Do you think we make horse-owning more expensive than it need be?

Hippona

Hippona

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I'm taking here really about I suppose the majority of horse owners- the 'happy-hackers' and RC unaffiliated level riders - the 'non-pros' as it were. People who really could get by without top-of-the range stuff.....but find themselves buying ridiculously overpriced stuff their horse or themselves really have no need for.....

I do include myself in this....I am really bad at it.....I mean, there are some pricey things I've bought my horse that actually do seem to benefit him- for instance- when I first started owning horses it was like- 'ooh, nice saddle cloth- matches my headcollar' (tenner) Now its - Oh, gotta have a prolite numnah (seventy quid
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)...it does seem to make him more comfortable as he is knocking on a bit and a bit bony around the old withers, but I don't know thats its seventy quids worth of comfort- IYKWIM.

For example- do you buy Woof Wear/N.E.W/Equilibrium boots when cheaper brand brushing boots do exactly the same? Use magnetic back pads /stable chaps on your happy hacker?

Do you think 'normal' horses these day are kitted out in stuff they don't really need? Could we be more 'basic' and help our finances without causing our horses problems or do you think the use of this 'technical' gadgetry and top of the range stuff is a factor contributing to our horses general level of well-being and making them wear better??

Dunno really- I was pondering this stuff this morning mucking out, so it may not make sense to anyone but me.....

Discuss please, whilst I put the kettle on
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I know exactly what you mean!! I am terrible at buying branded stuff, when the unbranded things are just as good, and sometime better! When I was a student, my horses got Axiom rugs off of ebay (at £30 for a HW TO brand new!) and other bargain basement items - they were still looked after, and wanted for nothing, but at a much lower price. Now I have a good job, the same horses get FAL and Thermatex rugs, the best brushes, shavings, leatherwork etc - is there a difference in them? No. Is there a difference in the level of care they receive? No. It's just me being a label junky.... I guess it's like people that rush out and buy Anky or Lucinda Green clothes etc - it wont make you ride any better, but it helps to think you look like them, lol.
 
You're probably right. On our yard there is a room full of rugs that are never used. When I got Manni on loan he came with a stable rug and a turnout, but I needed other rugs once winter came. Rather than going out to buy some I asked YO if she had any in the rug room that might fit - and I kitted him out in a full wardrobe. She didn't want any money for them and so whenever he goes (not for a long time I hope) I will get them cleaned and return them.

Toby however, does have some 'named' equipment but that's probably because my daughter does Pony BSJA on him and it's a bit 'bling', and she wants to be like the other kids and have the blingy stuff too, which I have indulged.

But on the whole I don't think it's necessary to spend alot.

There's an awful of of good second hand stuff for sale if you look for it, you don;t have to buy new all the time.
 
Yep. Some examples-

1) Inappropriate or uneccesary feeding
2) False economy, such as buying a cheap bridle then needing to replace it after a year, when one three times more expensive would last for years and years
3) Too infrequent farrier visits, so the horse sooner or later goes lame and needs loads of veterinary help!
4) Badly fitting saddles or wrong bitting resulting in owner thinking they need yet another pad/gadget/back person to sort the problem out.
5) clipping when the horse is ridden once or twice a week. Cost of clipping + rugs + more food to keep warm!
6) too many rugs when not needed

I could go on and on...!
 
Yes I think we do.When I bought my other horse he was kitted out in 'designer gear' . I then sold him on and a lot of his gear went as well.So I had used my credit card to finance these luxuries and I am still paying it off now.
He was replaced with a youngster and I have been buying what I can afford and what is actually necessary.I would love to go out and buy all the new design rugs,sheepskin lined boots etc but I really don't or should I say he doesn't need them.
However me and breeches ............but even then they have to be the right price
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I was thinking along the same lines after reading the post about the 'good ole' days' when many people got by and did well with a jute rug, string girth ..... now it is super pro rug and £100 girth!

I dont have much need for some of the stuff I have and probably fall into the category [has gear shame she has no idea lol]. I guess we just want to do the best for our horses so spend the extra cash? Is it clever marketing?
 
I dont mind paying for something that is good quality and is needed. My girth cost more than £100! But thats not because of the brand, its because my horse genuinely needs it.

