Do you buy "cheap" horsey gear?

Persephone

Persephone

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 August 2007
Messages
19,992
Location
Down South
Visit site
Following on from the most useless horsey thing you have bought.....

Do you buy the cheapest equipment you can find? I'm a firm believer that in general cheap = rubbish.

A case in point, when I got my horse 4 1/2 years ago, I bought her an Elevator. Someone asked me the other day if it was a new bridle.The fact is, it still looks brand new and the leather is as perfect as the day I bought it even though it has had constant use.

IME cheap rugs rub, tear, leak and fall apart. Cheap breeches seem to barely last a couple of months. As a result I only tend to use big branded goods, for example I wouldn't touch Requisite with a barge pole!

Basically bitter experience has taught me to buy the best I can afford. I can appreciate that not everybody has say £200 to spend on a rug, but if you do have that money, would you still choose to buy a cheap product? If so how have you found it lasts?

Enquiring minds need to know!
 
I buy the best I can afford as a general rule. However if its something that I would be devestated if it got destroyed and I'd wasted loads of money on it, I'd probably pick cheap. Sorry thats pants way of explaining.

i.e. if/when our youngster starts wearing rugs during the winter, until I know she wont trash them she can have cheap ones! when I know shes not going to trash it, i'll buy her the best I can afford. but i'd be gutted if she broke the first rug i'd bought at £200!!!
 
Don't like cheap, but I do love a bargain! Like my big brands, but prefer to wait until the sale and get eg a nice rug in a funny colour etc. Get the quality, but a few more £ in my pocket! With some brands though I think it is hard to work out if the massive price is just for the name or if you actually get better quality for it. Although cheap is often rubbish, expensive isn't always good!
 
Well yes and no. I try to buy good quality at low price. For instance I just picked up a £1000 saddle for considerably less than half that including stirrups, leathers and girth, it looks as though it has been used at most 20 times.
 
I also have no problem buying 2nd hand. Totally agree about the rugs for youngsters point too actually.

That's a good example :)

I also barely ever have this years colours in anything. Much rather buy really good stuff in the end of season sale.
 
Yes and no. If buying new I buy the best I can afford, however I do buy stuff secondhand - so whilst cheap its usually good stuff, i.e. secondhand rugs I buy horsewear. If I can get a bargain though in a sale then I definately will!!
 
I think with a lot of things in life, you get what you pay for. There are exceptions though and I have in the past been really pleased with bargains I have bought. I think horse equipment wise, the key is to search out good brands at cheap prices. I bought a lot of stuff second hand off e-bay or at car boots, it had to be in nearly new good nick but that way you can have a great long lasting brand.:D
 
I love cheap! Have bought some brilliant bargains for my horse. Have to say the worst rug I’ve bought him was a rain sheet that cost me £55, more than any of his other rugs (inc heavy weights that kept him warm in all that snow) and it’s rubbish (Countrywide own brand).

Best bargain was aforementioned heavyweight run, friend bought it and it was too small her for horse so cost me £40 for a brand new rug, made by a company called Everest but it’s kept him warm and dry even in the most horrible of weather, although it does look like he’s wearing a Burbery check rip off! :D

It’s my life’s work to hunt out a bargain for my horse. I couldn’t face spending £200 on a rug… he’d only get it dirty!
 
I'm more of a mid range girl, I can't afford to clad my myself and my horses in the best expensive gear, so I buy the best I can afford but I don't buy cheap stuff neither as usually its about as much good as chocolate fire guard.
For example, a good English bridle is a good English bridle, paying an extra £80.00 for one of a better make is not going to make a blind bit of difference to my horse so I personally don't bother.
 
I'm another one that likes to buy good brands when they are discounted.
I look out for end of line winter rugs in the summer or clearance sales etc.
Saddles - I've been lucky that my saddler has been able to supply me with good quality leather saddles second hand at a reasonable price.
 
Another one for liking bargains! I tend to buy 2nd hand where I can - leather stuff mostly, bridles, saddles, girths, as these (providing they've been well cared for) don't seem to take too much wear in a sense?
Rugs I find don't last either way, maybe I just have particularly destructive horses though...
For lots of things though, it has to be quality. I always ride in gloves (I've had issues with my hands/fingers since I was about 8), and usually can't find cheap ones I like anyway, and they never last more than about 2 weeks! Numnahs/saddlecloths too - they end up looking tatty after a few washes which I HATE!

Quite fond of making stuff too - home made 'pessoa' works just as well at a fraction of the price! :D
 
the only thing I ever buy cheap are fly rugs because the coloured goes through them. I buy decent stuff because it lasts longer.
 
Love bargains even if I don't need them at the time; as a friend says 'they'll come in handy some day!'!
Most of my stuff is very good quality second hand;( bless ebay and Beeston Auction!) I'll buy cheapish leather headcollars for field use but I'm a real snob and will only use English leather for anything else. Agree about rugs for youngsters though mine are hardly ever rugged. I'm usually a walking advert for Musto but again, most of it is second hand (I am so not proud, lol!) as it always wears and washes so well; still have a Snugs that was used for the Global Challenge, '96 and it's as good as new in spite of being my yard jacket that gets washed pretty regularly.
It does pay to buy the best quality you can afford I think.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top