what does your tack say about you?

[hollyandivy123]

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

can i ask where you found this boy? have been looking for over a year to try to find one like this pm if you wish,

 

[Copperpot]

I'm with Ludoctro. I like nice things, they last longer and the leather is softer. I'm a bit OCD as I like stuff to match. Gold bits on saddle means I have to have gold fittings on bridle. Even my stirrups aren't silver. Sad I know but makes me feel happy

 

[nic85]

Hmm..my baby horse wears boots when being lunged...oh and i did put OR boots on the last time i lunged her as she has just had shoes put on and I didnt want her to piss about and hurt herself/pull shoes off

Her bridle is black, clean and suits her. Her saddle is brown, old, clean and borrowed until she grows out of it ( I even had it fitted and reflocked so means I care about her back) She has 2nd/3rd/4th + hand breatsplate/running martingale that I swapped a pair of brown rubber reins for at a tack sale, a black cotton girth off ebay and a 2nd hand black saddle cloth.
I dont have any dead sheep but theres still time ...lol

Oh and she isnt backed yet

 

[Starzaan]

My tack (along with everything else on my yard I suppose....oh dear...) says that I have raging OCD, and also appreciate the things I've worked hard to buy and so take care of them.

I am one of those annoying people who cleans their tack every time it's used, and if it's not being used it still gets a complete top to tail clean once a week.

I like brown tack, loathe black tack, and won't ever use boots or bandages on anything unless they need it. I prefer a padded cavesson bridle, and hate riding without a noseband, as I have warmbloods and large NH type TBs so think it suits them better. I do have one who goes in a grackle because he's a git for crossing his jaw. He also wears brushing boots all round as he brushes both in front and behind while warming up as he's a bit stiff and doddery after a hard racing career. My big lad wear overreach boots as he over reaches dreadfully if he's being lazy.

The youngster gets the minging, old saddle and bridle covered in scratches as he's still chewing everything and scraping his saddle every two minutes, and growing all the sodding time, so he won't get his proper, nice tack until he's fully grown and can look after it!

I would like all my horses to go in snaffles, but in reality, that just doesn't happen. I have one who is snaffle mouthed at all times, one who needs a tom thumb at all times, one who switches between a snaffle and a tom thumb depending on what we're doing and how excited and silly he's going to be, and one who goes best in a nelson gag. I would rather have to touch the reins in a tom thumb than be hauling on a snaffle to get the same response.

I'm fussy about my tack, but that's just my personal taste. For instance, I would never ever buy a patent bridle, anything with crystals on it (eurgh) and can't stand black tack. That's just my taste.

 

[Cortez]

My tack says I'm Portuguese (which is a lie, since I'm Irish), and would knock your eyes out - you've not seen bling until you've seen the get up I ride my horses in when they're doing their "day jobs" as 17th century cavalry horses. as far as what everyone else puts on their horses, what business is it of anyone else? I personally don't use boots, bandages, martingales, etc. and I have my well thought out reasons for doing so, as I hope do many others. The fashion victims are at worst a bit silly, leave them alone.

 

[Foxhunter49]

My tack would tell you that I like simplicity! Cavesson nosebands, snaffles, no martingales, no bling. Black or brown numnahs unless hunting or at shows when they are white.
Horses only wear boots if they genuinely need them or when lungeing.

It would tell you that I am a clean freak - until you walked in the house!

 

[Tr0uble]

Wow.

Does it really matter? As long as the tack fits, and is appropriate for the horse wearing it....then so what?

I love a bit of matchy matchy and bling. Vanity? Yeah of course it is....but so what? my horse wears good quality, well fitted tack that I like to look after to a) make it last longer and b) make it look nice.

I also like to dress up in matchy for lessons because it makes my horse look pretty, males it look like I made an effort, instructors like to think people make an effort...not that they think badly of those who don't, but I do know it makes a lot of them smile when a horse looks nice.

Boots...I will use them to school at home and to hack....does he NEED them? No, he's a nice straight mover...but he is a goofy, gangly great big baby and for the sake of two mins putting them on, I'd rather have the peace of mind knowing that I'm reducing the risk of injury if he does knock himself.

Bit like wearing a riding hat really. I haven't yet NEEDED my hat on Rhythm. Not fallen off him yet.....but I always wear one!

My horse is my pride and joy, I like him to look his best, I like people to covet him, I like him to be clean, amd shiny, and the very best he can be....and part of that...amd part of the fun of having a horse, for me, is playing a bit of dress up.

I think it makes him look pretty!

