what does your tack say about you?

[Marley&Me]

I am pretty practical I have a black cavesson bridle(Kincade) and my new saddle is arriving this week (also black)

I have very little other stuff.

2 numnahs for everyday, (black, purple)
1 saddlecloth white for dressage/showing
1 black girth, 1 white girth.

woofwear club brushing boots and over reach boots for lunging (and jumping should we get that far)

I have a few different weight rugs, a cooler and a fleece.

Thats it. No fancy blingy stuff, gadgets or dead sheep round here. But each to their own. I just dont have to money or inclination to buy lots of stuff.

This week I did splash out on some plaiting thread though! £1.22!

 

[rhino]

That is the problem when you wrap them in cotton wool. My horses all learnt that pratting about often hurt and wasnt a great idea.

So you can guarantee your horse will never, ever spook Amazing

ETA this horse was a fit eventer, but not a spooky horse. Accidents happen, and if people choose to try and prevent them then that's fine by me.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Thank You! Yeah he is fab, only a baby atm (rising 5) he loves his hunting and just been XC schooling. Very proud of him, he's growing into a big strong boy

It's difficult to judge from the angle of your picture, but if he is square and correct in his conformation, he would not be out of place in a maxi cob class. The mane would need to go at County level though !!!

 

[xxMozlarxx]

So you can guarantee your horse will never, ever spook Amazing

All my horses living and dead have and do spook including 2 youngsters but I don't put boots on them, don't understand this at all?

 

[rhino]

All my horses living and dead have and do spook including 2 youngsters but I don't put boots on them, don't understand this at all?

Point is my friend had put years of time, money, sweat and tears into getting where she was. People use boots to try and prevent or lessen injuries. That to me doesn't constitute 'wrapping them in cotton wool' which is why I responded to Mike's post.

If you choose not to, fine Or are you saying that boots and bandages do not under any circumstances reduce or prevent injuries?

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

S'all fashion I suppose...

Some endurance riders in my imo wear hedious tack, bright coloured webbing bridles ick. I know it has its purposes, light, soft, easy washed ect. So its fashion and purpose to the disipline.

If I put my cobby hunter boy is diamonds and bandages it would be mutton dressed as lamb he is not a dressage diva.

We're happy hacking wannabe eventers with a dash of hunting in season... His wardrobe is practical and suits him, flat nose jeffries hunter bridle, practical boots, wintec saddle (he's still growing) and plain saddle cloths... It suits him and what we do.

And tbh is I put him in a diamond patent bridle to go hunting we would never live it down

OMG he is just like my 2 yr old!! Gorgeous!!

 

[JFTDWS]

All my horses living and dead have and do spook including 2 youngsters but I don't put boots on them, don't understand this at all?

I've never fallen off and smashed my skull into a thousand little pieces, but I still wear a hat

 

[Mike007]

So you can guarantee your horse will never, ever spook Amazing

ETA this horse was a fit eventer, but not a spooky horse. Accidents happen, and if people choose to try and prevent them then that's fine by me.

Odd how it is generaly the horses with all the boots bandages etc that are so bloody clumsy . As for spooking , well , I cant guarantee that my horses would never spook, but I can prettywell guarantee that they are not so clumsy that they hurt themselves in the process. Usualy I am the only casulty.

 

[xxMozlarxx]

I've never fallen off and smashed my skull into a thousand little pieces, but I still wear a hat

No comparison

 

[Carefreegirl]

My tack probably says dirty cow but just basic tack, Micklem bridle or show bridle if comp coming up or she's getting to big for boots. Saddle with the thinnest numnah possible. I use bandages all round as she hates any type boots on her back legs. She spooks for England so better safe than sorry. She's off games at the mo so should imagine bridles are probably mouldy by now......

 

[xxMozlarxx]

Odd how it is generaly the horses with all the boots bandages etc that are so bloody clumsy . As for spooking , well , I cant guarantee that my horses would never spook, but I can prettywell guarantee that they are not so clumsy that they hurt themselves in the process. Usualy I am the only casulty.

This

 

[JFTDWS]

Odd how it is generaly the horses with all the boots bandages etc that are so bloody clumsy . As for spooking , well , I cant guarantee that my horses would never spook, but I can prettywell guarantee that they are not so clumsy that they hurt themselves in the process. Usualy I am the only casulty.

fwiw, I do agree to an extent - mine do have a rather large dose of survival instinct (as a general rule, obviously "stuff" happens sometimes). If they wear boots it's normally either for matchy matchy or because I don't trust other horses in the warm up - and certainly not playing horseball

yea my highland plays horseball in bandages all round and over reaches all round. He isn't even shod

 

[JFTDWS]

No comparison

I don't see why? A life or career ending injury in a horse may be as desirable to avoid as a life threatening injury in a rider - in some people's opinions anyway.

