Best and Worst Tack/Clothing Purchases

[mvp]

[QUOTE=vxf111;6733113]
I’m always looking for Devon ideas. Not halters per sae, but I wish they at least had a list of what they do. Who doesn’t have a website these days? Anyway… I’ll call 'em post holidays because, as mentioned, I’m ALWAYS looking…[/QUOTE]

In general, they do anything with various widths/colors of nylon that you can think of. Besides horse halters, they do dog collars, leashes and those 4-strand/2 color lead ropes.

They’ll also stitch names onto those things if you are so inclined.

Lots of companies do this stuff, but this was the place that I found people that could do 3 colors, not just 2. Very important.

[Chezzie]

[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;6731587]

As far as overrated, I’ve long been a die-hard Pikeur and Tailored Sportsman breeches girl, but lately, I’ve been wearing some less expensive breeches—SmartPak Bradleys, Ariat Heritage, and just got the TuffRider soft-shell winter breeches. Still love TS and Pikeur, but don’t think the price differential is worth it.

What about you? Any great discoveries this year?[/QUOTE]

I just bought a pair of those TuffRider soft shell breeches on sale for $30, and I LOVE them! The dirt just brushes off, they are pretty warm, and I can put them in the dryer. LOVE.

[RolyPolyPony]

I think I lucked out this year - I can’t think of anything bad!

Good:

Circuit Premier Special Eq saddle - I love this thing more than I expected, and was SUPER impressed with Dover’s CS when the first one they sent had dye issues.

Stable halter from kyhorse.com - this was mentioned on another thread at some point, and I ordered one for Christmas for the schoolie I part-lease, and it’s WAY nicer than I expected!

Kerritts F-Low Rise tights - OMG. I would wear these ALL the darn time if I could. They’re as comfy as pjs!

[airineek]

I like this game!

I love my semi-custom rust, mid-rise, side zip Tailored Sportsman Trophy Hunter Breeches from SmartPak; flattering fit, cool retro color, well made, worth the money in my book!

Also a fan of my Mattes shimmable fleece half pad. The way it is contoured really does hold my saddle in place better than other half pads. Also makes it easy to customize saddle fit for horsey.

My off-the-rack Der Dau tall boots. So Soft, comfortable and easy to wear. I will never buy Ariat tall boots again. ever.

My Kerrits fleece lined winter breeches and Ariat insulated paddock boots. I would not have survived riding in the Maine winters without these.

Horse’s Dover Brand Hug sheet and heavy turnout blankets. The only ones on the market that don’t rub his freakishly broad shoulders.

[Tha_Ridge]

[QUOTE=Chezzie;6733505]
I just bought a pair of those TuffRider soft shell breeches on sale for $30, and I LOVE them! The dirt just brushes off, they are pretty warm, and I can put them in the dryer. LOVE.[/QUOTE]

Rode in them for the first time yesterday and give them two hearty thumbs up. I would pay double what I paid ($65?) and still think they are well worth it! Wish they came in more colors!

[MorganJumper848]

[QUOTE=airineek;6733696]
I like this game!

I love my semi-custom rust, mid-rise, side zip Tailored Sportsman Trophy Hunter Breeches from SmartPak; flattering fit, cool retro color, well made, worth the money in my book!

Also a fan of my Mattes shimmable fleece half pad. The way it is contoured really does hold my saddle in place better than other half pads. Also makes it easy to customize saddle fit for horsey.

My off-the-rack Der Dau tall boots. So Soft, comfortable and easy to wear. I will never buy Ariat tall boots again. ever.

My Kerrits fleece lined winter breeches and Ariat insulated paddock boots. I would not have survived riding in the Maine winters without these.

Horse’s Dover Brand Hug sheet and heavy turnout blankets. The only ones on the market that don’t rub his freakishly broad shoulders.[/QUOTE]

I second this. I love my Kerrits powerstretch winter breeches and I also really love the FITS full seat winter breeches(discontinued) I bought a pair of the Ariat Heritage H20 Insulated paddock boots and the outside leather is a lot better than I have seen over the last two years from them.

• I LOVE my bobby’s laced pony reins. They were buttery soft out of the package and were only $40!

-I love my Riders international Northwind turnout blankets

-I love my Rambo Protector fly sheet. My horse ruined 2 other flysheets and this one is still alive! YAY!

