You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again—and again—almost nothing about horses is cheap. This truth applies to equestrian apparel and tack just as much as it does to board, feed, hoof care, and vet bills. However, while many horse costs are difficult to reduce, it’s easy to save on new and used horse gear. Buying at reduced prices will improve your chances of recuperating costs should you decide to resell tack items, and buying used items supports sustainability. Here are a few tips and tricks for maximizing your tack and apparel budget.
8 Tips to Save Money on Tack
1. Plan Ahead
The best way to find deals on horse products is to plan ahead. Sometimes it’s necessary to buy an item immediately, but if you’re able to wait, you’ll have more time to watch for the right product at a great price. Make a list of items you know you’ll need in the next few months, and keep your eyes open. You might run across an exciting deal on the exact thing you require. In addition, being mindful of future needs can help you save your budget for the most important purchases rather than using it prematurely on unnecessary impulse buys.
2. Learn How to Maximize Sales and Clearance Items
Pay attention to holiday sales, closeouts, and promotions offered by tack stores online and in person. Keep in mind that some sales are designed to draw you in but don’t actually offer much of a discount. In addition, certain retailers will nearly always advertise discounts as a marketing ploy when the products marked as forty percent off don’t ever actually sell for the full value listed. Such products may not provide you with the quality and longevity you’re expecting based on the full suggested retail price.
On the flip side, other sales will have quality products at stellar prices. To help recognize the difference between the two scenarios, check the price of an item you’re thinking about buying at a few different retailers to get an idea if the discount offered is legitimately as good as advertised.
If you need a few items at the same time, wait for deals tailored for customers who spend more in a single purchase. Sometimes these promotions will come with a free store gift card, which you can then use in the future to save on items that have a “guaranteed low price” and rarely go on sale.
Amazon can also be a great source of discounted products. Browse for deep discounts by searching in the Amazon Warehouse category, but don’t forget to check the new price before purchasing. Some warehouse discounts are better than others. If you have a favorite brand or category (such as breeches), you can also periodically search for it on Amazon’s main site and then sort the listings by price to discover a seller’s last-chance, closeout items that won’t be advertised elsewhere.
3. Don’t Forget to Read the Fine Print
Whenever you buy tack and apparel online, check the return policy and read the fine print. If you don’t know whether something is going to work out, make sure you can stomach the cost of returning it should you decide it’s a no-go. This will help you avoid losing a large chunk of your budget to return fees or finding yourself stuck with gear you can’t use.
If a retailer’s policies aren’t transparent, try reaching out to their customer service with any questions you have. Some online stores, such as Riding Warehouse, Dover, and SmartPak, offer easy or free returns on most sized items, so their sales are a great opportunity to find out what works for you and what doesn’t—especially if you don’t live near a brick-and-mortar tack store.
4. Attend Local Tack Sales and Swaps
Local garage-sale-type tack sales and tack swaps are a great opportunity to find quality used equestrian gear at low prices. Most horse people are eager to clean out their tack lockers and trade older items they’re no longer using for a little extra cash. These sales are often held in conjunction with events at local farms and show stables, so keep your ears open and try to follow your local equestrian calendar.
If you aren’t aware of any tack swaps in your area, try to connect with other horse lovers nearby in person or on Facebook and talk to them about the items you’re searching for. You might be surprised how quickly people come through for you with exactly what you need!
5. Watch Your Local Classified Ads
If you have a popular local classifieds website for your area, familiarize yourself with it and see if you can sign up for keyword-search email alerts. Many such sites will automatically send you listings that match your alerts, thus giving you first choice on items that interest you and saving you hours sifting through listings that don’t meet your needs. Keep your classified search alert terms simple to receive more possible matches. In addition, remember that most sellers will have a first-come-first-serve policy, so knowing what you need ahead of time is key—you’ll want to act quickly on great deals when they appear.
If you buy an item in person from someone you don’t know, take a friend with you if possible and arrange to meet in a highly public location. Watch out for warning signs anytime you shop classified ads online. TackTrader.com is one site that offers horse-specific classified ads, though keep in mind that they do not offer buyers and sellers many protections should you attempt to purchase something outside your local area.
