When it comes to owning or riding horses, it is important to remember that you need to purchase a large number of suitable equipment to ensure your rides are comfortable and safe.
There are large amounts of safety gear, clothing and other tack and accessories that will make your life a hell of a lot easier, and you need to know where to look in order to find these bits and bobs.
If you are new to the lifestyle and you’re looking to kit yourself and your horse out for the first time, then fear not, we are here to help.
We know that it can be a daunting task shopping for all of this, and sometimes not knowing what you require makes things even more tricky.
We thought we would sit down and come up with some tips and pointers to make your lives that little bit easier.
So, here are some things that we feel you should bear in mind when it comes to buying horse equipment. Read these, take them on board, write them down if you have to, and your shopping experience should be more bearable and stress free.
Is that really necessary?
Before you even begin, you need to decide on what equipment is absolutely essential and what is simply useful or desirable. You won’t want to go out straight away and splash all of your cash kitting yourself and your horse out with all the bells and whistles you can find. No, initially, you need to make sure that you are buying the most essential items that you simply can not do without.
Here are some of the more essential items that you will need to purchase:
Saddle
Reins and stirrups
Bridles
Riding helmet
Horse rugs
How much?
When you have decided on what you know is absolutely essential, you need to then sit down and evaluate how much you are looking to spend. You should, depending on the situation, ask yourself whether you require the most expensive item available, or whether you should aim for functionality over style and swagger. You don’t want to look like an individual with ‘all the gear but no idea’.
One example would be your bridle. A general, everyday bridle will be fine for most purposes and whilst you may be tempted to spend more on a fancier design, if you’re just starting out, it is often a wiser idea to go for great value for money.
Here at Equine Superstore we understand that it is often nice to have higher quality items with a nicer finish, however, these touches may not be essential and can lead to you spending far more than you are capable of affording. If you are using your horse for competing or showing, then you may be forgiven for wanting the most flashy and stylish gear. There are a number of great places you can go to purchase such equipment, including right here on Equine Superstore.
Make sure it fits
As with all clothing or equipment, if you’re spending decent amount of money on something, you should take great care in ensuring it all fits well and will last. No matter how much money you’re forking out, the equipment must fit the rider and the horse, because poorly fitting horse riding equipment can cause behavioural problems in the horse and can also increase the risk of accidents and potential injuries.
It is also worth remembering that saddles and horse bits must fit both the rider and the horse correctly. Here at Equine Superstore we have a number of guides to help you when it comes to purchasing all of this equipment including one informative guide on measuring your horse for a rug.
For more informative guides and advice pieces, click here now.