Katahdin Trail Saddlery Tack Shop, LLC

01/02/2024

New LeMieux grooming sets now in stock!

12/31/2023

We would like to thank everyone for a wonderful year. We very much appreciate your business. We hope that you continue to come to us with all your equine needs. Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and happy 2024!!!

12/27/2023

We will delay our opening until 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, December 27th. See you soon!

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas to all! 🎄

12/23/2023

Need last minute gifts? Stocking stuffers? We have socks, gloves, gift certificates, horse treats, and more! See you soon!

Open until 5 on Saturday and from 10 - 2 on Sunday, Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas!
🎄 🎁 🎅 🐎

12/02/2023

✍️

We all go how we practice. Corners, quality transitions, square halts; these are things that often get forgotten in daily practice, and then we’re shocked when we have to ride them in a test, and they don’t flow well. Get disciplined about these in your daily practice, and then doing them in the show ring will feel natural instead of like a special occasion.

11/29/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=730397935791975&id=100064653255510&mibextid=9R9pXO

11/28/2023

We will delay our opening until 12:15 on Wednesday, November 29th. See you soon!

11/25/2023

Beginning November 26th, we will be open from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. on Sundays through December 24th.

11/23/2023

Wishing everyone a Thanksgiving Day filled with peace, joy, warmth, and togetherness.

11/22/2023

Here's an inside look at two of our newest grooming bags. Both bags have shoulder straps for easy transport and internal dividers to keep items where they belong! Fill them with hoof picks, curry combs, braiding supplies, horse treats, hair polish...things to keep your horse looking and feeling fabulous!

We also carry brushes that complement the bags . Each brush is sold separately, so you can mix and match your brushes to get the best results for your horse(s).

11/17/2023

We have just received the holiday editions of the 2023 Breyer Model Horses! Come check out the stirrup ornament, the musical snow globe, and the beautiful holiday horse, Highlander. 🐴🐎🎄🎁gift

11/16/2023

Do you recognize symptoms of pain? 🐴
Several behaviors can reveal that a horse may feel pain. If there is suspicion of pain, a veterinary examination is needed to find the exact cause and treatment.
Here, you can see a few examples of the many pain-related behaviors in horses.
These pictures are from “The Mind of a Horse”, a unique book of science comics.
This post is based on research by scientists Catherine Torcivia and Sue McDonnell, published here: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020580. In it, you will find many more postures and behaviors, together with video clips.

11/16/2023

11/15/2023

We will delay our opening until 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, November 15th. See you soon!

11/11/2023

https://www.horselistening.com/2013/05/22/20-ways-horse-riding-becomes-life-itself/?fbclid=IwAR23ruccfCKM5Q2QzrgBM2DyzlHnMYruhvMBifDJMCRd8A1PKBWaIt02Vho

At first, horse riding is just like any other skill you want to learn. You put effort in and eventually become more effective as time goes on. At some point, things begin to change.

11/11/2023

Honoring all who served. Thank you, Veterans.

11/08/2023

Helpful visuals for placing a rope halter.

11/08/2023

Is your horse happy?

https://www.facebook.com/100063526195836/posts/715508320576701/?mibextid=ULOUdE

The internet is full of criticism and judgment about what we do wrong with our horses. We’re often told that we aren’t good enough because we don’t jump high enough, don’t ride well enough, or can’t afford the most expensive horse. But at the end of the day, what matters most is that you h...

11/06/2023

This filly's owner went above and beyond what most would/could do.

https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/ktauX0KJiHFhg?fbclid=IwAR2km2Xk-k_J7_SpEtv5P4BVSIxfwCLLhBokGDL1toNOk9-zq6Wj4JNGlXQ

A story told with Adobe Express

11/04/2023

We will close at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 4th. We will reopen on Monday, November 6th at 10:00 A.M.

11/02/2023

We will close at 2:30 P.M. on Friday, November 3rd. We will reopen on Saturday, November 4th at 10:00 A.M.

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween! 🕷

10/30/2023

What you see (left) and what the horse sees (right).

10/25/2023

Why this post?

We have a growing problem with horses getting more and more welfare diseases and we at Equinec recommend feeding horses as natural as possible.

A horse digestive system is very unique and very sensitive so we want horse owners to be aware of the potential risks for the individual horse before offer them different treats.

Some horses have no problems eating things from the “do not” list but some can get really sick.

We will make a poster with a “be aware” list so the message will be clearer.

🐎💕

What to feed and not to offer your horse as something extra.

Read more here:
https://www.horsemart.co.uk/horse_advice/what-horses-can-and-can-t-eat-/1845

10/25/2023

Good things come to those who wait. Some have been waiting longer than others.

The LeMieux Autumn Winter 2023 saddle pads and accessories are finally here. The core colors of this collection are Atlantic, Orchid, and Spruce. Rich colors and textures that are perfect for fall and winter.

Get one for yourself or as gifts for friends and family.

10/17/2023

We will delay our opening until 12:15 on Wednesday, October 18th. See you soon!

09/19/2023

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 that aids your horse in his movement. It consists of four basic joints, and multiple bones all connected by ligaments.

This is the joint that allows the hind legs to quickly flex forward in the stride to prepare the quadriceps to powerfully propel him as the hocks extend.