-I hate my smartpak lined stirrup leathers. (Cheap but not even worth it).
-I hate my Bradley smartpak breeches. (they stretched out after like 10 washes). Ew…

[AliCat]

[QUOTE=Bristol Bay;6733090]
Next time you visit your local tack store, check out the huge selection of breeches up to size 32, then the five stained and misshapen pairs of 34, only two of which are L. I do make a point of shopping at the three or four local tack shops, but I never find my size in what fits me.[/QUOTE]
Why not special order through your local tack shop instead of going home and ordering through an online retailer?

[doublesstable]

Agree with you on the Thinline pad… I love them so much I have four of them.

And my best investment this year has been Animo breeches ON SALE - they are sooooo comfortable.

[PNWjumper]

Best -

Everything Animo. I bought a couple pairs of breeches and a few hunt coats (problem? me? :D), and I couldn’t be more in love with their comfy show clothing. But since my year got progressively less lucrative (I quit my well-paying job to take a more local job with a start-up) the second two hunt coats came courtesy of eBay at a significant markdown. My real win? A black Animo coat for $200. :love-struck:

My Ariat Volants. Heaven for schooling and walking around in…especially when it’s muddy out. I’ve abused them for the last 12 months and they still clean up like new.

I really like the new Eskadrons Flexisoft Easy with the clicky clips instead of velcro. They’ve turned into my go-to boots at shows and I may have to buy a second set. They became the replacements for my Equifits because the clicky clips were easier to deal with than the hooks on the Equifits.

Worst -

I think I might not be wired this way. I can’t think of anything I bought that I didn’t like…short-lived or not :lol:

[Bristol_Bay]

[QUOTE=AliCat;6733778]
Why not special order through your local tack shop instead of going home and ordering through an online retailer?[/QUOTE]

At least I GO to the local tack store. Why single me out? I venture to guess that at least half of the above mentioned fave/worst tack purchases were made online.

Just pointing out the obvious.

[SarahandSam]

[QUOTE=RolyPolyPony;6733548]

Kerritts F-Low Rise tights - OMG. I would wear these ALL the darn time if I could. They’re as comfy as pjs![/QUOTE]

I second that… I have the fleece-lined Kerrits tights and they are ridiculously comfy. Now and then when they’re actually clean, I wear them around the house and as leggings. And sometimes to run in.

[FLeventer]

I will not shop at the local tack shop. The woman is a jerk and the selection is small. Also it is out of my way. I shop smartpak and I am not ashamed. They bend over backwards to get me what I need and good prices. Tack shops in Ocala are nice, but I only stop when I am up there which is not a lot.

[Calvincrowe]

Bristol-- I hear you, sister! Try finding a hunt coat over size 16 in a tack store. I cannot afford to order coats and send them back via an online source and I need a new hunt coat (and apparently, like TS breeches, every single Grand Prix hunt coat is made differently, so that 18 may or may not fit…) I DO try to shop local tack stores, but when they sell out (see, I’m being optimistic!) of the sizes worn by the majority of the women I ride with…well, you must turn to the internet.

Anyway!

Best purchases: Custom La Mundial field boots (yum), FITs Beka breeches, Smartpak Harwich bridle

Worst: Amigo fly sheet. UGH. A piece of crap that rips when you look at it funny. And when I duct taped a few holes out of desperation so Calvin would not be lifted up bodily and carried off by the hordes of mosquitoes, the other horses laughed at him. He looked like a poor rag-picker whose momma didn’t love him.

[mckenna310]

Bests
-My 13 year old Butet <3
-Ariat Brittany breeches -no longer made
-RJ Classics essential collection show coat (looks expensive but cost $120!)
-Tredstep Deluxe Half chaps (after 5 years I’m finally getting new ones, but they still look great)
-Those SSG gloves that look like Roeckl Chesters (more comfortable and last wayyyy longer)

Average/On the Fence
-Mountain Horse Supreme High Rider Tall boots (butter soft leather, super comfy foot, and look great, but back of calf is a little tiny bit too big and one button broke)
-Ariat paddock boots (I get the Heritage IIIs because the cobalts are so bulky. Zippers have gotten better, but my feet get so sore standing in them)

[Dewey]

Best: My new Gary Mundy stirrup leathers. BEST tack purchase ever. I still can’t believe he only charged me $53, and they are custom-made for me!

