Are You a Tack Ho? One Simple Quiz to Find Out

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I ran a quiz on dressage queens last month, which is something I barely know anything about (coughcough), so it only makes sense to do a follow up on something I'm fairly experienced at: determining your relative level of tack-ho-ness. You doubt? Grab a pen, mark your answers, and see where you stack up.













1) You walk into a tack store. What is the first thing you do?

a) Check shopping list and proceed accordingly
b) SALE RACK
c) Check out what's new and cool in apparel.
d) Look at saddle pads and maybe blankets or coolers
e) LEATHER and/or BOOTS and OH MY GOD THERE IS A WALL OF BITS LET ME AT THEM!!!

2) Last time you dressed your horse up for fun, it was:

a) For a meaningful (but rare) photoshoot to capture a priceless memory
b) Uh yeah really not something you do. Wtf?
c) Horse is always turned out traditionally so you can add a little pop to your outfit. So classy.
d) Because every day is an opportunity to match your shirt/saddle pad/polo wraps.
e) Like yesterday. Sometimes you've gotta just use your shit.

3) How many bridles do you currently own?

a) One per horse per discipline
b) One per horse plus a couple you found on sale as back ups but keep at home
c) One, but it's a timeless brand
d) Who can afford to collect bridles? That's a Rambo you could have bought!
e) You can't expect me to keep track of that! Numbers are soooooo judgy. Back off.

4) How often do you clean your tack?

a) I don't know? Once a year I guess if I have time.
b) Before shows. Big shows. Maybe a clinic if it's really fancy.
c) Tack cleaner smudges. Totally not wearing the right outfit for that, oops!
d) Why is this something that people care about?
e) Any time I feel stressed. It's therapeutic.

5) When do you replace your tack?

a) Well last week the reins fell off the bridle, so I got a friend to sew them back on.
b) Only when it absolutely has to happen and then I look for sales.
c) The whole point of buying nice brands is so I DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE IT.
d) Uh, sometimes?
e) It has less to do with "replace" and more to do with "replenish"... You wouldn't understand.

Now give yourself :
1 point for a
2 for b
3 for c
4 for d
5 for e

And total them up!









Ok, here goes. If you scored:

how does this make you feel?

5-7: Congratulations! You are a Minimalist. You have what you have to have to do what you want to do. It doesn't make you less of a horseman, but you really have no clue what all the fuss is about.

8-12 You, my friend, are a Budget Bum. It's not so much about the tack as it is about getting a good deal on absolutely everything. Whether you buy your grain in bulk or snag your best deals at garage sales, you will never spend a penny more than you have to... and that is admirable, sort of. Maybe raise your standards?

13- 17 No doubt about it. You are a Clothes Horse. This is like a tack ho for people--as long as your horse looks fine, you're all about decking yourself out. Be your bad self. Rock that ROOTD. And please. Stop calling clothes tack. They're not.

photo of my Paddykins provided by Lauren at ShemovedtoTexas

18-21 BUSTED. You are a Linen Collector. Linens are nice. They are not tack. Bright side: you have nice linens. The only real question is how the hell do you find time to do all. that. laundry. (Seriously what the hell. Will you do mine?)

22-25 FULL TACK HO. My friend, I salute you. Now let's go SHOPPING.

So. What did you get?