I had horses growing up and while I sold most of my tack back then, I kept 2 english saddles, a bridle and a martingale. I recently donated all but 1 saddle to a riding school that does summer camps for underprivileged kids - along with a pair of paddock boots and some old show clothing - I'm sure it will be put to good use.
I can't seem to pick either english or western riding, so I'm just going to do both! :-)
I wasn't sure that my western saddle fit my horse, but I've ordered a cashel reverse wedge pad specifically designed for western saddles, so I'm hoping that will help. I'm just planning to use the western saddle for trail rides - I find I'm much more relaxed riding western - I don't worry about leg position and posture as much as when I'm riding english. I just need to find a solid coloured wool blanket to go over the Cashel pad. I'm hoping one of my local tack shops has something - the biggest tack shop around here only has patterend navajo style blankets and I just don't want that right now.
I have 2 english saddles on trial from another local english tack shop - so I'm hoping one of them works. I know that both fit Rusty well, I just need to ride in them and make sure my short stubby legs end up in the right position! The saddle fitter that came out to help me took my Stubben saddle (that I bought from him last year) and has offered to give me credit towards my new saddle of the same price I paid last year! That is pretty much unheard of in the saddle world - another shop offered to take the saddle on consignment and their cut was 40%!
In addition to testing my new saddles this weekend, I'm going to do a major tack inventory and clean/sort/organize everything that I have. Stuff I don't need will get cleaned and photographed and then posted for sale on a local message board. Hopefully some of the extras will go and I'll have a bit of cash to spend on new stuff! LOL. I already have new stuff in mind that I want - how terrible is that???
As much as I like buying stuff online, I feel quite lucky that there are 3-4 good local tack shops that have a fairly wide range of products. Although, the thinline pads that 20 meter mentioned the other day have me drooling. I think I will save up for one next year and try them out.
8 comments:
Sounds like you've got a busy day ahead of you!!!
I too have amassed quite a collection of horse "stuff" for my single horse. I don't ride nearly as much as I used to and quite frankly I don't know why I keep all of it but I do....
I should go clean out my tack room but when I have such limited time at the barn I really feel like my time is better spent with Buttercup than digging through the deep unknown corners of my tack trunk!!!
I also am a tack whore hehehe. I buy way more things for my horse than I do for myself. I can't remember the last time I went clothes shopping for myself, but I do remember the last time I was in a tack shop. I tend to collect anything and everything because you never know when you might need it. I always have a good rain sheet. Show bridle and a schooling bridle. An array of bits, halters, leads, medicines, liniment, brushes, hay nets, saddle pads, coolers, blankets medium, heavy and light. Ear nets, fly masks, old horse shoes, hoof picks, horse shampoo, scrapers, show sheen, bug spray, polo wraps, protective boots, galloping boots, show pads, half pads, martingales, standing and running, lunge lines and lots of crops and dressage whips. I have my stuff at the barn, at my parents house and in my new apartment. I also keep my show boots, jacket, bridle bag, helmet and gloves in my trunk at all time for some unknown reason to myself. I love hors ena dtack shopping and could spend HOURS looking and browsing and best of all buying. This spring I already bought Possum's whole winter outfit. A stable blanket, hood, sheet and heavy blanket for the cold Maine winters cause I plan on clipping him this winter to make my rides a hell of a lot quicker with cool down time. Good post topic I could talk about it all day.
Tack sure does accumulate. I still have stuff from 20 years ago. Cleaned and stored-wished I could be as organized with all my other stuff.
Seems that no matter how much we have-there is just one more thing we can't live without-LOL.
Good to hear that I'm not the only one with all kinds of stuff!
I guess that is the (good) thing about horses - you'll never know when you'll need a certain something, so it is good to have all kinds of stuff around - just in case!! :-)
Ha I love doing that too!
Organizing re-selling and then buying. As you can see from my blog I can occupy myself for almost a whole summer or winter doing just that.
Make a bulleted list! You'll make my day! :)
Attention, calling to order the first meeting of TWA (tack whore's anonymous) lol
I myself have sooo much stuff. I mean really, I only have three horses, but it looks like I've got a barn full!
My personal obsession... reins. I've got well over a dozen (actually, probably close to 20 *blush*)
I agree with Steph. We should make a list of what we have. Of course that would a)take time and b)make us face up to it!
I have tons of horse stuff. I can't believe all the stuff one can collect for horses. The stuff you tr that doesn't work. The stuff you try that does that you misplace so you buy somemore and it goes on and on. Next thing you know you need a whole barn just for the stuff.
Oh geez you reminded me I need to get my crap together and make some donations. With moving to a new barn at the end of the month it a good time to do it. You will LOVE, did I mention LOVE the thinline.
Post a Comment