Discuss: Your favorite *cheap* tack. What exceeded your expectations?

[candysgirl]

I love my Premier bridles from Schneiders. They’re $40 or so and are great.

I am also quite pleased with my HDR flat hunt bridle. I’ve gotten many compliments on it from people who can afford the $5000 custom saddles and $500 bridles. It was around $80 if I remember correctly.

Stubbens. I love them. They’re a well made and not the “in” thing, so you can usually find them pretty inexpensive.

Schneider’s blankets hold up well even against my Arab’s shenanigans.

Tuff Rider saddle pads. They come in pretty much any color you could possibly want and are around $15. I have a zillion of them and they wash up really nicely.

Not tack, but Dublin boots I feel like are extremely underrated. I have both paddock boots and tall boots that I abuse and they last forever.

Tuff Rider ribbed breeches. Mine are 7 years old now and I am not nice to them. With the exception of one small grease stain on one pair, they look brand new.

[GrumpyMare]

Davinici Bridles are great for the price. If you stalk Horseloverz ebay auctions you can get one for $35 usually. They are soft, well made, and have held up well for me. I get several compliments on them.
https://www.horseloverz.com/product/bridles/295090-davinci-fancy-raised-padded-comfort-crown-comfort-crown-bridle-with-fancy-raised-laced-reins.html

For blankets, I have been impressed with the Jeffers brand blankets sold on their site. I have a mudball pony and her blanket has lasted two tough winters so far without a tear and will wash and look nearly new. I paid maybe $60 for it.

[Denzel]

I have the Camelot wide noseband bridle, and for a schooling bridle, it’s actually quite nice! Very dark havana color, leather oils up decently, and less than $100! Plus it’s padded in all the right places! Only thing I would change is that the monocrown has all three straps in a row vs having the the noseband strap behind the cheek/throatlatch.

http://www.englishridingsupply.com/camelottrade-fancy-stitched-wide-noseband-comfort-padded-snaffle-bridle-467676

[cazadoreq]

I just got a bridle, breastplate, girth and boots from Hinterland (NZ) and am in love! Comparable quality to the french brands and half the price!

[mvp]

[QUOTE=vxf111;8099029]
At a trade show I bought a $40 Perri’s professional line bridle figured I’d throw it in the trailer as a spare. Oiled it up and DANG if it didn’t feel and look like Segdewick’s leather. It’s nicer than some $200 bridles. Wish I’d bought them all up![/QUOTE]

No, no, no. What needs to happen is I need to get into that trade show so I can do some buying up of cheap and unusual tack.

I believe that trade show-- in PA, right?-- requires super high-level industry securlty clearance. You can’t just be a Tac(kd)Dict and walk in.

[vxf111]

[QUOTE=mvp;8128240]
No, no, no. What needs to happen is I need to get into that trade show so I can do some buying up of cheap and unusual tack.

I believe that trade show-- in PA, right?-- requires super high-level industry securlty clearance. You can’t just be a Tac(kd)Dict and walk in.[/QUOTE]

You have to be a buyer to get in, it’s not open to the public.

I wish I’d bought 10 of those bridles!

[PaintPony]

I have this bridle and it looks WAY more expensive than it really is: http://www.doversaddlery.com/suffolk-fancy-snaffle-bridle/p/X1-1287/#ProductTabs

It’s the perfect color without any oiling and it has lasted forever.
Someone actually asked me if it was Edgewood. :eek:
I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I should note however, that I wasn’t crazy about the reins, so I swapped them for my favorite pair of extra long plaited ones that I have had for over 20 years.