanting to buy a bitless bridle to be told no we don't sell them you will have to go onto a Western Riding website. When I picked up said bitless bridle and took it to the cash register I was asked what is that!.....

I now stick to one tack shop with an owner who knows her stuff, lets you take stock and try it on and you can return what does not fit (great for rug shopping!). Will let OH go and get things for me and will stick it on an account, will order things in for you. And has even taken back a pair of Stubben Leathers that I did not buy from her and returned them to Stubben (I got replacements) when the dolly dingbats in the shop I brought them from had told me that the damage was from the sand school and I should not be using them to ride in one, My response is not one suitable for a public forum!

Ok rant over!
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Responding to MizEltoe - fixed peaks, even collapsible ones, are considered unsafe for hacking becuase of the risk that you will land on a fixed surface. In SJ and showing if you do come off and slam into something with your face the chances are it will be the surface, softish ground or a jump which promptly falls apart thus saving your neck.

If you fall off XC, hunting or hacking there is a greater risk that what you hit will be fixed. The road, a fixed jump, a tree, a car etc. The subsequent flick back from the peak, even if it is designed to collpse, can break your neck.

Thats the theory. However you are an adult. You are and should be totally free to assess your own level of risk and make your own decisions. Course organisers have to have safety rules. And there are laws about riding on the road with certain types of hat for under 16's. But you know better than any how and where you hack and what the chance of you landing face down on a fixed surface is.

(For what its worth I hack in my fixed peak GPA too!)
 
at least you got service!!! in my local tack shop they are all to busy on thier mobiles arrangeing next fri/sat nights activities to even bother to look up at you, and if you somehow by a miracle attract their attention you are treated as a huge iinconvenice!!!
 
There was a notice in a tack shop I visited recently saying dont use our hats as a trying out service if you intend to buy from the internet .I was thinling of buying one there but that put me off even trying one .
 
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tbh i wouldn't ever hack out in a hat with a fixed peak for safety reasons and she does have a point- however i think maybe she needs some lessons in customer relations!

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Why? This is a genuine question, BTW. How's hacking different from jumping for instance, risk-wise and is a fixed peak ok for that?
 
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Well guess what, I have just returned from another saddlery, and have a similar tale to tell - albeit not regarding hats!

There is one lady at the saddlery who tends to be very full on and dictatorial when it comes to 'helping' so I went out of my way to ask another person to fit me for a body protector. But unfortunately, the other lady came and muscled in and said she would be 'better equipped' to measure me - she even questioned the qualifications of the woman who I'd originally asked, who simply pointed calmly at a certificate on the wall behind us
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So it went a bit like this:

"I would like a Racesafe 2000, please."

"Well I'd like to try you in this one (a Rodney Powell) instead..."

"No, I'd like a Racesafe. I've tried many different brands on at different shops and I now know what size I need, I just need to have it custom made for the back length and colour."

"Oh but I would recommend..."

"I would like a Racesafe, please."

She continued to question why I wanted that one, and when I said it was because of all the ones I have tried, the RS was much more comfortable, she feigned disbelief and brought out another one - I think it was an Aerowear - that is allegedly made for 'ladies with a bigger bust'. The damned thing felt like it was killing me, so eventually she gave in and let me try a Racesafe. Sure enough, it felt lovely and comfortable so she measured me up and that was it - job done.

Why do these people not understand that a manner like this can only serve to turn customers away? I had planned to look at their hats too, but there was no way I wanted her to fit me up and try to dictate which one I should have, so I didnt bother. It makes me so mad!!!!
 
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