Horses coming with tack and rugs "expected"?

No, I made a mistake buying a horse with rugs, tacks etc and none of it fitted and on closer inspection it was all tat. Ever since I would rather buy myself and not waste my money on someone else's stuff from the back of their tack room. There is no guarantee the tack fits just because they are using it.
 
I always used to think horses came with everything when you bought them lol whoops.

When I bought my mare she came with a very very tatty old head collar, 2 haynets and a water bucket which was too small for the poor girl. All her rugs (which were custom made for her) the owner wanted back, I was fine with this as the fleece was one you had to pull over her head as it had no chest straps. The owner seemed a tad put out when I gave the old head collar back. But I loved the trolly dash around rideaway buying all her new bits :D
 
I wouldn't expect anything more than a headcollar. But I would expect to negotiate over what tack was included when agreeing a final price.

The exception would be if buying a small pony which had been outgrown in which case I would anticipate tack and rugs being included but not stuff like buckets and grooming kit.
 
When I buy horses I don't want their tack or rugs as I have plenty of my own and often the quality of the rugs are not what I'd choose and I don't want rubbish rugs cluttering up my already crammed full tack rooms. When you buy a horse over here it's usual to buy just the horse and they almost always come with a brand new headcollar, and that's what I sell my horses with.
 
When I was horse hunting, I had 2 budgets- 1 for if tack/rugs were included- and fitted!- and 1 if they werent.
Price ive paid for new horse couldnt be reduced but owner is making a custom bridle and headcollar to give me and I can borrow the saddle whilst hes on trial which made the difference for me. I think you can make do with cheap rugs so wasnt overly worried about them but saddles arent cheap so that was a deal breaker for me with some.
Eta- when I was looking, saw one horse for sale with everything, including shavings, hay and mucking out tools! Tack however was shocking so in that case would have made no difference to me and I would have negotiated as if tack werent included.
 
Last edited:
Obviously his owners generous nature had rubbed off on him!
My beautiful new boy, on full loan, came with a massive wardrobe. Snaffle and double bridle, fab saddle, 9 rugs, 5 sets of bandages, travel boots, turn out boots, the lot. I would have taken him with just a headcollar! The owner is not well off and could have raised a few quid for his kit. He also arrived with a sweet curious adorable attitude!
:-)
 
TBH is annoys me when someone is buying a horse for next to nothing and expects a full wardrobe. The lost one I sold when with a headcollar and 1 rug, the buyer wanted more but he was only be sold for £500. The saddle he was wearing at the time was pessoa jumping saddle, I said it could go with the horse, but the price would change to £1500!

Buying wise: The cheapest horse (free!) came with a headcoller and bridle, most expensive horse I ever had (over 10k) came with nothing (not even a headcoller!)
 
Last edited:
Well, you do need to know what you are buying, my saddler will always take a quality saddle in good condition in part/ex for a new saddle if it turns out to be unsuitable and five years on i'm still using the bridle for hacking that came with my horse and the saddle which fits us both a treat. I'll certainly turn down tack if it's rubbish and negotiate a discount on the horse's price. I'll also always consider a deal on the saddle if I sell a horse because i Know the saddle fits the horse I'm selling but can't guarantee it will fit a new horse. I kept my daughter's Albion dressage saddle with an adjustable tree because it had cost a fortune but I found it just didn't suit me at all so ended up trading it in when I think the new owner of the horse would have been prepared to give me a better price. some you win, some you lose!
No, I made a mistake buying a horse with rugs, tacks etc and none of it fitted and on closer inspection it was all tat. Ever since I would rather buy myself and not waste my money on someone else's stuff from the back of their tack room. There is no guarantee the tack fits just because they are using it.
 
I sold my last horse with his exercise bridle and his saddle, but it was factored into his price. I loved the horse, I had the saddle fitted for him and it just seemed sensible that the two go together as I know the fuss I went to get a saddle that fitted him nicely and I wanted him to be comfortable. I also let some of his rugs go with him because they didn't fit the other boys on the yard so I might as well. But then I sold him to a lovely home and I don't begrudge a few rugs to an old four legged friend :)

Buying horses I never expect it to come with anything, it is also a bonus if it does.
 
Mine came with nothing, they delivered him in their rug, boots and headcollar and took them back away with them. I knew all this beforehand so had been shopping to buy essentials. As for tack, i wasn't interested in what they were using for him (not that it was for sale) so that was fine.
 
No I wouldn't. My boy came with nothing at all, not even a headcollar, but I had negotiated on price and thought that was very fair. We did discuss me buying his saddle but I didn't find it very comfortable and his owner had other horses on which to use it.
A friend sold me a cheap turnout which was great as he arrived at the start of winter and was out 24/7.
I had nothing to fit him but what I had saved on purchase price went towards a second-hand saddle and everything else has been bought piecemeal. He's still wearing a friend's bit...
 
