I have a bad habit of shopping when I’m stressed out. This has done some damage to my wallet over the years, especially when my horse was dealing with mystery soundness issues, bouts of 104-degree temperatures and random behavior problems that I felt helpless to fix. I kept hoping that if I found just the right training or wellness tool – that if I could relax my horse’s muscles or support his ligaments in just the right way – I might be able to maintain his body beyond the month or two injections or various medications would give us.
I drowned my sorrows in shiny matching saddle pads and bonnets when I had a bad ride, knowing that I could at least look put together even if I didn’t feel that way. I went from being a gritty eventer with duct-taped boots to the girl with the Swarovksi browband. Like a mood ring, the more matchy-matchy my horse’s clothing or the more bling on my body, the worse things were going with my favorite vets.
Because I’m taking a break from riding and my anti-hoarding partner and I have moved in together, I’ve sold the majority of my horse things on Facebook marketplace. If you live in Area 2 and lurk in the annals of various local social media groups, you’ve probably seen one of my many…many posts. Most of my things have sold by now, and I’ve learned a lot about what brands have good resale value, what tools actually work, and what I would buy again if I (when I) do it all over.
Disclaimer: Nothing is more important to spend money on than a good trainer, a great vet and a solid boarding facility. Do you need these things? No. But if it would make you feel a little better to swipe your credit card a few times, then please follow me on this financially irresponsible journey of what’s worth the splurge and what you should save your money on.
Worth The Money: LT Fenwick Liquid Titanium Mask
The LT Fenwick liquid titanium mask with silent ears and velcro closures. Selling at a whopping $134, this mask is not cheap. Whether or not liquid titanium has the calming super powers that the company suggests (I think it does, I am drinking the Kool-Aid on this one), this mask is worth its weight in gold for the velcro alone. Have you ever sat on a horse that shook its head and your bonnet and bridle shook off? It’s not fun. Having a velcro option with silencing ears is incredibly convenient for both riding and trailering. I also think the material holds up well. 10/10 would buy again.
Save Your Money: A Collection Of Expensive Bits
I truly thought that if I just had the right bit, all of my connection issues would be solved (ha ha). I did a virtual bit consult with The Bit Barn in Canada for my Thoroughbred and we came up with options that I actually do think were helpful for my guy – a Fager titanium bit that was small and lightweight for my small-mouthed, sensitive guy and a Bombers eggbutt happy tongue – but then I went rogue with my young Irish Draught and had several Herm Sprenger and Neue Schule eggbutts and loose ring snaffles in my tack box. Do I think you should have a few different types of bits in your arsenal? Yes. Do I think you need a handful of $200-$400 bits on hand? Well, despite having several higher end bits, I discovered when going to sell my tack that I had switched out something along the way and been riding in a $30 Korsteel bit for years without realizing. This says something about me and about bits in general, but I’d prefer not to know exactly what.
Worth It: Equine Nutritionist Consult
I’ve had several sessions with an equine nutritionist and one of my biggest takeaways was the necessity for constant forage and honoring our horse as a ground feeder. I bought an XL Porta-grazer, which is a slow hay feeder placed on the ground allowing the horse’s neck to reach down in a natural state for grazing instead of torquing the neck and teeth sideways when they grab hay through a net. There is also a plug at the bottom so you could soak your hay in this as well. It’s technically portable so you could take it to shows and leave less of a mess, but I never had the room in my truck to bring it along to be honest. Would buy again.
Skip It: Leather Lariat Hybrid Halter
I was *so* excited to try a leather lariat hybrid halter, and I’ve never turned around and sold something so fast. My young Irish mare respected rope halters perfectly, very much ran through leather halters, and laughed at the cross-ties when she felt the slightest desire to do so. Training issues, I know, I know. I thought a hybrid halter would give me the control of a rope halter but take away the safety concerns of a rope halter’s lack of breakaway. She did not respect the hybrid halter for one second – your results may vary and my ability to control a sassy young mare is not necessarily reliable, but it was a no for me. Not to mention, the quality of leather was so nice that I’m not convinced the rope knots at the nose wouldn’t cause serious damage before the leather at the crown broke. I personally would stick with a rope halter and blocker tie rings which I never see in English barns and are absolutely worth a purchase. These cross-tie alternatives allow you to thread a leadrope through a ring instead of clipping in, so if your horse panics and pulls back they have slack and don’t feel constrained, but are still technically tied. I loved these because I didn’t want my young one to learn she could break cross-ties.
Worth It: LeMieux Saddle Pads
Ok hear me out – saddle pads are important. I got especially carried away with my saddle pad collection when my horse would go a few months without soundness issues. I felt so excited – we were making progress – and I wanted to look as good as I felt. The only pad I will ride in for XC is an Ecogold. They’re super sticky so no worries about the pad slipping in intense conditions. I loved my Catago pads as an alternative to Back on Track because I find them to be more breathable. I had a bunch of Equestrian Stockholm pads with matching bonnets that made me feel fancy but didn’t have great resale value and horse hair tended to stick in the crevices. I did prefer them over PS of Sweden pads however, because I think the extra thickness/ gusset at the front of most PS pads might add stress points under the saddle at the withers.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to buy name brand when getting an Equiband pad (which I love, and think actually works to help your horse engage the core and tuck the butt/load the hind), and to change your resistance bands regularly – I don’t want to be around a horse when a resistance band snaps, personally. However, the biggest thing I’ve learned from trying to sell all my horse gear is that nothing holds its value like LeMieux. The LeMieux crowd is a loyal one. They love their pads and they won’t even try to barter on the price. Every single pad held its value and sold quickly.
