Tom Walt – Horses and Riders

Is Fleet Farm a reliable place to shop for horses?

I am new to the horse world, I have always loved them but it’s never been practical for me to be involved with them until recently. ( They really are magnificent animals! )

I suppose it’s reliable enough- You can certainly count on them to carry what they DO carry. But they are pretty lacking overall in stuff, especially things like tack. And what they do carry can often show the signs of a total non-horseperson stocking the shelves- Such as a “Bitting Chart” I saw at one, which recommended different bits for different disciplines. Well, basically they recommended all the really nasty, double-twisted wire gag type ones for Barrel Racers and Jumpers, and all the super-dooper shanked bits for WP. They recommended bits for Dressage that are not even legal, and had several curbs marked as “snaffles” because they were jointed. They didn’t even have much in the way of bits that I’d be caught dead with- I think they had one or two true, non-nasty mouth pieced snaffles. Some of the halters and leather goods are nice, but many of them are pretty blah in quality.

Also, if you ride English, the place is a desert when it comes to tack. Don’t even try- What they have (Which is little or nothing) suits only the English rider that is the stereotype of the guy who has never actually watched any real English discipline, except maybe HUS, which is pretty borderline.

For the basic brushes, flyspray, some shampoos, some leads, ect. they’re fine. They’re even fine for some vaccines, if you know how to give them. They’re pretty good for stock tanks, fencing, salt blocks, and grains. But overall, their selection isn’t all that spectacular (Especially if you look on the internet, at some tack shops, and at some catalogs! ), especially if you’re showing and not just the backyard rider. (Those stupid, deadly full Nylon halters abound, but there are only a few with breakaway straps and only a few NICE leather halters.)

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