I wouldn't expect anything- Smokes came with an extensive wardrobe which was very helpful as he is a lot smaller than anything else we've had in a long old time! But if he hadn't it wouldn't have been an issue, and it was just a pleasant surprise.
 
I wouldn't expect it but, if it was stuff that I'd feel comfortable using, I'd certainly ask if it could be included and negotiate a price for it. Even if, on getting the saddle checked, it turned out not to fit, it would give me something to trade in for a saddle that did fit.

That said, I currently have absolutely zilch by way of tack/rugs - I'd probably feel differently if I had a variety of stuff cluttering up the place.
 
I was lucky. Mine came with a Stubben bridle, Barnsby saddle, fly rug, heavyweight turnout rug, headcollars, various numnahs and saddlecloths, feed bins, tack locker, brushing boots, bits, other random bits of tack, grooming kit... however his owner was giving up (she had fallen off him and broken her pelvis), so I suppose it was the horse equivalent of a 'closing down sale'.
 
No, however we offer to sell them which bits and pieces they want separately. One of ours came with masses of rugs, half of which we didn't need/want so we ended up selling them anyway. If they're not things that would fit future horses its easier to get it all done at once rather than it sitting in the tack room
 
Not that it's going to happen, but if I sold Ned he would go with almost everything. I would never part with his red bridle though, never ever ever ever! I don't know why, but it's so sentimental, even though it's a little bit broken (can't take the bit off!)
I would bump the price up though - you wouldn't get all his lovely stuff for free!!
 
I've bought both ways but I wouldn't necessarily expect it. We bought 2 horses when I was a kid that came with all their tack because the people were getting out of horse ownership. And I got another horse several years ago that came with a ton of stuff because that was how the owner had received him.

I generally go on the expectation that I will have to furnish all that which has mostly been the case for me. And if I was to sell one of mine, I would not be including the tack except for maybe a halter and lead.
 
We normally specify, and though don't expect anything for certain sizes it's helpful if they come with stuff if possible.
We really don't need any more pony wardrobe though!
It's easier to sell or buy with wardrobe if you've giving up that size, not that we did- we were left with 2 horse size wardrobes with no horse or any chance or getting one.
Con came with some stable rugs, fortunately we have loads of pony rugs about his size but if we didn't it'd have been an expensive winter- as he's a bit smaller than my old ones and the old 4-in-hands rugs are functional not posh I think I'll be building his wardrobe for some time :o
The greys came with harness and a carriage but no rugs- loads if rug shopping potential!
Pip and Ginga came with a carriage, 2 pairs harnesses, a singles harness, all rugs, all boots, riding saddle and 3 bridles. She was giving up- we're still using most the stuff now and as we were starting up suited us but was negotiated separately. The old team also came with a carriage, team harness and wardrobe.
 
I wouldn't expect it, but surely there is no harm in asking/confirming this with a seller? If they don't have anything that will fit the horse of their own, they probably have a higher budget if it includes tack/rugs. I probably wouldn't expect anything under about £3000 to come with an extensive wardrobe though.
 
Mine came with made to measure saddle - I told the lady to keep it and knock me £200 off the price as it fit so badly she had symmetrical lumps everywhere! Came with a rug that was neither waterproof or well fitted so that went in the bin too.
 
My first horse came with a headcollar and leadrope, girth, stirrups and numnah. We negotiated separately for the saddle too. My second horse came with nothing at all, the owners lent us a headcollar and leadrope to bring him home but we had to return them. I sold him with nothing, I was buying another horse and wanted to hang on to everything, not that the dealer who bought him cared! The current boy came with a headcollar, leadrope and an anti-cast roller haha :)
 
None of ours have come with anything but then we have bought mostly youngsters lol!

What I have chuckled at is when people email the office at work enquiring about horses for rehoming and then ask if they come with tack and rugs - eh naw! It's a racehorse love! Horses don't have individual saddles or bridles and rugs of any size will always be used again! You don't even get a headcollar! Saying that the one I got from another yard got brought up to Mussleburgh for me, the lad who looked after him took me to his box, gave him a pat and a mint and gave me the rest of the packet for him. It was nice to know he was well liked and well looked after to the end of his time there :)
 
Never had any of my recent ones come with anything, not even a headcollar, but I expect that when buying from someone who produces horses for a living as opposed to a leisure rider. I reckon part of the fun when having a new horse is selecting their headcollar, feed bucket colour etc :).
 
When I bought both my boys they came with absolutely nothing, not even a head collar (well it's a slight lie as 1 we bought off a friend so I gave her all her rugs and head collar back which seemed to be a pleasant surprise to her).

When the time comes to sell the big one his saddles will definitely not be included in the sale as I want to try them on my little one (If they don't fit I will just trade them in for something suitable). Won't include rugs either as they fit my other one but will probably include boots, headcollar and girths as they will not fit my other one so I have no use for them (Big one is in a 54'' girth and little one is in a 44'' girth!)
 
Top