The most useless horsy item you have ever bought?

A Jolly Ball for my tb. He would spend HOURS throwing an old welly round the field, so he was bought a Jolly Ball for his birthday, he seemed less interested in it than the welly and now I have a Native she has much better things to do than stress whilst turned out, there is grass to be eaten and mud to roll in!
 
Not exactly a purchase but my friend gave me LOADS of stuff when she sold her hose - most of which was brand new and still in bags. We made a deal that I would sell whatever I didn't want. Problem was I hung on to most of it including 3 lovely rugs which I can't bare to part with but are far too nice and clean to go on the horse so I'll just have to look at them instead!

I also seem to collect bridles and now have 5 I think, all the same color, style and type I just cant seem to stop myself when I go to the tack shop. My favorite is still the oldest (probably tattiest) one that came with my horse when I bought him.

I also had a minor spree (or as much as you can in aldi) for hi-vis a couple of weeks ago. And have ended up with 16 hi-vis flashing velcro strips. I don't have enough limbs to attach these on to so now I just have a lot of spares!!
 
Wheelbarrow extender! Thought it would reduce the amount of trips to empty. It has an elasticated skirt thats supposed to sit around the wheelbarrow to increase the height, only I have yet to find a wheelbarrow it actually fits. By the time I fought trying to get it to stay up, filled barrow, had just left stable when the thing slid down emptying contents all over the floor!
 
A feed bucket. May as well just make up Nelly's feed then hurl it round the stable so it all goes in her bed where it then cannot be eaten. Tried everything! Resorted to standing and holding the feed until she's eaten it all. Frustrating when you're rushing!

Oh and a prolite saddle cover. Comfy but I feel way too 'perched' and like I am sitting on a mountain.
 
A feed bucket. May as well just make up Nelly's feed then hurl it round the stable so it all goes in her bed where it then cannot be eaten. Tried everything! Resorted to standing and holding the feed until she's eaten it all. Frustrating when you're rushing!

Oh and a prolite saddle cover. Comfy but I feel way too 'perched' and like I am sitting on a mountain.

My horse used to throw his feed around so ended up with a hanging bucket on the door. He cant get that off and so no more wasted feed.
 
A couple of posters have mentioned nice new horse rugs that are too clean and nice to actually put on the horse.
I thought I was the only one to do this, I think I desperately need a new rug, buy it, and then it sits in the bag so it doesn't get dirty and horse still in manky old rug !
 
I use my H2Go all the time :-)
But I DONT use my padded Hi Viz full chaps bought on the eve of a successful diet, which are now so big on the waist that they fall down when I'm standing still, which is just as well because they are so slidey I'd be off the side of the saddle anyway.
The stirrup extender thingy. Never used.
Countless treeless and western saddles until I finally got one properly fitted. Most sold at a profit on ebay, except the Barefoot I'd bought new.
Cheap leaky rugs. Only buy good brands now.
A gel pad for under the saddle. Horse freaked. I think it pulled his hair! It was very sticky.
A rather expensive set of sports boots which extend down the fetlock and act as overreach boots as well. Didn't fit but I stupidly put them on him anyway and filthied them so I couldn't send them back.
Mark Todd over reach boots with heel button to stop them turning round. Yeah, right. Turned AND rubbed him raw.
Oh dear, I could go on...and on.

I love the combo boots, if they need a home..................
 
An Equiping tie up thing for my trailer, The first time I used it to tie my welsh cob to the trailer, he put his head down to try and reach the grass.....PING!!!!! it snapped apart and did as it said on the label, pinged off somewhere never to be found!! Biggest waste of 6 quid I have spent for a long time!
 
^ oh god definitely the equipings! Horse just has to move her head suddenly and it breaks off - and that's the new improved version.

Also the horsebox. Old horsebox couldn't take us further than 3 miles down the road without breaking down. New horsebox was purchased, horse refuses to go in it.:rolleyes3:
 
Was a Poly Pad, it was the kind with a padded top half and very thin padding lower half (meant to be more close contact I think) but the bloody thing just slid straight out the back of the saddle every time I rode in it. They're meant to stay still I thought even without any loops but this one didn't and it wasn't cheap either.

Also tried those Equitie things that others have mentioned which just pinged open under the tiniest pressure - utterly useless, don't think baler twine will ever be improved!

Otherwise, cheap turnout rugs are always a waste of money. I had a Masta a few years ago and it leaked like a sieve and the horse ended up absolutely trashing it one night (and he was very good/tidy with rugs!). Have and will never buy Masta again! Also spent a fortune on a Snuggy turnout Hood, one night on horse and I found it in a pile in the middle of the field the next day as the zip seemed to have bust (still must have been some feat for the horse to have got it off as it had a rug over it). I kept forgetting to send it back and its been too long now so I have a brand new one sitting in a bag in my bedroom with a non-working zip!
 
Happy mouth bits, had two both chewed.

Solo comb, yuck yuck yuck, back to tradition cruel pulling.

Mountain horse leather chaps (5-6yrs ago) fell apart under a year

Hunters......no more needs to be said.

No grass in field during summer pony looked starving, got some cheap 2012 hay, horse said that's crap and continued starving. As a result gone from 50" to 44" girth and looks bloody well for it hahaha.
 
