The horse industry is obviously very expense. You could spend a lot of money fast if you aren’t careful. When it comes to tack, there are some items that I will always spend money on the best, and other items that are easy to find used and save some of that hard earned cash.

Five items you can buy used:

  1. You can find some great deals on saddles. I try to always find used saddles. If you get a good brand name then you know they will hold their value, and as long as the previous owner didn’t saw it in half it should be in good condition. A good saddle holds up for a long time; you don’t need to spend money on a brand new one.
  2. Good bridle and reins are nice to buy used also. Worn leather is much better than brand new leather anyway. As long as it’s quality leather, it will last a long time.
  3. Blankets for a young horse. Young horses tend to fuss with their blankets a lot so I wouldn’t spend too much money on one. Find a decent used one if you can.
  4. Polo wraps or leg wraps. It’s amazing how many polo wraps I find laying around, and apparently other people do also because they are for sale online all the time. These last a long time as long as someone hasn’t run them into the ground. Just throw them in the washing machine and they are good to go.
  5. A cinch. As long as your horse isn’t allergic to any type of materials, a cinch is a cinch. Most are great quality and hold up a long time. Even if you can’t find a used one, go with a good deal.

Five items you should buy new:

  1. Saddle pad. A quality saddle pad will last you a long time and can carry a lot of germs from other horses. Without knowing exactly how clean someone else’s saddle pad is, I would always buy a new one. They are worth the money.
  2. Blankets for an older horse. Once your horse has reached maturity, I would wait until the summer season, when blankets are cheaper, and buy your horse his own blanket. Another item that is worth the money to have per horse. A nice fitting blanket really goes a long way, and as long as you take care of it, the blanket will last a long time as well.
  3. Halters aren’t that expensive to begin with, and you use them EVERY day. It’s such a pain to use a halter that is stiff, or the buckles are getting sticky or it just doesn’t fit the horse right. It’s worth it to have a nice halter for each horse.
  4. For some people the stirrups on the saddle they purchased will work just fine. But you want to make sure your feet are comfortable and most importantly they aren’t too tight in the stirrups. So make sure you have stirrups that are perfect for your feet. There are even ‘crooked stirrups’ that many claim help their knees when they ride.
  5. This one is my favorite. I had a trainer tell me that they would spend $1000 on a good bit. A bit has so much control over how your horse performs. And every horse has particular bits that they like best. A bad bit can cause a lot of damage so take your time when you’re choosing what bits you put in your horse’s mouth.

Add your voice! Do you agree with this list? Anything else you would add to it?