How to Borrow Tack From a Tack Ho

so many pretty things

So you're friends with a tack ho and you really want to try out some new, cool piece of equipment that said ho has. Here is a simple how-to of borrowing that should keep you both happy without sabotaging your relationship. Noted: this list has three number ones because they are equally important.

1) Always keep in mind--the reason said person is a tack ho is because they care about equipment a lot more than you do.

A lot.

more pretty things

As such, many tack hos are willing to share the love a little and let you try things out because they want everyone to understand what they love. HOWEVER. That does not mean you should ever make assumptions about the availability of equipment. That leads us to other point #1:

1) ASK FIRST.

I considered leaving this off because it's so fundamental, but plain and simple: do not use someone's stuff without their express permission. Just because it's in the tack room does not mean it goes on every horse in the barn. Or your horse, ever.

not a public collection

1) Say please and thank you. This part is so basic that it shouldn't get it's own bullet point, but  It's not rocket science. If you want to be able to borrow again, you sure as hell better be grateful you've been able to borrow before.

SPICY

2) Be mindful of your horse.

Say you have a horse that likes to over react to certain stimuli and sometimes bolts or pulls back or gets loose or does other things potentially endangering to tack.




Yes, maybe someone else's piece of equipment would fix your problem--on the other hand, maybe you'll just ruin their equipment. On their dime.

That's not cool. That segues into the next point:

i enjoy this picture

3) You damage it, you buy it.

The reason a Tack Ho has something that you don't is because said Ho laid out their own hard earned money for it because they care about equipment (see #1). If you put it on Pookiekins and Pookiekins has a complete psychotic break and the bridle gets rubbed into the fence or the boot get torn or anything else that keeps the borrowed item from being in the exact same condition you borrowed it in, it's yours.

In the sense that you either give the Ho the purchase price of the borrowed equipment or you buy them a new one. Their preference. And yes, that means you have to tell them.

again with the pretty things

4) Always wipe down tack before returning it.

Don't do a full cleaning and conditioning unless you know that you know that you know exactly how said Ho does their own cleaning on that particular piece (believe you me, it varies from piece to piece how I maintain something). It's beyond tacky to borrow something clean and return it dirty. It's also unacceptable to borrow something new and strip the color out of it or darken it without permission.

If you're not sure here, ASK.

5) Do not include negative comments about said Ho's tack when returning it.

This one boggles my mind. I wouldn't include it, but it keeps coming up. (If you're off the borrowing list, this is very likely why, unless it's something more obvious like #2).

not a loan

So you borrowed a very nice piece of equipment and it didn't work for your horse. That's ok. What's not ok is then to blame the equipment and be like "it's all wrong and what poor design and Pookiekins deserves better so glad I didn't buy this."

NO. YOU ARE OFF THE LIST.

If it wasn't bought for Pookiekins (hint: it wasn't), there is no reason it should fit him/her. If it doesn't work for you, that's fine. If the Ho who loaned you something wanted your feedback, they would ask for it.

Again, see the first #1. Tack Hos care more than you. If you're attacking their stuff, you don't understand the privilege it was to borrow it in the first place.

I think that about covers it. Anyone else have loaner problems out there?