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Q. What does my tack say about me?

A. I'm a cheapskate and throw caution to the wind....................

or

A. I refuse to buy into the advertising and believe my horse should be strapped up and wrapped up.

 

[rhino]

No comparison

Quite a good comparison really. Minimising risk And being allowed free choice.

Did you ever watch the 'Inside nature's giants' programme on racehorses? Have you ever dissected a horse leg or two? When you see the tendon under full extension, and how an unlikely strike can lead to a catastrophic injury surely you have some understanding of why people choose to use boots?

You are incredibly defensive considering no-one has tried to tell you that you should be using boots It's your choice, but it's not a difficult concept to understand why people do. Especially when dealing with superfit athletes, who are generally a different breed to our happy hackers/lower level competition creatures

 

[xxMozlarxx]

I don't see why? A life or career ending injury in a horse may be as desirable to avoid as a life threatening injury in a rider - in some people's opinions anyway.

Fairly unlikely from a spook, so no comparison. Rhino, I'm not actually defensive at all, that's you, I was just asking a reasonable question as I didn't understand what you were meaning. I do understand why people use boots, at no point have I said they shouldn't, I've merely, like Mike queried the rationale.

 

[rhino]

Fairly unlikely from a spook, so no comparison

'Fairly unlikely' doesn't make it better when your horse is the one who is injured... It's 'fairly unlikely' I will fall off and hit my head (haven't come off in a decade) but I still wear a hat as there is always a chance that I will.

ETA not defensive at all, just trying to explain a simple question which someone asked, which is why do some people choose to wear boots warming up - a horse can have the best training and conformation in the world and still hurt itself, and people choose to use boots to help prevent or lessen the occurrence of injuries. I'm sorry that you couldn't comprehend that

 

[AdorableAlice]

All my horses wear knee boots and good quality brushing boots out hacking, regardless of which horse it is, the old seasoned hunters or the prize show horse.

Many years ago a dog came out of a garden and spooked my young horse, he leapt forward, lost his footing and went down on to the road.

He had no boots on and I had no hat on. (I was a know it all 17 year old at the time). After being released from A and E, I visited my horse, both his knees were out and the fronts of both fetlocks were out. He was only 5 and scarred for life. He was a fabulous horse who I owned for decades but not a day went past without me looking at his legs and knowing I could have prevented the life long injuries he sustained.

I am very much older now and believe it is worth preventing a horse injuring himself if possible.

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

'Match matchy' should be called 'how muchy muchy'. Don't believe the hype, peoples.

 

[xxMozlarxx]

Yes AA, falling on the road is a worry

 

[Mrs B]

Synthetic, light weight and a bit worn around the edges. I think we're a perfect match.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Yes AA, falling on the road is a worry

Especially on these new fangled road surfaces that are like skating rinks. I am in Worcestershire and the County Council is resurfacing stretches of the lanes with a new type of tarmac. If there is no verge or rough edge to get a couple of hooves on it's lethal.

 

[Paris1]

if i could change the title of this thead I would! To trends/fashion!!!

Its been taken way out of context and I really think most readers know what I meant!

 

[GeeGeeboy]

Well I have a synthetic saddle and a black webbing bridle that cost me £9!! We do have a posh 'Icelandic' style leather bridle but i never use it as he's happier in the synthetic! Also, no tack cleaning required-fabulous!

 

[rhino]

Usual hacking tack, only don't usually bother with a noseband

 

[Paris1]

Usual hacking tack, only don't usually bother with a noseband

What gorgeous scenery!!!!!

 

[mulledwhine]

It says I must clean more often

 

[mulledwhine]

Rhino ,, must complain, stop making me jealous of your scenery

 

[Vickijay]

My tack differs for my different horses.

Like Lilly who is super sensitive and over reaches all the time, when working even walking she wears OR boots and has dead sheep ones. I jumped her once in rubber ones and her legs were bleeding after a 40 min session!!

I protect her legs with boots or bandages if she's schooling hard, jumping or galloping but normal hacking or quiet schooling she has bare legs.

She has some matching bandages and pads and some crystal browbands but just because it looks smart. Don't wear it all the time though. I think stuff like that is just personal preference. No one in their right mind would think it makes your horse actually go better!!

My babies have synthetic saddles and crappy plain bridles as they get chewed scraped and generally abused! They are not allowed nice stuff until they are old enough to not trash it!!

 

[Vickijay]

It says I must clean more often

Forgot that one. My tack 100% says that about me too (unless posh lesson or competing!)