Want to learn more? Check it out here --> https://horseandrider.com/horse-health-care/what-the-hock-is-and-what-it-does/

08/09/2023

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/10-ways-impress-rider-without-getting-horse-544337?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=horseandhound&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR1zMfEOEgjmSXXKZDw4M_3ioDsluAFUltIbdevoaZxWRVKnuPgIXaUMOzQ

1. You’ve probably already realised that you’re always going to be number two in your beloved’s life (maybe even number five or six, depending on how many horses they own.). Don’t get jealous. Get over it. 2. Try not to look scared of the horse. It’s annoying. He may be big, but he’s a s...

08/09/2023

08/04/2023

Something to think about. A hard decision that is never easy.

WHEN TO SAY GOODBYE

A few days ago a friend shared with me their heart break at the death of their beloved dog. Recently we have had to say goodbye to a couple of our most cherished animals. It's something we all face at some time in our life. I don't know of any animal owner/lover who escapes this heart-wrenching experience. These are my thoughts on the subject.

Horses are a gift in our life. In fact, most of the creatures we share our lives with are a gift. The pleasure they bring us far outweighs the financial burden and the sometimes inconveniences that come with the responsibility of ownership.

They bring so much happiness, but unfortunately, they also bring so much grief. I am specifically thinking of the grief that comes with death.

The arrival of our horses and our other beloved animals enrich our lives so much that it is sometimes hard to come to terms with the emotional price of losing them.

This is made far worse by the situations where the decision to end their life is in our hands. We don’t tend to debate for too long about the decision to end a horse’s suffering when they have a catastrophic accident. The grief is still sharp and painful, but the decision in favour of a humane death is pretty clear. However, when a horse is experiencing a slow and lingering journey towards death most of us struggle with figuring out the right time. Actually, I think “struggle” is the wrong word. I think “agonize” is a more accurate description. It’s horrible.

I have had enough horses and pets in my life to develop my own philosophy on the subject of deciding when to euthanize an animal I love. These views are specifically in regards to animals that are heading towards their end due to illness or aging and not in cases where the suffering is so great and obvious that any caring human would not need to hesitate over the decision. I want to point out that they are my views and for me only. They may be irrelevant to you or your circumstances. I make no judgment on how other people choose to deal with the decision to put a beloved animal down.

Firstly, if possible I would prefer to do the euthanization myself. I know some people think that is very strange, but I have been the carer of my animals during their life and it is important that I be their carer at the end of it. This is so important to me. There have been a few times when it was not possible to be the one holding the syringe, but even in those cases, I have always insisted on being present to say goodbye.

Secondly, I realize there is no instant that demarcates the exact right moment when it is time to say goodbye during a slow demise of an animal. There are no signs to tell us that yesterday was too soon, but today is the right time. We each come to a decision when we feel we don’t want to see our precious horse/pet suffer any further. It is a judgment call that is personal to each of us.

But this is where the difficulty arises.

We control the timing of euthanization based on the way we feel. We hold off on the decision and do everything possible to delay the inevitable until we feel it is crunch time. We wait until we feel it would be cruel to put it off any longer. This is why I believe very few people euthanize their horse too early and I suspect most people do it too late. We wait until we feel the suffering is becoming too much to tolerate. Often times it is because we don’t want to watch our animals suffer anymore rather than looking at the situation as a bystander who is emotionally detached. I know this because I have been guilty of this behaviour myself. I don’t want to say goodbye so much that I wait until it upsets me too much to watch the suffering anymore. If I had been able to detach myself from my feelings I might have eased the suffering a lot sooner.

I believe most people wait too long to euthanize an animal on the downward slope. I have never come across anybody who was faced with the situation and felt they had not waited long enough. Everybody waits until the last possible moment when they feel the animal’s condition is making the decision for them. This is perfectly understandable, but I believe most of us do it for selfish reasons and not always in the best interest of our friend.

I certainly believe there are worse things a horse can suffer than a humane death. If I could be certain that I knew the moment when a horse’s life transitioned from "life is okay" to "death is a better option", then there would be a lot less anguish over the decision of when to call the vet and a lot less guilt during the subsequent grieving process.

It is not for me to tell people how they should handle their horse’s “end of life” situation. But I wrote this essay in the hope that maybe people would prepare a little better for what they know is eventually coming and think hard about the decisions they will have to make. Maybe examine their own motivation behind their decisions and whether their love and fear of grief skew their decision-making.

I believe the onus of responsibility to care for our horses (and our animals) at the end of their life is just as strong as it is to care for them throughout their life. Always asking myself, “What is in their best interest?”

Photo: This is Old Billy, a stallion of unknown breed who died in 1822 at 62 years old. He is believed to be verifiably the oldest horse on record.

08/03/2023

We will close at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, August 4th to attend a veterinary appointment. We will reopen on Saturday, August 5th at 10:00 A.M. See you soon!

07/26/2023

Thank you all!

07/11/2023

We will delay our opening until 10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, July 12th.

05/22/2023

05/22/2023

05/14/2023

We will be closed all day Friday, May 19th through Sunday, May 21st. We will re-open Monday, May 22nd. See you soon!

05/14/2023

Happy Mother's Day to every Mom who raised a horse lover, to every mare who raised a horseman's partner, and to every girl and woman that loves and cares for their children with fur.

05/08/2023

These beautiful stock ties will complement your current show coat or one of the new short tail tail coats.

Some come with pins, some without. Perhaps you have a special pin that you want to put on a new tie?

One tie even comes with velcro so you can have three different looks!