Putting certain items on 'for the look'

[StormyMoments]

Taz wears a mullen mouth snaffle with a grackle as if the mood takes him he crosses and locks his jaw and takes off he wears a gp saddle and a running martingale as when he doesnt like something he throws his head back and more than once he has smacked me in the face and i dont want a broken nose thanks! i dont put a numnah on because im lazy. usually he would wear a plain shaped leather girth but currently has a kentaur leather girth with removeable sheepskin as he has been clipped and is feeling a little sensitive! he wears over reach boots most of the time and does need them but im really lazy

Rio wears a micklem bridle with a french link snaffle. a dressage saddle with a half sheepskin pad as he feels more relaxed when wearing it, a leather shaped girth and sometimes he can be a little girthy so sometimes he has a sheepskin sleeve on the girth as he doesnt like how cold it is! he wears, boots or bandages depending what we are doing but im often too lazy so dont bother although he knocks himself a lot when i dont but them on (really shouldnt be so lazy) also depending on the work we are doing he sometimes needs over reach boots on his hinds and if we are doing fast or extended work then all round

im really lazy with tacking up... infact i hate tacking up so i try not to make it anymore effort than i really need to. if other people want to stick tons of stuff on their horse then go ahead ass long as it causes no harm it is nothing to do with me

 

[Cop-Pop]

My horse used to have matching saddle pad and boots but I ended up buying her a navy polypad and can't afford matching bandages yet She also has a martingale on that she no longer needs as she's working ok atm but I've been too lazy to take it off (plus when the horse eating cat appeared yesterday it was useful to hang on to ) I secretly long for a jacket with our names on (only been asking for one for 25 years ) but not sure if I'd want a personalised saddle pad.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

The only thing that matches of my tack is the colour of bridle and saddle. No excess gadgets, no flumf, no boots, bandages, named items etc. The only other extra is my newmarket quarter sheet in winter.

 

[FoxTrotx]

I like to match my mare's dead sheep noseband cover to her half pad. We have natural and brown

Ooh and we have a saddle cloth and a pair of over reach boots in the same shade of purple!

 

[Highlands]

M&Ms and a Trad so don't do bling..... It clashes with the trads colouring and m&m is very no nonsense !

 

[Cuppatea]

i veryoften put a bridle on one of my horses, i also use a bit and have reins attached to it. I only do it to match the saddle and because it looks good. It has absolutly no effect on said horse at all....ishould really ride him in a silk scarf, probably have more control....

 

[Kokopelli]

For those that see breatplates as unnecessary have never tried to grab the trusty stirrup leather in an emergency just for it to come undone and then your just stuck on a bucking/ rearing and broncing pony holding a useless stirrup leather in one hand and as much mane as you can grab in the other.

Breastplates are definitely the way forward

 

[maisie06]

If people want matchy matchy and bling - why not?? Keeps tack shops in business. Can't see the point in using grackles and gags etc as a fashion accessory though, not sure what that is about.

 

[Singing Dawg]

Had a giggle at Patterdale and the cat on page one, then jumped to here with my 2p's worth.

I just wonder why so many horses these days need these crazily high grackles, 3 ring bits and 5 point breastplates. Fashion, methinks.

It is so nice to see the occasional (usually very successful) rider with plain simple tack, snaffle bit and cavesson noseband.

Far less to clean too.

And the matchy thing? fluffy bandages with nothing underneath? Support, or to keep their ikkle leggies nice and cosypie? d'uh.

 

[GinaB]

As long as it isn't detrimental to the horse, I don't honestly see the issue. They are not doing me any harm.

 

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

Oh dear...well

and yes that is pink padding and diamantes on that bridle terrible

one of the new ones has a new bridle with baby blue padding and diamantes and a white saddle cloth with her name on...in baby blue..

I'm awful but I like it Have been told how bad and tacky I look but ah well..

 

[TandD]

i can also be convicted to matchy matchy :/

everything (rugs, boots, headcollars/leadropes, coats, jumpers, numnahs etc etc) is a lovely, slimy, wet mud colour brown !!!!!!!!! (roll on summer and some sun)

honestly the only things that match are my travel boots and rug!
back and front boots are a different colour
saddle and bridle dont match
and me....lets not go there......even the socks are diffrent everyday

 

[DosyMare]

I do like stuff to match in general and can be a fanny if it doesn't. But I'm also boring and only like black and white.
Even my grooming kit is boring - no pink hoof picks or coloured brushes!