Speaking of Lemieux, while some of their stuff didn’t hold up to abuse, the redeeming factor for most things was their use of real wool. I got tons of rides and subsequent quick sales out of my Lemieux wool girths and brushing boots. If buying all my supplies again, I would stick with that brand for resale alone.
Skip It: Ergonomic-Fit Girths
Just like my bit journey, I spent a lot of time researching and trying girths, saddles and bridles. Results will vary based on your horse’s size and sensibilities, but I was shocked just how bad the Stubben Equisoft girth and Mikmar girth fit my horse. I wanted to love the Prolite girth but it was extremely stiff, and while I used the LeMieux wool girths for a long time, I eventually stuck with the County Logic to fit my County dressage saddle and matching girth for my jump saddle as well. I find leather girths to be irritating to care for – I like to abuse my things – but these held up well. I also think billet straps on saddles vary a lot and that brands match their girth contour to the billets, so it makes sense to me for continuity’s sake to keep it all in the family.
Worth It: Real Leather Stirrup Leathers
I used to only buy non-stretch stirrup leathers until a saddle fitter told me to never use them because they don’t break in an emergency. I’ve seen a few horses get a leather caught on a gate, and yes, I’d rather my leathers break even if it means they stretch seemingly daily and you constantly have to raise your stirrups a hole. I had Millbrook leathers for my jump saddle which are the wide stability stirrups, and I wouldn’t necessarily say they made me more stable, but I do like the look of them. The only downside is that because they’re so thick, they were hard to wrap for my very short trainer. I coupled those with Acavallo safety stirrups, which I loved. Anything that doesn’t have a breakaway option – except my rope halter obviously – like non-stretch stirrup leathers, nylon neck straps and nylon halters, doesn’t belong on a flighty animal. We are saving money on vet bills in order to buy frivolous saddle pads, don’t forget.
Worth It: Back On Track Quick Wraps
The Back on Track quick wraps were a hesitation for me. I know how to wrap my horses legs and I think there’s a lot of benefit in that. I eventually caved, and it turns out they’re really useful. Quick wraps are super handy to have when your horse is on stall rest or needs a poultice because they give just enough compression to help avoid stocking up, but they’re safe and fast enough to apply for most people. They don’t provide enough compression for a horse that needs a true standing wrap, but I used them in place of polo wraps many times – especially in extremely low temps just to give my horse a little extra warmth, and in lieu of shipping boots which I found both my horses to not love and overheat in. The one boots I wish I’d skipped – and this is as an English rider – are Professional Choice medicine boots. I didn’t find them to be particularly breathable and I think they actually provide too much support. Like humans, if you artificially support the ligaments too much, they lose the ability to stabilize on their own. Of course there is a time and a place, but not for me (anybody want to buy four medicine boots off me? anybody?)
Buy it: SaddleMattress
Can you throw an old fleece hunter pad under your saddle and call it a day? Yes. Can you buy a SaddleMattress that protects your saddle from getting grooves in its flocking from its saddle rack? Also yes, and do it. If you spent thousands of dollars on your saddle and hundreds of dollars on fittings, protect your investment and rest it on something cushy. If you’re a fantastic DIYer and can make a saddle protector out of pool noodles, props to you. I could not. Would buy again.
Consider Buying: Cordless Andis Clippers
Can you pay someone to clip your horse? Yes. But why do that when a couple times a year you can devote an entire day to bathing and clipping your horse, cursing at yourself for not just paying the dang money and letting the professionals help you. You can sob/scream at your horse to stand still. You can desperately use cooling spray on your clippers, praying to the gods that they’ll cool down so you can finish your task in this millenia. You can find horse hair in places you never knew it could get for days. You can do touchups for 2 weeks after, when your clipper lines haunt you. You’re independent. You’re handy. Invest in cordless clippers to hide the shame of touchups in the confines of your stall (just kidding, I’m pretty sure they don’t suggest clipping in a small space with a large animal – do as I say not as I did). I find that the charge on an Andis will last for a full clipping if you’re fast, and not worrying about your horse stepping on a power cord is worth it to me.
Finally, the one purchase I made that I don’t regret but i can’t actually recommend is custom Deniro dressage boots. Why? Because once you drop custom boot money, you lose the will to ever exercise your calves again. Want a slice of cake? Can’t do it, must protect my ability to fit into my riding boots. Did people definitely whisper “she should have put the money toward lessons instead”? Almost certainly. But you know what? I swear that wearing actual dressage boots helps with ankle and leg position when riding on the flat and they made me happy. I have hidden these boots from my anti-hoarder partner, they are going nowhere. And hopefully, if and when I get on a horse again, I will be able to zip them up with a smile.
Getting rid of most of my horse-related things has been an emotional journey for me. I am hoping to eventually get back into riding and have clearly spent many years and a lot of money accumulating the best tools that I could. I find a little peace in knowing that I’ve learned a lot about what is truly useful and what was just marketing. Every piece of tack holds a lot of memories for me, but by selling and donating items, I love knowing that it gets new life with a new horse and rider. So if you’re able, buy the things. Enjoy them, and pass them on when you’re ready.