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HI Spy: Favorite Things

Pragmatic horse people might stick to the bare basics when it comes to tack and barn gear. All you really need is a functioning saddle, bridle, a few buckets and brushes and you have a full kit. But where’s the fun in that?



Look at your tack box (or the spare closet in your house, the backseat of your car, or wherever you store your gear.) You probably have a special piece of tack or barn equipment that you would never give up, whether it’s for sentimental reasons or otherwise. Do you have unique argyle polo wraps? A bright pink saddle blanket that reminds you of your first barrel race? A curb bit that you might never use, but you hang on to because it belonged to your cowgirl great-grandmother?



Of course, your favorite thing in the barn is your horse. But what comes in second? Click “Submit a Comment” below and tell us about your treasure. Some of the answers may be selected to be published in a future issue of Horse Illustrated.

One selected response may be selected by the editors to win a monthly prize! If you would like to be eligible for the prize, please include your email address in the comment form (email addresses are not publicly displayed.)

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  • The lead rope that goes with rope halter..... It reminds of when I had a coton halter and no control.... and it's very usefull if you just want to ride around without a halter or nothing!

  • It has nothing to do with tack, but everything to do with special memories with my horse. I have one small Christmas gift bag with a snowman watching Santa and his reindeer in the sky. Each Christmas Eve and Christmas night, I take my horse out an apple in the special bag. He loves it and licks me and the bag after eating his apple. I will keep that bag forever.

  • I have recently acquired a wonderful Saddleseat Saddle and was able to replace my older, somewhat ill-fitting one! Any of you who ride Saddleseat will understand that getting a $600 saddle for $75, the kind with adjustable bars, is extremely exciting! The stirrup bars adjust where the leathers connect to the saddle, and have four notches. I am mostly excited about this saddle because I will be giving riding lessons soon, and I can adjust the same saddle to work with the conformation of different HUMANS! I bought it specifically to re-sell it, but there's NO chance I'll be doing that!

  • My favorite piece of tack would have to be my jumping saddle. A friend gave it to me because she no longer had horses. Now I can reach for the sky and practice jumping my wonderful thoroughbred.

  • My favorite piece of equipment is a Stubben Sieghfried that a family friend gave me a year or two back. She used to ride a lot, but stopped some years ago and wanted her saddle to go to good use. I can't thank her enough for it.

  • My favorite piece of equipment is my red, yellow, black, and white striped saddle blanket. It's the first saddle blanket that I have ever owned, and it was also my grandma's. Before I washed it, there were chestnut hairs from my grandma's horse!

  • Even though it's too small, I can't seem to give up my old Stueben Jumping saddle. I learned to ride in it and it means a lot to me. It's ripping at the seams (literally), the girth is lost, and one of the stirrup pads are missing. I can't seem to give it up. I love it!

  • My absolute favorite piece of unique tack is my tiny face brush. It is half the size of a body brush, and I think its just so darn adorable! I never really use it, its just that stubborn little piece of tack thats never thrown away!

  • I have a little green hoof pick in the shape of a rain boot. "Isn't it cute?!" I always ask people. They only look at me as though I'm crazy.

  • My favourite peice of horse gear would have to be my breast collar, It's blue with crosses on it, Every time I look at it, It reminds me of my angel horses, And makes me think about how special my horses with me now really are.

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