 

[nikki-lynne]

I have a bridle with gold piping and a nummnah that is black with gold piping and gold and silver diamanté on the corners! None of this I bought to look fancy or to be matchy matchy! The bridle was cheap from robinsons and my girl loves it and the nummnah was a present from a friend who hadn't even seen the bridle but just saw it and thought it was my type of thing! People may say I'm matchy matchy but I never intended to be fate made me matchy!!

Damn fate!!!

 

[meesha]

Cortez.....pics please of your horses doing their day job !

 

[meesha]

The only time I worry about how I look is the few times I have been hunting ....however we didnt stay clean for long on this occasion. I have invested in some long black boots for next season as only had brown up till now ! I have also bought a breastplate - mostly as getting on horse with plaits is a nightmare and it will give me something to grab to stop saddle slipping ! dead sheep are involved as you can see but to be fair this is a comfort thing (honest !)

 

[Amaranta]

Looking at some pics of a dressage clinic, its like does everyone think bandages and fluffy lined over reach boots will make your horse work better?!.

I use dead sheep on one mare because she is super sensitive and DOES go better with it, my horses also work at a fairly high level and need the bandages for protection.

 

[Amaranta]

Not defensive, just dont understand the initial rudeness in your first post, and continuing rudeness after. At the end of the day, i dont think anyone truely believes all this makes their horses go better... but it is there horse, their money, they are not injuring nor causing pain on the horse, so does it matter?

Surely it is a worse crime to use unnecassary and ill fitting gadgets then dead sheep?

Quite, there are much bigger things to worry about than people who want to make their horses as comfortable and safe as possible.

 

[Goldenstar]

I love tack and have amassed a big collection over the years .
When hunting I use the completly traditional look .
When dressage trainning I play with matchy matchy toney toney and compete with my friend to turn up in the most coordinated outfits it's tongue in cheek and its a joke some people don't get it I think they think we should very po faced and serious all the time that encourages me more!
My horses do wear fluffy overreach boots and bandages when trainning ( coordinating of course ) it harms no one it's fun and we all laugh about it , before a clinic my grooms says is the boy in the burgundy or the pale lime or whatever today it's a bit of fun.
The venom some people reserve for it surprises and confuses me .
Just let people do there thing and do yours.

 

[catkin]

The venom some people reserve for it surprises and confuses me .
Just let people do there thing and do yours.

Quite agree. Must admit I rather like seeing all the matchy-matchy stuff. I might have natives but I'll admit to a soft spot for fancy browbands when we're at home - changed with the seasons of course ('snowqueen' look in diamante for those frosty mornings anyone?)

Anyways, being old I don't really care what other people think that much.

Goodness knows what they think my tack 'says' about me - tis a complete mish-mash of old and new replacement bits when needed (one advantage of being old is that you have a big tack collection from all the former horses and somewhere in the tack trunk you are likely to have the pieces that will fit the current horse even if it doesn't quite match).

 

[Goldenstar]

Oh yes got side tracked what does my tack say about me.
Always Wonder groom is excellent at cleaning tack
When hunting it says I have a traditional upbringing.
When trainning it's says IMO I have a strong sense for colour ! Other of course might differ on that and I have too much time on my hands .!!
When competeing no one notices the tack because they are busy saying what is that woman trying to do with that horse.

 

[Shantara]

Mine says my favourite colours are black and red. Well, that's a lie, I like neon/lime green best!

 

[FairyLights]

My tack says I like quality and am very traditional.

 

[Spyda]

My tack says I spend far too much money on my tack but that I do look after it. I cannot believe how infrequently other liveries at my yard clean their tack. I've been on the yard 2 years plus and aside from one other livery who cleans her saddle after every ride, no one else has EVER cleaned their tack. Ever. Some of the bridles have never ever been oiled or cleaned from new and are soooo stiff, brittle and covered underneath in accumulated scurf. Yuk. I'm no saint but do take my tack and leather training equipment home once a week and give it a good clean with tack cleaner and wash my cloth girths and numnahs.

Personally I couldn't care less what type or colour tack someone has, but I do think they need to think of their horse's comfort and keep it clean, supple and in good nick! The condition of someone's tack tells me more about them than does what brand, colour or how matchy-matchy the tack is.

 

[meesha]

I'm with you on the cleaning - I clean saddle, girth, bridle after each use and its stored at home so doesnt get mouldy - I also clean my everyday leather boots after each use. Why would you spend that much money on something and not look after it ? same applies to trailer, cleaned after each use - seem loads of people rock up with trailer that has about a weeks worth of poo in it !

 

[LizzyandToddy]

My tacks very brown and boring

- Guess that makes me boring, nummnah match's my bridle and saddle - all Very plain i'm afraid
-Double reins because although small he pulls like an absolute tank.
-Breastplate is needed to stop my saddle slipping (especially out hunting), other than that, no other gadgets on me!