Horze active knee-patch breeches. At regular price of $47, these are a steal, but you can frequently get them for half-price during one of their many promotions. The breeches are incredibly nice, with thick, velvety fabric and pockets you can actually use. They also fit middle-aged me like a glove–so flattering! They come in euro-seat, which I really don’t prefer, but I’ll put up with that.

Worst: CoolMedics helmet liner for hot weather. Total waste. It did nothing to help keep my head cooler during our south Georgia summers.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

Thinking seasonally, I love my Cashel sunshade for my helmet. Cheap, lightweight and I barely notice it’s there, even works in the wind.

Just bought a pair of SSG winter riding mittens and they are perfect. Not so bulky that they interfere with riding but warmer than my regular winter gloves and soft and comfy.

Sheepskin lined Mattes pad. I bought it for my sensitive skinned mare, who was getting rubs from the back of her regular pad. I would outfit my gelding, too, if I could afford it and may still do so. I will never buy another pad that isn’t sheepskin lined. Now I need to get rid of the zillion unlined pads I have. I also got a NuMed, which is OK (lined with wool, not sheepskin) but not as plush as the Mattes.

I know I’ve found something great when I buy a second one and put it in my closet, just in case the manufacturer discontinues it for some reason.

[cottonXCblondie]

x37263726 on the Target knee socks. Inexpensive, not too thin (I wore like knee-highs to ride today and i felt like my leg was all over the place because there was too much space i my boo) and not too thick (ahem, Equine Couture, which yes are way too tight) and are cute.

Love my Roma wither support pad. made my girl much comfier. She’s a little high0withered and my Bates was coming down too much in the front…also love my Bates close-contact, 2 horses and 12 years and i sill love it.

DevonAire Cambridge field boot…the newer Camden is the same, and I hear terrible things about them but I love my old pair f them and even better, I found them on clearance at a small-business tack shop a couple states away that had a website, so I got them for less than half off and they were my size! miracles happen!

Worst…I don’t think I’ve had any buying regrets in the last year or so.

[bits619]

Best- the RWR no knot hair net. Simply love it, and it manages to contain my mass of hair without letting it flop or shift before I get the helmet on. Well worth the price. ( http://www.doversaddlery.com/rwr-no-knot-hair-net/p/X1-3660/?tid=froogle&eid=X1814001&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&zmam=1460880&zmas=1&zmac=114&zmap=0003660488689X1-3660&gclid=CLK7h6fksbQCFQq0nQod_DgAww )
Worst purchase- not sure which brand breeches it was, but just a cotton blend lightweight breech that looked lovely for about ten minutes. Then they promptly split at the top of the knee patch and bottom of the fly, and never let go of the spot of chai tea I spilled on them, all in the first three rides. Grrrrr. (Edit to add… those breeches were the tuff rider light cotton knee patch breech, which surprised me a lot because I LOVE my tuff rider ribbed schooling breeches and find those very much worth the price, and a great deal. The cotton material of those just didn’t compare.)
Another annoying purchase was a pretty looking green quilted vest by riding sport. ( http://www.doversaddlery.com/riding-sport-quilted-vest/p/X1-40271/?ids=x34jm5rllarbl555o3w5ho45 ) I love the look and details like the snaps on the sides and tabs on the back, but the arm holes are so big I could probably expose a boob with minimal effort, and the back is so much longer than the front that it looks like two different jackets.

[kmwines01]

Loves: Mountain Horse Supreme tall boots
They fit like a glove and are so comfortable. They broke in within 1 ride and haven’t stretched beyond recognition which i was afraid they would do.

Also love my Ariat volant XT chaps I got on sale for $50. They look way better than I thought they would and clean up well even in the dust.

Disappointments: Back on Track hock boots that have not held up well. Bought them last year and they have done wonders for the horse but the straps have not held up well and are disintegrating. I wish they would have held up better because they definitely worked well.

[DressageOverFences]

winning:

wool quarter sheet in whitney stripe- its thick wool, classy, and so warm. when it first arrived (I had to order it from a tack store in england because I couldnt find them anywhere here) I kept it on my bed for a few weeks because it was so nice.

back on track sheet: I slept with this one for a week or so too :o , it was so nice. the horse likes it too… and i got it for half off.

losing:
nunn finer gel boots- looked cool, but heavy, bulky, and did not fit like my beloved equifits. maybe for a big warmblood.not a tb.