But I cant stand names on jackets - Jo Bloggs Wotsit Stud. I feel the need to Google them as clearly they are of importance and we need to know who they are.
However kids are fine to have names and fun stuff.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Oh haha this thread reminds me of last Christmas when I opened up a present from my o/h and daughter.... A jacket with "team and my boys names" embroidered across my back! Wtf! My face said it all I think! Needless to say I don't wear it and was genuinely a little peeved at hearing the cost of the damn thing!

 

[rowy]

I like matchy and bling but hate excess tack. I hate the way martingales and breastplates 'clutter' the horse.
Nosebands and bits I use the bare minimum. If the horse goes in a cavesson I stick with that or I have had some horses prefer a drop.
Sheepskin- my 6 year old bucks unless I use a sheepskin half pad and sheepskin girth sleeve when cantering although I think this has more to do with the fact it keeps the saddle more stable as he is flat backed and a barrel (xxxwide saddle).
I also prefer bandages cos sometimes boots seem to heavy and bulky but sometimes I can't be bothered to bandage do just use boots for convenience.
I don't usually go to the excess of matching myself to the horse- that takes too much forward thinking and effort.

 

[Mythical]

I think I'm going the opposite way - I'm determined that my horse WILL work in a snaffle with no martingale, no flash and no crap tying her head down. This is not going to become the next trend, is it???

I'd do the matchy matchy thing though - everything starts black and ends up poo brown by the end of a schooling session because of our antique sawdust school! Does that count?

 

[stencilface]

See, I don't get why this would bother you? Tim stock dale says running martingales are like seat belts. He puts them on everything just in case. It's not harming the horse and if it makes the girl happy what's the problem? Horsey people love to put each other down.

Gah! I'm sorry, I hate it when people trot out the Tim Stockdale line. Yes a running martingale is prob good as a 'seatbelt' when you have catch rides and are competing at the level he is. For normal one horse riders it's not really the same, you should know if your horse needs one or not shouldn't you? They do have a detrimental effect on the contact too IMHO, which is why for the amateur rider is more of an issue than having a seatbelt

 

[Littlelegs]

The problem with running martingales is that the riders hands has an effect. Which is no problem if you have lovely still hands, but a lot of people don't. Watching someone balance over jumps on the reins is awful anyway, with a running martingale its worse.

 

[stencilface]

Exactly! Great if you're a pro and have nice hands, less so for mere mortals

 

[TeamWazz]

Just today I went for a schooling session and Winnie was in his sunday best... maroon exercise bandages and overreach boots with sheepskin lining.

I'm a fan of matchy matchy but not to a mad extent. Last competition I was at, someone rocked up in complete pink. Pink boots on the horse, a showjumping jacket with pink piping and a pink colour, saddlecloth pink, flyveil pink and a hat with pink 'highlights'.

Considering it was an unaffiliated event only going up to 1.05m, she looked ridiculous. Winnie's lucky if I remember to bring a clean saddlecloth to those sorts of events.

That being said I don't mind the gadgets. I need them to jump Winnie as he is insanely forward going so I've got the five-point breastplate, the grackle and martingale. So shoot me. It doesn't do him any harm and gives me security over an XC course so I'll continue doing it.

 

[Tobiano]

I'm loving the pictures of the pink pony!

I will hereby confess to owning a Katie Price rugby shirt well it was in the sale and nice and long in the body.

Like most others, hate the idea of extraneous gadgets on horses that don't need them. However, will attach anything and everything to the horse to hang on to in case of unexpected shenanigans. Dont want to fall off and spoil my KP top!!

 

[thinkitwasjune]

i veryoften put a bridle on one of my horses, i also use a bit and have reins attached to it. I only do it to match the saddle and because it looks good. It has absolutly no effect on said horse at all....ishould really ride him in a silk scarf, probably have more control....

Hehe

 

[Shantara]

Matchy matchy is a must for me I can't help it!
He has a white wardrobe for shows, a hi-viz one for hacking and a red one for jumping

He has a breastplate for me, it's saved me a few times and it doesn't bother him.
He used to have (but I lost it going to buy one on payday!) a hi-viz bonnet! He was a changed horse when I got it for him on the summer. He constantly threw his head around and got in a strop over nothing. Bought him the bonnet and it had a wonderful calming effect.

I love buying random little things for him too, he had a tassel on his bridle for a bit, it didn't bother him, I liked it, so I put it on

I don't know why people put their own names on saddlecloths etc...as far as I'm concerned, that belongs to the horse! My name on my stuff, his name on his. But whatever, if you want to that's fine! I also really like those jackets with rider/horse names on!

My hi-viz matchy! Usually I would have the bonnet and 4 boots/over reach too!

 

[twobearsarthur]

I have to admit that since I got married and went all double barrelled I'm dying to buy a personalised jacket as now I am officially "Team G-B" and that's as close as im ever getting to the Olympics