Equestrian Minimalism

Why do I own so many breeches?

Why do I have an entire closet devoted to my equestrian wardrobe?

Why do I feel like I can never wear the same outfit twice?

Why do I have so many halters, bridles, blankets, brushes, helmets, saddle pads, all of which I only use a fraction of?

Why do I have the constant urge to buy more and it never feels like enough?

I watched a documentary the other day called Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, and these were just a few of the questions I was asking myself. It’s completely normal for us equestrians to have a lot of STUFF. Besides our own wardrobes, our horses require their own wardrobe depending on the weather. We may also ride more than one discipline which requires separate tack, not to mention if you have multiple horses that you ride more than one discipline. I think it’s safe to say we also hoard a lot of ‘just in case’ or ‘what if’ items. It adds up quick.

I started questioning whether it’s possible to adopt the minimalist mindset in the equestrian world, considering owning horses is kind of the complete opposite of minimalism.

Something they said in this documentary really stuck with me. They said before you buy something, ask yourself “Is this adding value to my life?” A self proclaimed professional shopper, asking myself this question before I click ‘ place order’, I actually haven’t bought much in the last few weeks. Or, at least far less than I normally do. Sometimes I can’t remember what I bought on Amazon 2 days ago or what click bait trap I fell into while breastfeeding in the middle of the night (One time I spent $35 on a tiny silicone cup, bowl, and 2 baby spoons. The EZPZ first food set. Ask me how many times I’ve used it). I can only partially blame this on my irregular sleep mom brain. The truth is, I’ve always loved to shop. Buying new things feels good! And during this pandemic shopping has turned into a coping mechanism.

But watching this documentary one afternoon while my baby napped on me, a little light bulb went off in my head and it really had me digging deeper into why I feel the way I do and why I do what I do. Just because I don’t belong on an episode of Hoarders doesn’t mean I don’t have WAY too much stuff. My saddle pad collection might belong on an episode of hoarders, but I blame that on the fact that I don’t have a washer/dryer specifically for my horses and my husband is the kind of guy that doesn’t even like when I wash the bath mats with our towels and clothes, so sometimes I buy new saddle pads instead of washing the ones I already have. Plus, there’s something that feels so good about a brand new, crisp, saddle pad. Please don’t judge me.

I started going through my barn, trailer tack room, and garage to sort through items and place them in 1 of 4 piles: keep, sell, donate, throw away. As some of you know, I lost my beloved ottb, Reckless Capote, 3.5 years ago and was holding onto many new or nearly new items that do not fit Porky or Atticus. In the beginning it was just too painful to think about selling his things, and then they just got packed away and I hadn’t given them too much thought.

This is just one section of my horse belongings, AFTER I went through and removed anything I could throw away/sell/donate.

I like the idea of owning fewer things and only things that serve a purpose (add value) AND that I truly love.

Quality > Quantity

I created this pile in one hour after going through some of my things. So much stuff I haven’t used in years or ever.

I think back to when I moved to Florida for college at age 18 with just what I could fit in my 1996 Camaro, which if you’ve ever been in one you know there isn’t much space. Some things I didn’t even question taking with me were my Stubben Edelweiss, my field boots, helmet, and a pair of breeches. Even though I didn’t have horses of my own in Florida, I fully intended to keep riding and knew having these items would make that far easier, but I also knew I didn’t need to take every bit of tack and horse equipment with me. Just like now, I know I don’t need everything I have and a large portion of it is just taking up space.

When my husband and I moved from Florida to South Dakota we paid a shipping company to ship what few belongings we had which only took up a fraction of the semi truck (including our motorcycle) and drove ourselves there.

When we moved from South Dakota to North Carolina, even owning a horse (Reckless Capote, who I hauled myself), we fit (almost) all of our belongings on a 10 foot U-Haul.

While we have definitely accumulated more things since then, in general I would say we still have a natural tendency not to own too much at one time. I usually go through our things at least once a year and donate/sell/throw away.

However, I don’t find that entirely true when it comes to the equestrian side of my life. I haven’t counted, but I probably own 50+ pairs of breeches, easily 100’s of tops (tank tops, shirts, vests, jackets, show attire, etc.) from various equestrian companies, 15+ pairs of boots (tall boots, paddock boots, river boots, cowboy boots) & non-riding equestrian foot wear (Ariat clogs, Deniro Boot Co sneakers, etc.), and way too many hats, belts, socks, and other things I’m sure I’m not even thinking of.

Ironically, as I was writing this blog a bar in a section of my closet collapsed. This is just some of my strictly equestrian clothing. Who needs this many clothes?!

But, why??? What for?

I do laundry twice a week but could literally ride every day in a different breeches + top combo for over 2 months without having to.

I don’t think the ‘why’ is an easy answer and it’s going to look a little bit different for everyone. For me, after much thought, I think I can break it down into a few parts.

-I <incorrectly> associate having more with being more successful

-I <incorrectly> associate buying things with feelings of happiness

-I <incorrectly> think of new things as better things

-I <incorrectly> think there’s something wrong with wearing the same outfit twice

-I <incorrectly> believe being the best dressed somehow makes me a better rider

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

If you find yourself feeling similar, it’s not entirely our fault. We live in a world that wants us to feel this way. Consuming isn’t a bad thing, but I think it is when you get to the point that you don’t even know what you have in your closet and quite possibly many items that still have tags on them.

Wearing the same dress in two different photo shoots, and I’m probably the only one who is even aware of that. Pregnant in one, and with my baby in the other.

Consume more thoughtfully.

Support your favorite small businesses.

Fill your closet, barn, horse trailer, & life- with things that you really love.

Some of my favorite items are in this photo: my Mountain Horse boots, Equestriess Atelier Tights, Horseplay Apparel sweater, and Tucker Tweed backpack

I’ve noticed that what I have bought while keeping this minimalist mindset and “does it add value?” question in mind are pieces that I felt strongly about. They become more memorable and somehow more valued.

I had been wanting one of these hats from Atelier CG for a while. It was not an impulse buy whatsoever and one of the few items I have purchased recently

I actually bought a new saddle recently. I don’t love saddle shopping and will only buy one if it is needed, which it was. This easily adds value to my life and to Atticus’ so it was a no brainer spending the money on this. I haven’t purchased a saddle in about 5 years.

Atticus has been getting rain rot on the tips of his ears and a little under his mane and up around his forelock. Coat Defense was something else I didn’t hesitate to buy.

While I did one big purge so far and plan to do a few more, I’ve also implemented a slower paring down process of getting rid of two similar items for every new item I purchase. Example: for every new shirt or pair of breeches I buy, I must get rid of two. If I’m able to sell these items it’s a total win win- I minimize and make money.

If you’re thinking the idea sounds great but you’re having trouble getting started, I’d be happy to help!

Feel free to email me at queencityequestrian@gmail.com