I bought some velvety things that were supposed to make plaiting easy...according to the instructions you rolled up a section of mane in said velvety thing and wrapped the ends around and voila! Perfect looking plait....in the pictures you couldn't even see the wotsit.
In reality...horse ended up with a floppy collection of badly bunched rolls sticking out at all angles...looked like he had his hair in rollers. Decorated with clearly visible velvety covered wire wraps. Hideous.

Fly rug bought this summer for itchy pony....bought ponys usual size but once on it was stretched over him like a sausage skin, and so tight he couldn't put his head down to graze, he was rigid. Couldn't send it back cos he was lathered in sudocrem
Field safe head collars....one rubs. The other comes off at the first roll.
Rear riser pad. Utterly useless cos what I actually needed was a front riser pad.
I could go on and on....
 
thank you very much for this :) managed to waste rather alot of time on a boring sunday! am intrigued about these hoofpick mane combs! - can any one find a picture?

can second most peoples reviews on the H2go bag - compleetly useless! was much better at resembling a water tray under jumps! :)

Hunter wellies - paid a small fortune for them - bright pink faded within a month or so and lasted 6 months (summer) before having so many holes in i might aswell have not worn them!

mark todd long field boots far too long for my normal length legs spent 2 years trying to break them in - never succeeded - looked constantly lame when i walked in them as they rubbed so badly!
 
This image made me grin - love the look of snuggly jams! :D

For me:

- Equipings. I decided to buy a load of them because I thought they'd look so much smarter than baler twine all around the yard / on the side of the lorry. Read dodgy reviews, but then read that they'd been improved and that convinced me to spend far too much money on colourful bits of plastic. They haven't been improved enough! Mare has never been the type to hang around and has now learnt that if she leans back, she can leave without me. Not ideal! Spent many hours of my life scrabbling around on the floor to find the little loopy bit, have now given up and gone back to tatty bits of pink twine as colourful plastic lies in a drawer just in case it can ever be used for a horse with manners.

- An expensive fluffy sheepskin girth cover. She'd always worn a black one, but it was getting a bit scruffy so I decided to treat her to a nice new one. Drove for miles to nearest tack shop, they only had white in stock. Impractical, I thought, black would be better - but it will be fine and she will look pretty poncing about in it. Happily drove back with my fluffy purchase on the back seat.
Turns out, white was absolutely not fine and it was not a decision I should have made without first discussing with her highness. No exaggeration when I say she nearly killed me, I have never seen such a massive overreaction to a bit of dead sheep in my life (especially considering that she's always had it, has fluffy booties & fluffy bits on her bridle to protect her delicate face) - she had me squashed up against the stable door with her feet either side of my head as she tried to launch herself out of the stable with the girth cover hanging off the side of her. Eventually took door off hinges and sent me and saddle (now with hole in the side) flying across the yard as she disappeared over the horizon.
I have tried to persevere with the terrifying bit of sheep, thinking that she will in time get used to it. I dont think she ever will. It spends its days sitting on the post and rail fence of her field in nice weather while she bombs round and round the field in a panic until I take it away later on.
It needs to go. :rolleyes:

- Fleece rugs. Why do I have so many when all they do is get covered in shavings and fur??? Why do I need so many "spares" for "special occasions" ???

- A load of brand new breeches which are too big, never been worn but I don't want to sell them because they cost a lot new and I know i'll only get £5 on ebay if I'm lucky - but what good are they doing in the drawer?

- The lorry. Technically, I did not buy it - but it is well and truly useless. It cannot get 5 minutes down the road without breaking down & nobody seems to be able to fix it. It is now becoming a shed as we are too petrified to venture out in it but obviously won't be able to sell it to anyone who is actually wanting to be able to leave the premises with their horse.


Well I haven't trawled all the way through here yet, but the image of the fluffy sheepskin girth cover and you impaled against the stable door sent me into gales of laughter, will keep me grinning for days :).
 
I bought Oscar a flyfringe... I can honestly say it is the most useless thing I've ever bought. I put it on him and within 10 seconds he's managed to rub his face so that the fringe part ends up under his face like a beard! It's hilarious XD
 
Boredom breaker. Misty got the apple off in about 10 seconds flat and ignored the little molasses likit. Which melted all down her back. Thankfully she was wearing a rug!
 
Seems I have the opposite problem to most of the 'stow-awayed breeches' problem.

Bought lots of nice new stuff on a spending spree- breeches, BSJA blouson jacket, show breeches, gaiters...

Lost 4 stone and none of it fits. Should REALLy get it Ebay-ed!
 
We should hold a h&h swap shop.

I'm have some spare bridles, actually they are all spare at the mo, as are my 2 saddles as I have no horse!

Lots of lotions and potions that were used once and then decided they didn't work.
 
A jolly ball for a the field. Both my horses look at it like " what the f..... " thought they might like it and I liked the thought of them playing with it. No not happening :)
 
That's because those are supposed to stop them from eating altogether.

No they're not.

Goathair body brush, the softest thing ever but whaaat is the point of it, its so soft it wont even work on the face of my thin skinned anglo arab... sits in the cupboard useless
.

I've got one of these, I agree, so soft it's completely pointless!

Liveryman Harmony clippers :( complete & utter useless on the pony, although the dog has a lovely clip ;)

I've got the Liveryman Flare and they are USELESS!

1. some daft saddle pad with inflatable bits at the front and the back intended to level out the feel of the saddle...

Sounds like a Korrector Pad? I have one of those, theoretically great. In reality, too much hassle to be bothered with using it. Mines in a box on top of my wardrobe.
 
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