Tack & Farm
Our Tack & Farm section features an Apparel section to find both practical and fashionable riding attire. If you ride English & Western or Race, many sources are available in the Tack section.
Building a barn? Need an architect for your equine dream home? Find one in Barns & Stalls.
Have a hungry horse? Of course you do! Find a place to buy your feed and tuck your horse in at night in the Bedding & Feed section. Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Keep your horse happy and beautiful with resources in our Grooming section.
Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!
Running and maintaining a farm or stable is a continuous effort, and to help find products or tools you need, please see our Equipment, Fencing and Management Tools sections.
Seeking Services? Find financial and tax expertise in our Accounting section. Companies who will help protect your investment are found in the Insurance section. For those who want legal advice about purchasing, liability, and other issues, please look at the Equine Law section to find an expert. Build and promote your business with teams from Marketing / Videography / Web Design.
Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!
by Raquel Lynn
Most Stable Style readers would be happy to live in a barn. Of course when I discovered this project completed by General Assembly, I knew I had to share it here. They gave an old horse barn new life while preserving some of its original history. The end result is a barn that’s rustic, modern, and welcoming.
The barn belongs to actress Amanda Seyfried. The property also has a main house and second barn for horses and other animals. You can take a look at the main house featured on Elle Decor if you are would like. It’s beautifully decorated, but I couldn’t help but fall in love with this unique guest house.
Read more: An Old Horse Barn is Transformed into a Guest House
by Amanda Schiavo
Picture a horse grazing on a sunny day when she suddenly senses her owner’s bank account is perfectly balanced. This, the horse determines, is the opportune time to jam a leg through a fence and ring up a hefty vet bill.
Anyone who has ever owned a horse knows this feeling. There is even a meme about it.
There are roughly two million horse owners in the U.S., and 7.1 million people involved in the industry when including service providers, employees and volunteers, according to horse transportation company Equo. That means a potential client population larger than that of Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia combined with a very specific set of financial needs.
For a hobby such as equestrianism, coming up with a proper plan can be challenging when considering taxes, estate planning and expensive regulations related to taking show horses across national borders. But equestrians will tell you that once they fall in love with a horse, there’s no turning back.
The question becomes: How to build a plan for a horse enthusiast without scrimping on the client’s own long-term care, retirement, family and other needs?
Read more: Planning for a Hobby that Costs Almost as Much as Children
by Attorney, B. Paul Husband
In fact, ideas, in and of themselves, are not protectable by either copyright or trademark.
As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said:
"The noblest of human productions -- knowledge, truths ascertained, conceptions, and ideas -- become, after voluntary communication to others, as free as the air to common use."
In other words, at common law, ideas belonged to no one, and therefore the law did not recognize any right of ownership in mere ideas, regardless of how original or valuable they might turn out to be.
This article will address the legal protection which is given to the expression of ideas, that is copyright; to the use of ideas in the form of words, names or symbols used to identify the source of goods or services, that is trademarks, and a few words at the end about some concepts of contract law which might be useful, in some limited circumstances, to protect ideas themselves.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright protects the expression of an idea, and not the idea itself. Copyrights protect: "Original works of authorship". This is the term used in the federal copyright law, and although it is not specifically defined in that law, the phrase clearly would include all manner of writing, drawings, paintings, other two dimensional and three-dimensional works of fine, graphic and applied art, videotapes, films, and various and sundry other items up to and including salt and pepper shakers, chandeliers, door knockers, ink stands and wallpaper.
Read more: Protecting Your Ideas: Can You Do It with Copyright and Trademark Law?
by Roger and Rhonda Adams, Owners 2Rmules and Wyoming Saddlery
The Answer is YES!
Many folks ask us "Why do I need a Mule saddle?” “What’s the difference between a horse and a mule saddle anyway?"
These are great questions and the answers will help ensure the comfort of your mule for years to come.
The difference in conformation between the mule and the horse is what requires a different saddle tree. The mule takes on many of the characteristics of the donkey; a straight back with low or no withers. While not all mule backs are as straight as the traditional donkey, they still have a very flat back in comparison to the horse. A horse saddle will need "rock in the bars." Rocking refers to the curve in the tree from the front to the back of the bar. Think of a rocking chair. Although in a saddle tree the curve is not as pronounced - the principal remains the same and the comfort of your equine partner is the goal. When you put a horse saddle on a mule, you will notice that it will rock back and forth and when you tighten the front cinch it will cause the rear of the saddle to rise up off the mule’s back. This is because of the rock in the bars which is a standard feature in most horse saddles.
Read more: Is There a Difference Between a Mule Saddle and a Horse Saddle?
