It comes as no great surprise that the shopping behaviours of horse owners have changed rapidly over the years. This shift has mainly been brought about by the internet. Increasing numbers of online tack shops have popped up, in response to a rising demand from people who appreciate being able to purchase the items they want without even having to set foot outside of their front door. That is not to say the traditional tack shop is dead. There are still a large number of shoppers who prefer to see and feel products in person before handing their hard earned money over. Each purchasing option has its own unique pros and cons and these should be considered and understood before shopping.

As has been mentioned, one of the reasons people go to a tack shop is because they can see the items with their own eyes before buying. Most tack shops will also allow the customer to return an item if it does not fit the horse or rider, as long as it is returned in a clean, resalable condition. Online stores do offer this as well but it can often be more complicated to return something when postage costs and packaging and sending time is taken into consideration. Some physical tack shops also offer additional services such as ‘bit banks’ and saddle trials which allow people to try equipment out for a number of days, to ensure the fit and design works for their horse. These extra services can be a real boon, especially for customers that aren’t sure of which style of size will be most suitable for their equine.

Another benefit of visiting a local tack shop is the human contact, the personal touch. If a customer is unsure about which product would work best for them and their horse, the sales staff in a physical shop can often provide a useful input, often backed up by their own experiences. Regular customers often build up quite a friendly, close relationship with the employees at the tack shop in their area and visiting the store can become an enjoyable occasion. Bumping into other friends and horse lovers from the same area is also quite common which adds to the social aspect. Local tack shops are also usually a good source of regional information. There is often a notice board where people can post sales and wanted notices, competition schedules and other announcements. The same level of interaction and socialising simply isn’t possible when surfing the World Wide Web.

Much has been said about the benefits of physical tack shops but there are plenty of benefits to using online stores as well. As a rule, online tack shops have fewer overheads as they are not paying for rent and can usually survive with a smaller staff base. This means that they can afford to offer products at more competitive prices than a lot of physical outlets.

With online tack shops there is also the bonus of having a significantly broader choice. There is no need to restrict purchases to just what is offered at the store down the road. This means that customers can be a lot more discerning about their purchases and can be very selective when it comes to budget, style and quality. With many overseas companies offering international shipping it is now even possible to buy goods from online tack shops across the world- such as the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Australia.

There is also the time aspect with online shopping. Many people, especially if they are balancing work, a family and horses, are time poor and don’t have an awful lot of time to be running around tack shops. An online tack shop can provide the perfect solution, taking just a few minutes to complete a transaction, instead of the hours that can be eaten up by driving, parking and browsing.

Despite the positives and negatives of both buying online and in person, there are clear benefits to both options, depending on the shopper’s circumstances. There are times when it pays to visit the store in person, if you have no prior experience with the product in question for example. However, if you are sure of the size and type of item you want, online shopping can certainly offer excellent value and choice.