Finding Affordable Jumper Tack

I am always shopping for affordable horse tack. When I see something new, and amazing, I get excited to see if there is a more affordable option. And today I have 3 different, and affordable, options for you to consider if you are dying to have something nice for your riding, but not willing to spend hundreds of dollars to get the A show jumper ‘look’.

Now most likely this summer I will be only attending the jumper shows as a spectator. But it’s like the saying goes, dress for the job you want. So that’s what I’m doing with Ethan. I want him to be a jumper, so I am going to have him look the part. It might be silly to some, but it works for me.

But finding affordable tack can be challenging. I was lucky enough 2 years ago to get a load of horse tack from my friend Lynda when one of her relatives was downsizing. She had a hunter jumper barn, and she didn’t need all of the tack she had collected over the years. That was one of my first incredible finds, an older Arc De Triumph hunter bridle. It is older, but still a very nice bridle.

That really jump started my quest on finding affordable tack, that wasn’t used up. And believe it or not, there is affordable tack for your jumper. You just have to do your research so you can find it!

And to help get you started, I have found three great deals on jumper tack that might be helpful. And that is what I wanted to share with you today.

Weatherbeeta Memory Foam Half Pad

I found this pad at Riding Warehouse. And I have been searching for something like this for so long. This type of memory foam half pad is so popular with the jumpers. I think partially because it looks good, and partially because it really does help when going over a course of jumps.

The original half pad that seemed to be a must buy was the Ogilvy half pad. And for whatever reason, I felt that I had to have this pad. But the price tag is high. For an Ogilvy half pad, you will spend a lot of money. The original Ogilvy pad will cost you around $199.00, plus shipping. And when I got the pad (6 weeks later) I was so excited!

But when I put it on Frisby, and then Ethan, I was disappointed. It didn’t seem to fit right, and it was very bulky under my saddle. So much so that with both of my horses I had to find a longer girth to get the saddle tacked up.

I did notice a small difference in how it felt when I sat in my saddle, but overall I felt duped and I didn’t feel the pad was worth all of the hype, or the cost. I did end up selling my Ogilvy half pad, for less than I bought it for, but still felt that I needed a pad to absorb the shock of repetitive riding and to protect my horses back from my bouncing around.

Weatherbeeta Half Pad

And then I saw this half pad. After being a little sad for selling my Ogilvy, I wanted to test out this pad, and see if it would offer what I was looking for, and it looks like an Ogilvy (minus the little round silver button).

The thing that caught my attention first was the cost. This pad is $42.99 at Riding Warehouse! Less than the quarter of the price of an Ogilvy half pad! So of course I had to buy one to try it out.

But before I tell you about how it rode, let me tell you a little bit about the pad itself. It is made with a suede top and smooth fleece underside. And the pad is both breathable and grippy. It has an inner layer of memory foam that works to absorb shock and evenly distribute pressure across the back of the horse. The contoured shape keeps pressure off the horses spine and withers while conforming to the horse’s back to keep the pad secure. It also has an anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and quick-drying material that makes up the pad.

It looks very similar to an Ogilvy half pad.

But in my opinion, I think I like this Weatherbeeta pad better than the Ogilvy, because it does what I need it to do. And it’s affordable. Double bonus!

The pad fit under my saddle well. It is still a little bulky, because of the memory foam. So I did have to use the larger girths on both of my horses. It still has the same memory foam qualities that the Ogilvy had, but I like the cut of this pad a little bit better, and it seems to fit better under my saddle. The suede top makes it stay in place under my saddle. The pad doesn’t move around at all even with lots of movement from my horses, or me.

And it does have the same shock absorbing qualities that the Ogilvy had because of the memory foam. This is very helpful when going over some jumps.

Maybe it’s just because of how happy I am with the cost of this pad, but I honestly feel that this pad works just as well if not better than it’s expensive counter part. And it has the familiar look of the Ogilvy pad, minus the little button. But who care that it isn’t an Ogilvy? It gets the job done, and does what it’s supposed to.

So if you are looking for a shock absorbing half pad for yourself, but aren’t ready to invest $200.00, this Weatherbeeta half pad might be just what you need. It is definitely worth a try at less than $50.00. And again, I might by influenced subconsciously because of the fantastic deal that I got, but I really feel this pad is helpful. I feel more stable in my saddle, and it seems to make my saddle fit better, especially for Frisby. I feel more balanced in the saddle, and I can feel the shock absorbing qualities of this pad, where I could not feel it in the Ogilvy.

Uniquely English Tendon Boots

I bought these boots to protect Ethan’s legs while I ride. He tends to be a bit clumsy, and since I want to show him as a jumper, I want his legs protected. And I have been searching and doing research on different boots for what seems like forever. I wanted the boots to look good enough to show in, but more importantly, protect his legs.

And these boots are perfect. Not only because of their ‘look’ but because they work like they are supposed to. And as an added bonus, they are affordable. Like really affordable!

These boots look really similar to EquiFit D Tech boots. But the Equifit boots cost $229.00. And that is just for the front pair! The Uniquely English boots cost just $34.99 per pair! And the rear pair, or ankle boots, are even more affordable at $24.99 per pair.

The come in black, brown, and white. And what they are is a neoprene lined boot with a hard outer shell to protect your horses legs. They go on easy with a stretchy elastic band that hooks closed. No more hair and dirt getting caught up in the straps like what happens with Velcro closures.

And these boots are nice. They go on easily, and fit well. Ethan is a smaller horse, but after reading some of the reviews that these boots fit a little small, I opted for the large size and they fit him well.

He is such a ham, and seems to love it when I take his picture. He is a fantastic model.

If you are looking for a nice set of jumping boots for your horse, I urge you to consider these boots by Uniquely English. The look great, but more importantly they really do offer great protection for your horses legs. And for a complete set of these boots, it will cost you $59.98 versus $444.00 for a set of the EquiFit boots.

Horze Prescott Cross Noseband Bridle

I have had several figure 8 style bridles. But I have always had a difficult time with the noseband, and getting it adjusted correctly on my horse’s nose. That is until I found this bridle. And have you ever tried to find a figure 8 bridle in black? This was a challenge too. But again, I found it in this bridle. I wanted a black bridle to match my saddle, because I like to be matchy-matchy. I know, that is trivial. But, finding a bridle that matches my saddle, works great and being affordable? That is a triple win!

I could show you all kinds of figure 8 bridles that cost over $400.00. But this figure 8 bridle by Horze is only $79.99. That is a great deal for even a regular noseband bridle.

And this bridle has many of the characteristics of the more expensive bridles. It has a nicely padded noseband with fleece under the center part of the figure eight. And it even has a padded crown for the comfort of your horse. The leather is also very nice. It is soft and flexible. You will not need a lot of oil to make the bridle soft before you put it on your horse.

And it fit Ethan very well without any customization. With a few adjustments, I was able to get it to fit him well from the first time I put it on. And I know it will get better and better as I use the bridle more.

Affordable Jumper Tack

Hopefully this is helpful if you are looking at finding affordable tack for your jumper. Whether you are a seasoned rider, or just getting started with jumping, there are options for affordable tack. You just have to be diligent, and do your research. And then you will have your horse outfitted like a jumper in no time!