I think marketing has a lot to do with it and also people not taking the time to learn what they really need. They buy things through fashion or because of an advert rather than educating themselves and buying through need.

Joint supplements are one example. There are so many that are a complete waste of money because they dont contain enough active ingredient. But an owner will buy it because its £5 cheaper per tub, £5 more expensive per tub or because theyve seen it advertised! Never mind whats in it.
 
i think so but for me its more about the horse having that mctimony treatment and all those little extras you buy that they dont need.i have a load of rugs for my big two that i never use and daughter has so many numnahs but wears the same one most of the time. i know if i didnt have horses and all that goes with them id be rolling in money.
 
Definitely know that I've made it more expensive than it needs to be. My old pony managed perfectly well with the old style canvas NZ rugs, jute stable rugs, straight feed etc. Now our lot seem to have just about everything known to man and more...

Still, it does them no harm so I don't worry about it.
 
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Yes, I think we are all guilty of this. I like buying nice things when i can afford it.
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Yep- guilty as charged- I like the nice stuff, and to be quite honest often it does last longer/wear better/look smarter etc....but I have to confess to becoming obsessed about stuff....I HAVE to get it, and really- thats just me being a bit daft in the head.....
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To a Degree possibly, but Pickle doesn't have anything particularly top of the range, his boots are premier equine and were £11 in the sale a few months ago, rugs again in the sale (6ft9 is always in the sales) Saddlecloths are generally HKM as there the only ones that fit his saddle but arn't expensive. His bridle is Requisite
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His saddle was pricy but that is necessary!
 
Just got a big fat Ekkia catalogue with daughter's Horse & Rider magazine.

There are loads of lovely things in there that I really don't need .......
 
Sometimes lol Roger's saddle was very expensive but it fits well, i use a cheap girths because they are narrow, he's very short backed and is quite prone to rubs around his girth.
I also have a cheap show bridle but an expensive one for every day use.
I keep telling him that he won't be getting anything else after buying his saddle in the summer.
 
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I used to be guilty of this, until the NHS bursary system took control of my salary and I seriously had to step back and look at what my horse actually needed, rather than what I wanted. This year he's only had a handful of chaff to mix in some pink powder (a £4.60 bag of chaff has lasted me 4 months!), although I had a new saddle fitted last summer I've got one sold and three awaiting new homes to fund it, and I was given an old rambo which my boy is out in today, minus tail flap! I've not bought him anything new for ages (whoops- I tell a lie, he had a new £5 headcollar at christmas but only because his old one was very rusty) and I dont intend to change my ways when I earn a proper wage. You'll be able to spot me and my boy a mile off in our "old second hand" fashion LOL
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We can go to extremes on what we buy, and although I agree that you get what you pay for, in reality does anyone really care that your numnah cost £30? I know for a fact my horse dont!
 
Very interesting and yes I think it is often the case. I agree with the post about various supplements etc and clipping/rugging when horses don't really need it. I generally try to buy quality stuff second hand if I can. My horse owning though is far more expensive than it need be as he is on full livery (ouch).
 
Not me. I think that most of the money I have spent on the baggage is probably on food and getting her feet trimmed on a regular basis. She doesn't possess a single rug and only has a couple of head collars. Mostly as she has out grown them and is now in a cob size one at 17 months
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I'm sure that will change as she gets older and needs a bridle and a saddle etc
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Hell yes !

I used to be soooo bad at this ! but as time has gone on I'm less concerned about keeping up with the jones'

Shes got a £180 h/w Pessoa T/O on her back that I paid 40 quid for ! But .... I have only ever in 7 years owned 1 good quality leather girth for her - quality keeps! So I shouldn't need to buy anything for her ever again I've go that much :-)
 
Yes we do. I have severely cut back; In fact apart from a new saddle my daughters newest horse has had hardly anything new. It helps that she is now past the 'everything must be purple and match' stage and is now in a bit of a 'grunge' stage - Grunge is cheap so is ok with me!
 
Probably but who cares I love buying nice horsey things - I am more excited about getting a new rug delivered on Monday than anything I've bought in ages, I will quite happily splurge on the neds but make do for myself! £230 quid on rug, £20 on work clothes from M&S in the sale!
 