There are so many saddles in this world, where does one begin? Saddle trees were traditionally made of wood, which is why it’s called a tree. Today, treed saddles are made out of various materials. Saddle trees can be made with wood reinforced with spring steel, wood combined with other metals or rawhide, fiberglass, synthetic polyethylene, and even plastic. Treeless saddles are often made with leather, foam, fiberglass, felt and other materials to create panels for spine protection and a stiff pommel for wither protection. The decision to choose a treed or treeless saddle is most often based on what works best for your horse.
Barefoot Saddles USA has been selling a variety of treed and treeless saddles for years, and through our experience with success and failures we have developed certain guidelines to determine whether a treeless saddle might be good for you.
First, let us state clearly that treeless saddles are not for everyone. However, when they do work it can be a great experience.
Here are a few reasons why a treeless saddle might be a good choice for you and your horse:
• You have a low withered, wide horse, or other challenging conformation issues, and every treed saddle you have tried digs into your horse’s shoulder or creates a sore back.
• You have a big moving or gaited horse that is restricted by the tree of a treed saddle.
• You love to ride bareback and the close contact feel, but want more security that a saddle can provide.
• You are a competent rider and feel a treed saddle is too bulky under you.
• You want a lighter weight saddle.
• You have a young horse that is developing and changing shape.
• You want to use a saddle on more than one horse.
• You love the idea of being in closer contact with your horse and are willing to take the time to make the adjustments necessary to get comfortable riding in a treeless saddle.
by Nikki Alvin-Smith
Pergolas and particularly pavilions have long been associated with sport. Perhaps the most famous being Lords cricket pavilion in London. A grand affair! Why should equestrians not cash in on their use too?
As an owner of a horse farm whether for private or public use, the creation of useful outdoor spaces can add sincere value to your family, friends and clients’ experiences at your property.
Your busy barn aisleway is not the safest place to host a gathering of family, friends, students or colleagues. Horses are constantly coming and going, horses stand on crossties, hay and shaving deliveries happen, vet and farrier visits, and staff are busy mucking out stalls and sweeping up. All these activities make the barn a busy place. If you are fortunate enough to have an indoor, this area is not ideal for hosting a gathering either. The loss of use of the space for riding may not be convenient, the area may be dusty and you have to worry about what people leave behind in the footing after an event.
Think of all the occasions when a pavilion would provide the perfect site for a get together. For example: Your summer camp students arrive with their parents; you want to host a clinic and need a place to serve food for a wrap-up party; club meetings; you would like to invite your vet to give a talk on horse health for your boarders; or simply want to kick off your boots and seek a respite from the hot sun and dusty day walking the arena and enjoy a cool beverage.
With the wide variety of pavilions and pergolas available, there is a design to blend in perfectly with your existing buildings. Site preparation is straightforward and delivery is quick and easy. Leading companies in the outdoor structure market even offer easy financing, so you can enjoy the benefits of the pavilion or pergola right now.
Read more: The Panache Pergolas and Pavilions Add to A Horse Farm
by Martin Collins
Equestrians will agree, when it comes to arena riding, a well-appointed ring is a joy to work (and play!) in. The footing you choose for your enclosure will depend on a variety of factors and will be the most important component of a well-designed and properly constructed riding area. In this article, Glynnie Walford of Martin Collins© Equine Surfaces provides the information you need to create a first-rate surface for all of your equine endeavors.
Building Your Arena’s Foundation
Next to the footing, the base is the most important part of your arena, and often something that gets overlooked during construction. Here are a few things to consider before starting any new construction.
Cut and Fill
Cut and Fill is the process of cutting into a bank and re-laying the material lower down the bank to create a “level formation” for your outdoor equine arena. The banks/ slopes must be created correctly to support the new formation.
The more level the site, the less cost will be involved in the initial stages of construction.
- A Niche in Time - Smucker Harness
- Joey Jemison and the Legacy of the Fort Worth Cutting Saddle
- Austin Artisan, Custom Cowboy Bootmaker Lee Miller
- Living with Horses ~ Literally
- Learn to Groom Your Horse with Awareness
- Getting Ready for Springtime
- A Deeper Dive Into the AHCF’s 2017 Economic Impact Study
- Building Saddles for the Working Cowboy - Oliver Saddle Shop
- 7 Tips for Choosing the Right Equestrian Property
- Fenoglio Boot Company
- Lisa and Loren Skyhorse, Humanitarian Saddle Makers
- Don King: The Man in the Center
- Nettles Country: Stirrups for Every Foot
- For the Love of Fine Gloves
- Boobuddy Equestrian Fitness Accessory for Women (Video 0:43)
- Is it Time to Walk Your One True Love Down the Center Aisle?
- Winter Preparation in the Barn
- Little’s Boots - Custom Bootmakers Since 1915
- Horizon Structures Presents: The Top Five Most Important Features to Feature in Your New Horse Barn
- Martin Saddlery: They Know the Ropes