[Silver Snaffles]

I am leasing a BNT's really lovely mare at their barn.


The barn is a really nice facility. mostly Dressage.

I only began the lease last week. I have been out there mostly during the weekday, where no one other than the groom and the BNT is there.

Last Saturday and Sunday was my first weekend there, and I got to meet most of the boarders and their horses. Something felt a bit out of wack, I couldn't put my finger on it. The horses were very well bred dressage horses, in top condition, the riders were fantastic, the facilitys top notch.

Then, as I was untacking and putting my saddle away in the tack room. Everyone has the same saddle. They are all Black Ankys. The bridles all have the same bit, the same chain inset on the browband and the same style of reins. They all use the same style of pad (puffer) the same type of boots on the horses, and the horses all look pretty much the same, bay, warmblood with white socks and a blaze.


They all have the same type of breeches, in either brown or a kharki colour and they all wear half chaps or gaiters. I am the only one with my Ariat top boots (strange for a dressage barn)

I'm there with my pink halter and saddleblanket, my padded reins and my pink grooming kit. I stand out like nothing else!

I asked the groom if my trainer prefers any particular tack, or colours, apparently she is not fussed, just as long as it's in good repair and fits.

Even the lone re-rider with the OTTB, who doesn't take lessons with the trainer has the Anky saddle and clone look.

Is it normal for everyone to be matchy matchy in a Big Name Facility?!
I grew up on a horsey property, nice facility but no where near as fancy as this place, I feel like it's the first day of school and i've got the wrong booklist or something!

[billiebob]

Think of it this way--you'll be able to find your stuff if it goes missing. They won't.

We're not a big name facility, but there are certain products that people recommend and it seems like in a few weeks everyone's drinking the same juice. Maybe that's the case there.

That would totally freak me out, though, to walk in a tack room and see a bunch of the same saddles and bridles.

[Amwrider]

They are Borg....resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

[JulesGirl]

Is it normal for everyone to be matchy matchy in a Big Name Facility?!
I grew up on a horsey property, nice facility but no where near as fancy as this place, I feel like it's the first day of school and i've got the wrong booklist or something!

Yep. The one that I worked at was exclusively Harry Dabbs/Jaguar saddles, matching bridles, white pads & polos. Horses were all huge, dark bay warmbloods.

So normal, at least in my experience. And I've definitely been spoiled by riding in those saddles!

[Silver Snaffles]

It's crazy!

I'm used to a tackroom with up to 14 different types and brands of saddles, from tiny 15 inch stubens for the show ponies, to the western saddles and dressage saddles.

Here, everything is lined up neatly in the lockers, every single saddle exactly the same! with the same bridle neatly hanging from the saddle rack.

I can't afford a $3000! They look super nice, but I am happy with my Trainer Generation dressage saddle. They also all have the same Pressure-eze girth which retails at $280! Crazy!

Even the very low level dressage rider is all kitted out, yet the trainer seems to ride in diffent saddles depending on the horse, as well as using different bridles.


I have also noticed that most of the horses have a significant bump or dent on their noses, just under the noseband. I mean, at least 15 of them have it.

Is that caused by the crank nosebands?

[JulesGirl]

They may, as a barn, have an agreement with the saddlery for discounts. I know the barn I worked at did, but then the superstar of that barn had an endorsement deal with them. Hence everyone with the same saddle. I nearly bought one and I didn't even have a horse there!

Don't know about the bump. I seem to have vaguely recalled hearing that in the dim & distant past.

[EponaRoan]

They are Borg....resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

I was going to say Cylons!

[hollyhorse2000]

Stepford riders . . . or is that too old of a reference??? :-)

[thatmoody]

It's kind of creeping me out that most of the riders in our barn have moved to drop nosebands after I had such good success with one on my TB. I mean, I like them a lot, and they do work well, but it was kind of weird when everyone started discovering them. But we all definitely have different saddles, bridles, girths, boots, etc., and are known to trade saddles when our horses' topline improves or they lose weight. I don't mind if someone borrows my extra wide saddle that I had on my oddly shaped TB, since I'm now riding a different horse after his retirement, and I'm borrowing my trainer's saddle to do so since it fits him better.

That really does sound creepy, though, and I'd be hoping that they all got a REALLY good deal on those saddles...

[kewpalace]

Stepford riders . . . or is that too old of a reference??? :-)

If it is, it dates me ... I was going to say the SAME thing!

[Dispatcher]

Stepford riders . . . or is that too old of a reference??? :-)

That's exactly what I thought! Another oldie here....

[Amwrider]

Dates me too, I was thinking it also but decided to put a a sci-fi nerd reference.

[Ambrey]

They are Borg....resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

(I also thought of stepford... ah, well!)

[tangledweb]

There's a dressage BNT in Hobart?

Is it hard to salute with two heads?

[FancyFree]

Is it normal for everyone to be matchy matchy in a Big Name Facility?!

They all look alike next door to me, which is home to an Olympic rider. It's a dressage barn. They all wear full-seats, tall boots, and in cooler weather, a vest. All wear ball caps. I have only seen one person once in a helmet.

I like a bit of diversity. I have every discipline at my barn and some that don't even have a discipline.

[Equibrit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWuiGWkd7mM

[twofatponies]

I am leasing a BNT's really lovely mare at their barn.


The barn is a really nice facility. mostly Dressage.

I only began the lease last week. I have been out there mostly during the weekday, where no one other than the groom and the BNT is there.

Last Saturday and Sunday was my first weekend there, and I got to meet most of the boarders and their horses. Something felt a bit out of wack, I couldn't put my finger on it. The horses were very well bred dressage horses, in top condition, the riders were fantastic, the facilitys top notch.

Then, as I was untacking and putting my saddle away in the tack room. Everyone has the same saddle. They are all Black Ankys. The bridles all have the same bit, the same chain inset on the browband and the same style of reins. They all use the same style of pad (puffer) the same type of boots on the horses, and the horses all look pretty much the same, bay, warmblood with white socks and a blaze.

I think I've visited that barn!

[MistyBlue]

Stepford riders . . . or is that too old of a reference???

Add me to the old crowd, LOL!

Want to really mess with the status quo? Ride bareback for fun.

[BlueBobRadar]

Hey, I'd like more info on the weird nose-bump thing. My last horse had that, and it was very prominent. I'd never seen/heard of it on any other horse. Anyone know/ have any idea how it got there? My boy was a hunter but maybe he did dressage in a former life...

[Dispatcher]

Ah yes. Definitely the lemming syndrome