I Think I May Have A Problem

The "extra" bridle rack...
I've always prided myself on being on the frugal side of the spectrum of equestrian consumers. In my own clothing as well as my horse's tack and equipment, I've never been one to chase after the latest fads and fashions, never really gone on wild spending sprees at the tack store, and 99% of my purchases are carefully budgeted and researched, often taking months to actually come to fruition. If I've got one of something, that's usually enough. I wouldn't ever call myself a Tack Ho, though I have absolutely taken advantage of the shopping skills of ladies like Leah and Aimee on more than one occasion.

But as I looked around my tack room the other day, I had a startling realization.

I have a confession to make.

I think I may be a Closet Tack Ho (TM).

In struggling to stuff clean saddle pads into my enormous yet somehow full-to-bursting trunk, I wondered just HOW MANY pads were in that thing, anyway.

After doing a quick mental tally, I came to the conclusion that there are nearly 20 square pads alone, which does not include my four half pads of various ilk, or my two western pads.

No wonder I can barely close the lid.

All of my saddles and a small fraction of the pad collection.
Six of those square pads are white. That prompted a lot of questions and soul-searching.

WHO NEEDS SIX WHITE SQUARE PADS FOR ONE PONY?! Do I need six white square pads? How did I end up with so many? Why are so many of them white? Am I really that boring? Should I sell some and buy more colors? No. I should probably NOT buy more saddle pads...

I then realized that I own one pony, five bridles, and three saddles. That seems.... excessive.

Let's not even get into this drawer.
I'm not even going to begin to count how many sets of boots and polo wraps are stuffed into my tack room, because that would be embarrassing. Safe to say, it's enough boots and polo wraps that I have had three full sets of boots sitting in the bed of my truck for months with the intention of taking them home to clean, and have had enough backup boots and wraps at the barn to not miss them at all during that time.

Have I really been a Tack Ho all along?! Have I been deluding myself all these years?!

Someone please send help. And a professional organizer.

Comments

  1. HAHAHA! I think you actually have more stuff than I do, if you break it down per horse. I have a lot of bridles and boots, but very few saddle pads. Ok wait now that I'm sitting here thinking about it, I do have several pads in the closet at home. But still. I think I've only got 7-8 bridles for TWO horses lol.

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    Replies
    1. i like your 7-8 bridles for two horses*


      *one horse is a yearling and isnt being ridden yet :P :P :P

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    2. WHY ARE YOU WRITING OUT THE SPECIFIC DETAILS, WHAT THE HELL.

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    3. Also, Presto has 2 bridles already. Shut up.

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    4. LOLOLOLOL sorry to blow up your spot

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  2. you closet tack ho

    all this time youve been lording it over us and all along you had a SECRET BOOT DRAWER.

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  3. Lol! I love this. It's no secret that I'm a full fledged tack ho. With multiple full equine outfits in different colors. So from one tack ho to another, I say own it. There is zero shame in the tack ho game.

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  4. I'm like you and research and budget out every single purchase. I wait for sales, I feel like I only buy what I need.
    Also like you, I recently realized I'm a closet hoarder. I was looking for my favorite spurs last week, and my husband helpfully suggested the following places to look:
    -his truck
    -my truck
    -barn where I board
    -barn where I ride/take lessons
    -spare bedroom closet
    -master bedroom closet
    -basement storage
    -laundry room
    -the place I stay when I'm away for work (also with a laundry room, spare room, and armoire potentially harbouring said spurs).

    I realized then that I do have assorted tack and riding apparel stored in all those places. OMG

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  5. Haha! This is awesome! I am usually a plan type, buuuuuut I've been a lot more impulsive buy recently. Still, that boot drawer tho....lolol

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  6. Oh man, I am totally with you! I also thought I was a frugal planner sort of person until I was taking saddle pads to the laundromat. Or scrounging around for a snaffle (why do I own like 6?). Or digging through a pile of bridles to put one together for longeing. Working at a tack store certainly doesn't help!

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  7. omg i have a flat box (like a uhaul box that holds an ironing board) STUFFED with clean saddle pads from moving (There has to be like 10 in there) that I have not even unpacked yet (Why they will stay cleaner in the box) AND three or four in my tack room. I AM NOT EVEN RIDING HIM RIGHT NOW LOL. I do only have one bridle (that is complete) and two saddles but I need to sell one. But it is amazing how we collect things.....isn't it?

    I think DINO Needs all the stuff ;) HA HA HA this is a great post (AND Laughing so hard at Presto having TWO bridles and not even two years old) :)

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  8. Lol sounds about right. I would never consider myself a tack ho so much as a “collector.” Ahem cough cough some might say “hoarder,” ahem. But this stuff has a way of accumulating lol. My saddle pad collection is completely unreal and needs to get thinned out substantially too. And bridles.... I actually spent some precious long minutes yesterday tacking up for our show trying to figure out wtf bridle / bit combo to even put on my horse....

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  9. I WILL TOTALLY COME ORGANIZE FOR YOU. I love that, because I'm a weirdo.

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  10. HAHA YES! You are a Tack Ho! I think we all become Tack Ho's in the end from just years and years of owning horses and hoarding every last thing.

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  11. Tack ho's unite. Because collecting horse stuff is never a problem. You can never have enough stuff, because you never know what you're going to need.

    I'm also not an enabler....at all.

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