What are your most hated pieces of equipment?

Charlie Bucket

Charlie Bucket

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New here...been using your forum for advice for months, but only just signed up!

Just wondering, what are your most hated pieces of tack/ equipment, and why?

Personally mine are draw reins and spurs.
Draw reins as I cannot stand watching somebody hawk their horses head in, when clearly it just needs to be taught to use itself correctly. It is a fast track, false solution.

And spurs...I understand the argument of correct use, but see far too many novice riders wearing them, and their horses coming home with raw patches. Makes my stomach turn!

Any opinions are of interest!
 
Draw reins can be a fantastic & useful bit of kit. I agree they should never be used to 'hawk' a horses head in but used correctly they are much kinder than many other 'training aids'
[shrug] just my opinion. I know what works for me & my horses.
 
I don't think theres anything that I could say I hate, if used correctly I think most horsey equipment serves a purpose. That said even a simple snaffle can be legal in the wrong hands.

I will admit to using both draw reins and spurs, can't see that I've done any damage to the beast!
 
I agree about draw reins.

Other than that I hate anything, whatever it is, if it is not fitted correctly. Seeing flapping/slipping saddles, rubbing boots, overly tight nose bands just annoys me (and can make me cross).
 
I don't really like spurs, but I see their use.
I own a pair, but mine are for fashion (if that's what you want to call it, haha!) and they've never been near a horse.

I just don't really like seeing stuff in the wrong hands.
 
Its not the tack or equipment that causes damage, its the rider. Seen far too many novice kids see sawing on the poor horses reins recently to "make it put its head down" without any knowledge of the concepts: working in an outline/on the bit/ working forwards into the bridle. That makes my stomach turn (and want to drag the brat off by their hair), can you tell I hate kids?? :D
 
Of course, I am not saying that in the correct hands these training aids can't be useful...I am just tired of seeing people using them incorrectly!
A girl at my yard recently bought a horse from a dealer, she is a lovely mare but rides like a giraffe. You can see she is avading from a mile away...but instead of having her back/teeth/saddle etc checked and corrected, she opted straight for draw reins.
I just wish more horse owners would get to the root of the problem and build up training, rather than buying a quick-fix solution, which usually cause more problems in the end.
 
Agree re ignorant riders. Went to a show this weekend and saw a girl yank her horses head round to the right and pull it in small circles. Can't stand to see this kind of behaviour - it achieves nothing, especially when the horse really didn't seem to be misbehaving!
 
What rhino said. (shoot me, I must be cliqueily licking arses again :rolleyes:)

I use spurs quite a bit to be honest. Invaluable imho. More of a problem is riders using them (or any other bit of kit) badly, I'd say.
 
I will stick my hand up right now and say that I own not one, but TWO pairs of draw reins - and I use them. They are a good bit of kit.

I agree with the others who say ignorant owners.
 
It's the nutters on top, not the equipment that bugs me!

And people who judge without knowing the full story... A perfectly amenable little pony being ridden by a child in spurs with a big bit in it's mouth may actually be a little sod without those things... Henry was- fully grown, experienced adults wouldn't ride him XC with any less as he was an absolute tank.

I see far worse riding from adults than I do from children- especially the seesaw hands! Th worst age for that in the PC is about 12-14, when they're still learning how to ride properly. The worst age for that generally is in the adult competitors...
 
From normal equipment that you see everyday? As long as its used by a rider that knows how to use it properly and why they're using it and what it does i don't mind any of the NORMAL equipment.
Whereas if we're talking about all the things that are available out there, thats a different matter.
I hate the horrid things i have seen pictures of where you tie the horses head to its tail and leave it in the stable to just stand there with it head tucked in and bum slightly underneath, i mean WHY? draw reins i get, bungees, side reins etc. but that?! its just cruelty surely!
And this type of bit that i don't get why anyone would want to use. Even good gentle riders.
connie-combs-gag-bit.jpg

Bvs1Ww2k24KGrHqJjYEv12B0FPMLBMFoBbeh_12.jpg

The scary thing is, that you can buy these things. Anyone could.
 