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Just got a big fat Ekkia catalogue with daughter's Horse & Rider magazine.

There are loads of lovely things in there that I really don't need .......

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I have that catalogue as well, its throughly tempting!
 
I appreciate this post - I think it all of the time too! I was one of the worst for it many moons ago, my biggest weakness is expensive rugs, what curbed my ridiculous spending on horse items was when we got our house 7 years ago! So now I just save up over a long period of time, and then buy the odd ridiculous item lol!
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My 'excuse' is, you get what you pay for, and to some extent I agree with this. Usually if you go mid of the range, you can't go too wrong with regards to quality and cost!
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I think alot of people, especially those at yards, feel the need to buy named items to keep up with the trends otherwise they're not in the 'in crowd'! My friend use to be a pony clubber and she said their members were horrendous for this type of attitude! Last show season I saw a little girl that was about 6 - 8 years old on a pony in a John Whitaker saddle - she jumps unaffiliated only, but is part of the pony club. Before she joined, her family didn't splash out like that! xx
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Its not so bad for that on our yard- we tend to have nice show stuff but generally grunge about most of the time...but I find as time goes by, I notch everything up...at one point, it was a pair of say, Harry Hall jods/breeches and they were fine- now I find myself fancying musto/ariat....and for what? hacking around the woods? I have some nice caldene/joules breeches I wear every day but bought in the sale for half price so thats ok (isn't it??say yes).....I think I am turning into an equine label freak because I don't spend any money on 'normal' clothes- well, I do but very little for work- perhaps I need therapy.......or a slap
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yes I think most people actually spend far more than they need on feeds, suppliments, rugs etc. Horses don't need to have 2 rug changes every day, they are happy in one rug that fits well, is warm but not to warm and it can be left on from field to stable and back again - as long as it is checked I have far too many rugs, most of which I have barely used. Most horses don;t need loads of suppliments and different expensive feeds. I only use FAL rugs - because they last for years and are superb quality so actually are cheaper in the long run. I also buy most of mine second hand on ebay now as to be honest I end up paying less that £50 for a £150 rug and after a few hours in the field they all look the same.
 
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I have some nice caldene/joules breeches I wear every day but bought in the sale for half price so thats ok (isn't it??say yes).....

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YES of course it is......! *Give her the answer she wants to hear and avoid eye contact* lol!
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Nah I jokes, I do think the same, why not buy a decent pair of jods if they are half price! You would be a fool not too IMHO! I personally think it makes me feel better when I wear things I like! I have my favourite jods, tops, gillets, coats, hats, etc... When I can't wear them I get grumpy at having to settle for something else lol!
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I think I am turning into an equine label freak because I don't spend any money on 'normal' clothes- well, I do but very little for work- perhaps I need therapy.......or a slap
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Me too lol! I begrudgingly spend £25 on a pair of black trousers for my office job lol! Jumpers ideally under £10, but £20 at most, and a pair of shoes is never over £30!!
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I do like nice clothes out of work and will splash out abit more then, but that's usually through birthday or christmas money as my regular money is spent on the ruddy horses lol! xx
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think i must be odd, the boys both own 1 L/W turnout & a stable rug (for if its really cold), 1 headcollar & leadrope, 1 feed bucket,everyday bridle, show bridle & a basic grooming kit each.

that is it, no fancy stuff just what they need & they seem very contented, they have only had their rugs on for 9 days since november (due to minus 3 being the day temps) but are back to naked now.
 
When I was a teenager we used to sneer at people in new posh stuff, all the gear and no idea kind of thing. Clean boots were the biggest no no ever.

I'm still not quite over it, I told hubby off the other day for riding in his joules polo shirt. I wear stuff that is old and half dead as it gets filthy and needs washing loads so it ruins good stuff.

The only stuff I spend a lot on is footwear and waterproofs as you really do get what you pay for then.

I recently bought a new jumper for riding in, £3 from primark! My other horsey jumpers/t-shirts are, ones I got free from work (I had a pub job when I was a student 10 years ago), primark bargains (who says you get what you pay for my £3 fleece is still going 8 years after I bought it), inherited from my dad etc.

Jodhs I wear until they fall apart (I was still wearing a pair that said age 11 inside them aged 22).
 
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