So today was the yard sale.

I heard about the yard sale last minute and asked if I could tag along.  They said, “Sure, just show up with your stuff.”

Yay!  That’s my kinda yard sale!  They did all the advertising and signage and I just showed up.  Amazing.  That has never happened for me before.  Loved it.

Anyway, my location was up on a shady hill (lovely), next to the communal tack sale stuff.  I didn’t have enough time to rummage through my tack so I didn’t have any in the sale.  I just sat next to the tack table.

Sitting next to the tack table – but having nothing to do with it – allowed me to be a non-partisan eavesdropper.

What was amusing was that for every tack shopper comment there was a tack shopper counter comment.  I swear!

“I use a snaffle.” / “I would never use a snaffle.”

“Oooh, these are nice, soft leather reins.” / “I use only mecates.”

“This is a nice hay holder.” / “The holes are too big.”

“I love these soft, deerskin knee inserts on these tights.” /  “I only ride full seat.”

All day long… ALL.  DAY.  LONG.

For every opinion there was a counter opinion.

I could only smile and shake my head.

Tack is just like sex, politics and religion… everyone has a strong opinion.

I KNOW THIS…

Of course, writing a daily equine blog, I already knew that this was the case.  I mean, just think about it…

When you tack yourself or your horse, you form definite opinions on not only what you think works the best, but what suits you the best, what looks the best and what you feel is reasonable pricewise and otherwise.

Well, so has everyone else.

And so today, I amused myself by trying to guess what a particular person might have to say about the tack (before they said anything), based on their dress and their approach to the tack table.

I was mostly wrong.  So, there you go…

But, my theory of no two agreeing held true (unless they came together – but that wasn’t always true either).  From boots to bell boots, wraps, polos, icing methods, saddle pads, saddles (don’t get anyone started on saddles…), headstalls, bits (Oy!), bridles, colors of tack, patterns of tack, length of riding pant, types of chaps, style of chaps, spurs?, rein types/material/length, helmets, hairstyles while riding, flymasks, grooming supplies, brushes, ways of shampooing, vacuuming, medicines, supplements, grazing muzzles, gloves, socks, tights, jodphurs, jeans, riding pants, martingales, various leather pieces, training devices, shoes, feed buckets/bowls/slow feeders, haynets … it went on and on and on….

I was so happy I didn’t have to negotiate my way through that all day!

POINT OF THE STORY

Anyway, my point of this Sunday Story is simply that there are so many ways to ride and so many different types of humans who ride… opinions are bound to be all over the map – just like politics and religion.

Which is why there are so many options for riding gear, apparel and everything else under the sun having to do with horses.

So… I’m just sayin’, don’t bring up tack at the next dinner party…  ;)