Black and Blue

Yes, another cheap, painted, cardboard leather piece of crap that no horse should ever have to suffer. And look, it even comes with matching accessories. All it needs now is a blue saddle blanket. At least the stirrups are on correctly. That dee ring in the front girth rigging looks rather insubstantial to me.

Whiteout

Yep, it's a white saddle. With a purple seat. Looks like it was painted with white paint, and the purple seat makes it look kind lavender in this light. How long before the paint starts to wear off on your clothes? And can you imagine trying to keep this CLEAN? You couldn't oil it, it wouldn't soak in, and I bet the paint flakes off at the drop of a hat. Really people? Why on earth do you keep producing this crap? Are that many people actually buying it?

Guest Blog - The Silly Red Filly

Hi all, Fatima here. Mom is REALLY busy lately and hasn't been able to write much. She is also apparently too busy for ME even. The very idea! At any rate, it has been to blasted hot to do much here anyway, I am getting all sweaty and icky just standing in the pasture. My boyfriend Lucky says that I am still pretty anyway. Mom has been trimming my toes for me this week, she did the front ones Sunday evening and managed to rasp her knuckle off her little finger and bleed all over me! I was so worried my hair would get bloodstained, but she gave me a shower after and it all came off, thank goodness. Aunt Stephanie held my lead rope for her and wouldn't even let me nudge Mom in the hiney the whole time she was working! Last night Aunt Amina came to hold my leadrope so Mom could do my hind feet. This time Mom was smart enough to wear gloves to avoid rasping her hands. Silly human, why didn't she think of that in the first place?

Anyway, Mom has been telling me about some of the saddles she finds online, and I am horrified that my fellow equines would EVER allow their humans to put some of this stuff on them! I wouldn't be caught dead in this stuff! Can you imagine how this would clash with my pretty red hair?

Ewwww! This thing is HIDEOUS, and USED! Some poor horse had to suffer the indignity of wearing this, perhaps in public. I hope they bucked their owner off for committing this fashion faux-pas! I would have.

Ok, I have to go, Lucky is coming after me with his little ears pinned again because I am ignoring him. Catch you later!

Caution

All I can think of when I look at this is the police caution tape.

Treeless Tragedy

This is a treeless Spanish Saddle, and I am the Queen of England.



Have a great weekend all!!

Dressage Prospect FAIL

Folks, this is not a dressage prospect. Check that neck and shoulder, that alone should tell you that this horse isn't a prospect for much except creating more overpriced cobs. I see tons of Gypsy Vanners/Cobs/Extra Special Hairy Horses advertised as dressage prospects. The vast majority of them are not suitable for dressage, they are little hairy tractors. I have seen them move, they go like what they are with short, choppy strides, and their heads in the air. I will admit, some of them may move better, if they have good conformation with a nice shoulder, balanced neck and level or uphill build. Unfortunately, most seem to be about as downhill as anything I have ever seen. Sometimes I just want to bang my head on the wall. I bet the Gypsies are laughing all the way to the bank, these things are like rats over there, and we snap them up at outrageous prices like no tomorrow.

This has been another TTotD Random Rant, brought to you by the folks selling these horses on Dream Horse.

Haflingers. Are not. Palomino.

Was just on Dreamhorse browsing the ads out of boredom. "Ooh, shiny horsie!" I see a TON of ads for Haflingers advertising them as Palomino. They ARE NOT PALOMINO. Not ever. Not if they are purebred. They are chestnut, albeit flaxen chestnut, but chestnut nonetheless. There is no other color allowed or found in the breed, period. In order for a horse to be palomino, it must possess a cream dilution gene. This gene is not found in Haflingers, or for that matter purebred Arabians, but that is a topic for another time.

This has been a Tacky Tack of the Day Random Rant. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

No substitute.

I know this is an old topic, but some readers sent me some pics that have me riled up again.

I am so sick of seeing crap like this for sale. There is absolutely NO NEED for this. None. For crying out loud, just TRAIN YOUR DAMN HORSE! Stop shoving these beartraps on their faces and using them in a futile effort to "fix" your horse's issues. Sure, it will stop him, for a little while. Then what? Move on to a bigger bit? What happens when you run out of bigger bits? You going to throw him away and get another horse to screw up? You should need a license to purchase shit like this, or preferably, it shouldn't even be sold.

This next one is a gag bit, on top of the long shanks and twisted wire mouthpiece, it can use a gag action as well as the massive leverage the shanks can already exert.

I am not anti-bit, I am anti-cruelty and anti-stupid. I know bits are tools for training, and aids in communication. Different horses need different bits, some don't need any at all. It just depends. But no horse really needs to have it's face ripped up by some ignorant dolt with some contraption that someone at the feed store told them would "sure stop that horse, yes sir". I just wish that more people could be educated on this topic, and that more people could understand the need for proper training and patience with their horses.

Jailbait

Wow, the seller lists this as a "Zebra Print" saddle. Um, not quite. It is actually just an ugly black and white striped thing that looks like an old timey prison uniform or a referee's shirt. I guess if you were the ref at a polo match or something, but then it would need to be a polo saddle. Other than that, I really can see no point in this at all other than to be hideous.

What the hell?

Has anyone ever seen one of these before? What the hell kind of snaffle bit is this supposed to be? I have seen double mouthpieces, but never triple, and never spaced out like this. I cannot imagine actually using this on a horse, and how effective would it be? For that matter, what kind of effect are you going for?

...????...

I am truly speechless. I could not come up with a good title for this one, zip, nada. This was sent by a reader who found it for sale on a German website. Apparently poor taste transcends all borders.

Quilting Overkill

Hmmm, I think someone got carried away with their quilting hobby. I really don't see the point in this. Not only is it unattractive, but not overly practical.

Scary Pink Saddle of the Week

Yes, you are seeing this correctly, this cheap, piece of junk, going to fall apart on you the first time you use it, saddle has "silver" plates on it. In fact, I think they are not even metal, but shiny silver lame fabric. Looks real high class doesn't it?