6. Shop Consignment and Online Resellers
If you don’t have a large local horse community to swap horse gear with, don’t worry! There are still some great options for finding deals on used tack and apparel online. To ensure the best experience, look for sellers who post a lot of details, are willing to answer your questions, and share helpful photos of any potential condition concerns. Depending on the item, eBay and Poshmark are great places to search that offer buyers purchase protection should an item fail to arrive or not come as advertised.
TackTack is a great horse-gear-specific site similar to Poshmark and eBay that has a huge array of used products and helpful policies to facilitate smooth transactions. Some seller on TackTack are businesses, but most are still individuals, so don’t forget to read the ads thoroughly and ask any questions you have prior to purchasing.
If you find an item you love on eBay, Poshmark, or TackTack, make sure to view the seller’s other listings for other apparel, footwear, or equipment you may need before completing your purchase. Buying multiple items from the same seller at once usually allows you to reduce per-item shipping costs.
If you prefer shopping consignment over dealing directly with individual sellers through trusted platforms, check out the Tried Equestrian. Many online tack stores also sell preloved consignment items. As you shop, be sure to compare the price of used and consignment items to purchasing the same item new elsewhere—sometimes used prices are outstanding, and sometimes you’ll find that it makes more sense to buy the item new.
7. Be Picky
Finding great deals is exciting, but don’t let the thrill of the chase and low prices talk you into making purchases you’ll regret. Something with a low price tag still isn’t a good deal if you didn’t need it in the first place or if its poor condition shortens its usable lifespan considerably. A big haul of seemingly great blowout clearance apparel items can still become a huge waste if you don’t like how any of them fit and function enough to ever pull them out of the closet. Before you purchase anything, make sure you love it—regardless of the price.
Additionally, there may be some items that are simply worth paying full price for, due to their quality, excellent design, scarcity, or necessity. Enjoy searching for deals, but remember that the ultimate goal is to make the most of your budget, and sometimes that means investing in quality over falling for rock-bottom prices.
8. Consider Your Safety
While many equestrian items are perfectly safe to buy used, others are not. Here are a few potential safety issues associated with certain items to be aware of:
Feed and Medications
Don’t buy feed and medications from a secondhand source, unless it’s a person you trust, the items are new and unopened, and your friend has a valid reason for selling. Be wary of any medications or miracle products with prices that seem too good to be true and don’t come from reputable sources.
Helmets
Be very careful about buying used helmets, since the materials in most helmets will deteriorate with age and may have sustained damage that is not visually obvious.
Dirty Equipment
Also be aware of buying items that may carry communicable diseases, such as bits or saddle pads, and be sure anything you buy can be cleaned safely and thoroughly before you use it.
Leather Goods
Check leather items meticulously for any signs of rot, weakened stitching, cracking, or stiffness. Some minor cosmetic issues can easily be fixed with cleaning and conditioning, but other damage is more serious and may cause the equipment to fail during use and compromise your safety.
Saddles
Purchasing a used saddle is an excellent way to save, but take the time to educate yourself about signs that a saddle may be damaged or in need of expensive repairs. These will be different for various disciplines and styles. Don’t buy a saddle without handling it in person first or agreeing with the seller on a trial period.
I once purchased a used high-end saddle from a reputable online seller, and it appeared to be in great shape, but upon unpacking it from its shipping box, I found that the wooden tree had a disconcerting audible creak. Luckily, the seller took the saddle right back without charging me return shipping, but had I not read about the warning signs of a broken saddle tree, I might have missed the issue. A poorly fitted saddle or a broken saddle tree can seriously harm your horse, and no amount of money saved is worth that risk. While there are great places to buy used saddles, most are sold as-is with no guarantee, so understanding your purchase thoroughly is paramount.
Outfitting Your Tack Room for Less
Buying used and on-sale equestrian gear is a lot of fun and a great way to save your money for more important horse expenses. You will likely come across many great sites, services, and sales on your money-saving journey. Educate yourself about the available options, learn to look in the right places, and keep these tips in mind as you build your riding-gear repertoire, and you’ll find your dollars may stretch at least a little further than you anticipated.
For more article with tips and tricks, please visit our resources section.
Image by Alfonsodetomas from Adobe Stock.