Those are curious bits, I have seen the top one before, but not the bottom one.
I just hate obnoxious riders who yank the poor ponies heads around.
 
PingPongPony said:
From normal equipment that you see everyday? As long as its used by a rider that knows how to use it properly and why they're using it and what it does i don't mind any of the NORMAL equipment.
Whereas if we're talking about all the things that are available out there, thats a different matter.
I hate the horrid things i have seen pictures of where you tie the horses head to its tail and leave it in the stable to just stand there with it head tucked in and bum slightly underneath, i mean WHY? draw reins i get, bungees, side reins etc. but that?! its just cruelty surely!
And this type of bit that i don't get why anyone would want to use. Even good gentle riders.
connie-combs-gag-bit.jpg

Bvs1Ww2k24KGrHqJjYEv12B0FPMLBMFoBbeh_12.jpg

The scary thing is, that you can buy these things. Anyone could.
Click to expand...

Please enlighten me, what the hell are those bits ? what are they used on rhino's or hippo's ?
 
I do agree that any piece of equipment is only as good as the owners hands but personally I am not keen on drawreins, pelhams or 3 ring snaffle used with one rein, flash nosebands or chifneys.
 
Have you seen the vaquero bits??????

I agree with Rhino, ignorant riders.....and those who won't think as well!!! Sometimes both in one body!!
 
Equipment is just equipment I think how it's used that counts however I hate is see horses over or incorrectly bitted for them and I would include snaffles in that And will also add the untold misery caused by badly fitting saddles and the biggest one of all badly fitted and managed shoes.
 
It's not jut bratty kids that annoy me it's the older people who ought to know better aswell. She must of been 25/26 and I've never been so shocked at how an "adult" reacted to being eliminated. I almost had to go upto her and ask her what she thought he was doing!!!
No tack I hate just the misuse of it
 
Often it's a case of 'the hands that hold' but imo some pieces of kit are more likely to cause discomfort, pain and distress. Things that go in a horses sensitive mouth have to be top of this list. :(

Re bratty kids, surely their behaviour (in the main) is down to parents and instructors? :confused:

ps. It's not just bad/insensitive riding causing problems either.
 
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Maesfen said:
Same goes for saddlecloths, horrid things.
Click to expand...

*represses terrible urge to post zillions of pictures of my horses in saddle cloths just to annoy M* :D

I hate loads of my equipment. It's all old and tatty and I would love to replace it with new posh stuff. Does that count? :p
 
I agree with posts mentioned above about ignorant riders but i also hate (sorry its not a bit of equipment!) riders who dont praise there horses. I feel a wee pat on the neck or a "what a clever boy" goes a long way after you have asked something of your horse be it from walking over a pole to jumping a 1m40cm track! It really is my bug bear where no praise is given to horses who work there socks off for you!
 
I agree too with ignorant riders, anythings horrid in the wrong hands. Tend to refer to them as 'hands of steel' & in my teens we used to sing 'row, row, row your horse' at people doing the see-saw thing.
In general, draw reins, flashes & running martingales are the things I've seen most commonly misused, I'm not saying they are always no good but seem to be more often used for the wrong reason than other stuff is.
 
jesstickle said:
*represses terrible urge to post zillions of pictures of my horses in saddle cloths just to annoy M* :D

I hate loads of my equipment. It's all old and tatty and I would love to replace it with new posh stuff. Does that count? :p
Click to expand...

Sad isn't it, I'm a real snob about S/Cs, stems from my youth when only gymkhana ponies and gypsies had them! :rolleyes::D:D:D

What do you need Jess, might have something knocking about - but it won't be a saddlecloth! :p
 
I'm curious, Maesfen, are numnahs ok, or is it a showring-type saddle direct on horses back look you prefer? This is completely new to me! :)
 
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