Horse & Tack Accessories
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When we’re talking horse & tack accessories, we’re not really talking about gear which makes you and your 4-legged friend look smart and trendy, what we’re really talking about is comfort and safety – that’s comfort and safety for the horse, and for the rider.
Any new horse owner will soon find out that caring for a horse properly is a little bit like caring for young children . . . it’s amazing how much gear you need. In order to really care for your horse properly you’ll not only need a bridle and horse saddle (including stirrups, girths/cinches, head collar, horse saddle rack, saddle blanket, saddle cover and stuff to look after your leather saddle keeping it supple and in good condition), but you’ll also need other horse accessories like buckets, grooming kit, first aid kit, turn-out rugs, stable rugs, water-proof rugs etc. etc. Yep, there are tack shops full of horse and tack accessories, and horse owners love ‘em.
Horse Rider Accessories
Then there are the horse rider accessories which you’ll soon need – well, some of them you’ll want rather than need, but if you want them badly enough you’ll soon convince yourself that you really do need lightweight riding trousers, warm winter riding trousers, chaps and gaitors, horse riding boots, horse riding helmet, horse riding gloves, waterproof horse riding jacket or poncho (even fair weather horseback riders can get caught out in the rain sometimes) plus a high visibility jacket for if you get caught out horse riding in the dark, maybe even stirrup lights if you often get caught horse riding in the dark.
Special Event Horse & Tack Accessories
The accessories you need for both horse and rider will also depend a lot on the types of activities you and your horse get up to. There are different types of riding saddles which are specifically designed for different riding disciplines, so if you are hoping to be a competitive event rider, for example, you’ll need both a dressage and a jumping saddle in order to do the job properly.
If you’re more of a long distance trekker or trail rider then you’ll need to buy a comfortable endurance riding saddle along with saddle bags of various descriptions to carry your essential supplies, there’s also a wide range of horse accessories which are basically designed for “horse camping” and trail riding – collapsible feed and water buckets, hand and toe warmers (for the horse rider), portable bucket holders, neck ties so that you can tie your horse up safely, comfortably and securely without removing the bridle – you can also treat yourself to a comfortable pad which fits over your riding saddle to help keep you comfortable during even the longest days in the saddle.
