The Purge

[Scribbler]

I kept all the gear my sister and I had as teens, which was modest by today’s standards. I’ve appreciated having extra headstalls and bits to play with. We didn’t have turnout blankets, rain sheets, leg protection or multiple saddle pads, the bulky things.

I have had one horse in one barn (for 10 years) since I returned to riding 15 years ago so haven’t had the non fitting gear issue. I have given away a couple of headstalls and saddle pads that I decided really weren’t working. Some years I use all my different turnout weights, other years I don’t.

I think gear gets out of control much faster if you have multiple horses or move around a bit and lose count of what you own.

[Libby2563]

Those of you who purge—how often do you end up re-purchasing the same or similar item? That’s my big hang-up. I have to be pretty darn certain I’ll never use something again to be willing to sell it because you almost always lose money selling used stuff (even if it’s like new). For example, I would never sell a functional halter because they’re so generic and I’m sure I’ll need another one someday. On the other hand, I happily sold a jump saddle that put me in a crappy position because at this point in my life my skeletal structure isn’t going to change. I have plenty of storage space though.

I’ve had a gorgeous old school Pikeur shadbelly for sale for like 3 years now at 1/4-1/3 of the price of a new one. It’s a little baggy on me so when I got a new, more modern one as a gift I decided to part with the old one. I can’t imagine ever needing two shadbellies, but at this point the money I would get for it is so insignificant that I might just pick it up from the tack shop, get it taken in, and have a spare…

[Bebe_Falcon1]

@Tucker5

Or more likely, “I just can’t deal with buyers”. But after moving my tack room for the 3rd time in as many months, I need to get rid of stuff.

This makes me realize how much I’ve underrated tack swaps in the past! We recently took apart our spare bedroom and advertised the furniture on Marketplace. The buyer of our bed set, who to her credit has already paid in full, has been stringing me along for A WHOLE MONTH with respect to when she’s going to actually come and pick it up. Lady, just come and take this bed set out of our garage already, it’s nearly winter and we need the space back! Ugh, buyers

[pony_baloney]

I had good luck at my first tack swap. The second one cost me $20 to rent the table and I only sold $10 worth of stuff. That prompted me to consign and donate the rest. It just wasn’t worth the time and effort of packing, setting up, and sitting around for a few hours of my precious weekend. Now that I can’t see the stuff, I’ve forgotten about it.

My tack trunk at the barn isn’t too bad, but the big bin at home is stuffed with the things I sometimes need. My winter barn/riding vests and jackets are in there, with the small Shop Vac (new pony freaks out over static shocks so I won’t even go near him with it). The expensive Thinline pad that I’m keeping just in case (plus I won’t get back nearly what I paid for it). Soon the fly boots will be squeezed in there. I’ll be replacing my still good helmet with a MYPS one soon. I’ll probably keep the old one…just in case. Or just wait another year or so until it turns 5 years old and needs replacing.

There was a time many years ago when my barn trunk was a small Rubbermaid foot locker and my home trunk was just a smaller Rubbermaid bin. Those were the days.

[pony_baloney]

I went to the tack shop to buy MSM and found out I had $90 in consignment credit already!! Woo hoo!!

Hmm, what else can I get rid of…

[BalancingAct]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can sell some of my gently used tack? I’m talking under 5 rides. Two gorgeous Butet bridles with reins and storage bag.

I tried Facebook Marketplace and Ebay. Its priced appropriately, I think? Are there any reasonable consignment shops? The only one I spoke with offered me $150.

[pony_baloney]

I don’t know where you are but the saddle fitter in NJ that I used sells tack on consignment. There’s a lot of shops online around the US too that others here have used. Pelham is one name that comes to mind.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

Welp, I lied about having only one tote. Went down to the basement to grab something and saw there’s a basket down there too with some big horse items - you know, the ones that aren’t even worth selling (because “one day, you never know …”) that I forgot about I’ve clearly sorted through it all recently and organized it, so at least there’s that.

Not a big deal but now I feel like a hoarder. So … does it make it more or less hoarder-ish if I separate things out and have a tote of my “maybe one day, big horse” items and my current mini mare stuff?!

I’m leaning towards separating everything out into two separate totes and trying to purge a teensy bit more (e.g. as someone with a horse on outdoor board, I hardly need TWO stall guards).

I’ll agree with some of the previous comments that it’s really hard to get rid of high-end or more expensive pieces of equipment on Marketplace though. It took several weeks just for me to rehome a pair of lovely almost-new lined dressage leathers (for all of $40)!

[Tee]

I go through my blankets every couple of years, along with the other stuff. The problem, like mentioned above, is I know the second I get rid of something I’m going to need it. And now with a yearling, I justify keeping it because he might need it/grow in to it/something else to rationalize keeping a bunch of stuff.

We are fortunate here to have a great consignment store. Just drop it all off and get a check. Makes it far less painful.

[StormyDay]

Wait you are getting rid of horse tack…. On purpose???
I don’t understand.
Does not compute.
What if you need these items later?
Do you guys not have an entire room in your house full of tack?
You are saying you don’t have 15 saddles??

I once had a cooler stolen by someone at my barn , like 10+ years ago, and I’m still not over loosing it.

[Hayburner]

Wow, I need some inspiration to Purge!
When my old horse passed, I did donate 2 huge totes full of brushes, leg straps, riding clothes and boots.

It didn’t take long for me to accumulate at least that much and then some for my mare.

Things I have way too much off: Saddle pads some are brand new, lead ropes, brushes, shampoo, conditioners, grooming sprays, girth’s, reins, breeches, shirts and the list goes on! I even have a saddle I bought off EBay last year that doesn’t fit her and yet I haven’t even tried to sell it.

I keep thinking I will list on Marketplace, But never take the time to do it !

[Bebe_Falcon1]

@StormyDay

Wait you are getting rid of horse tack…. On purpose???

Having more than I need gives me legit anxiety! I do think it would be amazing to have a slightly larger equine to pull a carriage with, however, so it’s probably prudent to hang on to a few of the horse-sized items just in case

(Does anyone else find that even thinking about acquiring a horse - whether your first or an additional - very quickly leads to it coming true?!)

[Bebe_Falcon1]

@pony_baloney

When you’re ready, learn from all of us and just buy what you need, the best you can afford.

Yes! If you ever go to sell any of what you’re buying at the moment, it’s easier to sell the better quality stuff. It’s hard to rehome horse equipment that was cheap in the first place, it usually doesn’t wear so well and it shows in listing photos.

Signed,

Been there, done that.

[pony_baloney]

I went to a barn today where someone was selling used blankets. She had about fifty…and they were all hers!!! Plus she said she threw away many many others because they needed too much work. All were washed, sorted and labeled. I should have asked where she stored all of them.
Of course none were what I was looking for. Tomorrow I’m going to a therapeutic riding used tack sale. I heard they have a mountain of blankets and sheets. (And lots of stuff I don’t need and shouldn’t look at but I can’t resist a bargain)

[StormyDay]

I probably have at least 50 blankets.
1 cooler, 2 sheets, 2 mediums, 2 heavy’s per horse.
Times 6.
Plus all the outgrown ones. And the cute ones. And the ones I got for free.

Do I have a problem? Yes. But let me tell you, every time I get a new horse it comes in handy that I have every blanket size between 65 and 82 stored in my tack room.

PS: I have metal shelving racks I store them on. Each is washed and put into a jumbo size ziplock bag at the end of the season.

[SuzieQNutter]

@Bebe_Falcon1

I’ve just finished a six-month purge of allllll excess horse equipment and IT FEELS SO GOOD. I’ve hung on to my dressage saddle (sentimental reasons, plus it’s worth absolutely nothing) but finally got rid of the last three items that were redundant or duplicate this week:

A small flatback bucket, a pair of lovely black dressage leathers, and a kids pair of Wintec stirrup webbers. I really thought I might be stuck with those random items for the rest of my life as they’ve been “for sale” for months, so it’s extra exciting to have them gone

This leaves me with ONE Rubbermaid tote in the basement, some new winter blankets in the cupboard (which will be pulled out once all this rain morphs into snow) and whatever I keep in my car (grooming tote with fancy brushes) and barn locker (very minimal, just long-lining or lungeing equipment, first aid kit and a spare rainsheet).

Anyone else purged lately, and care to share?

A tote of horse gear. Pffft.

Hubby built a tack room with saddle and bridle holders. I can probably match Stormy’s 15 saddles.

Bless him. When I said there were more saddles than holders, his first sentence was, I had better get some more holders. Not that I should get rid of the saddles.

[pony_baloney]

He sounds like a keeper.

[Pally]

@Hayburner

When my old horse passed, I did donate 2 huge totes full of brushes, leg straps, riding clothes and boots.

You donated LEG STRAPS!?! If anyone else would like to do so, I’ll PM you my address
I now this is the purge thread, but those fragile-yet-important babies go in the hoard pile.

[pony_baloney]

The used tack sale I went to had piles of blankets and sheets, none of which were waterproof or sized. But I did find two Haas brushes but bought only one. The other is the same as my almost 30 year old one and I almost bought it in case someone at my barn would like it but like mine, the leather strap was ripping off. Not sure if anyone would appreciate it since I seem to be the only grooming tool fanatic. They were only $1!!!
The place had two dumpsters filled with stuff not good enough to sell, mostly pads and blankets. To think of how much all that cost when new.

[Bebe_Falcon1]

Because overhauling my mare’s blanket wardrobe in the spring with a whole liner system wasn’t enough, I decided it might be prudent to add a second 0g sheet for WHEN (not if) the first one gets torn or chewed-up by paddock mates. That way, I can continue to use the liner system even while the damaged sheet is in being repaired. The justification for this expense was that said mare is on outdoor board (so instant guilt-free purchase because practicality).

But.

Now I’m switching over to this liner system, it means I have TWO sheets that are now redundant to add to my purge pile! (Technically three, but I can probably squeeze one into the “keep” tote as a spare to my spare). One is a bit tight through the shoulder and the other is a bit short on her bum so I’ll be pleased to see them go.