UCB Parents Recommendations: Where to Buy horseback riding attire

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I didn't see the original request for information, but it's true that a lot of riding stables have consignment shops. My daughter takes lessons at Bottomley Farm (on Bear Creek Rd. in Martinez - about 20 to 30 minutes from Berkeley). Bottomley Farm has a small tack shop where you can buy new riding clothes and gear and also a consignment shop where you can buy used riding pants, boots, etc. It's not a good idea, however, to buy a used helmet, just in case it might have been damaged

Stateline Tack is a mail-order discount store. They have an (800) number, and a website at http://www.statelinetack.com. For helmets, its best to try on helmets at a tack shop that has a lot of variety, and then perhaps get it thru mail order. Make sure that you get one that is ASTM/SEI certified. The best and cheapest type of helmet is a vented "schooling" helmet - it keeps the head cool and is quite adequate. Do not get a "hard hat" - they are not safe. Do not get a velvet covered helmet (hot and expensive and unnecessary unless you intend to show (which is REALLY expensive). Buy a helmet NEW, used helmets may have cracks in the foam lining which render them ineffective safety-wise. Make sure the helment fits properly - it should not be tight, but the skin of the child's forehead should move when you shift the helmet up and down. You can get a schooling helment in the $40-$60 range that is fine - I've had mine for 6 years now and its dirty but still safe and serviceable. As far as boots go, rubber riding boots are ok (kind of hot in the summer, but critical in the winter) and pretty cheap $20-$40 dollar range. For a child, who will outgrow a pair of boots every year, they are good enough. Bottomley Farms on Bear Creek road in Martinez has a "consignment shop" where used riding apparel and equipment can sometimes be found for a reasonable price. Another place to shop is Vista Madera Tack Shop on MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland, between 35th and High Street. Nice knowledgeable people, a lot of stuff, and a good book selection. Breeches last longer than riding tights. Really, your child can ride in regular cotton-lycra leggings that fit snugly and don't ride up under the boots. Jeans aren't so good because the seams rub the insides of the legs and they tend to ride up and twist under your knees. But snug stretch jeans without a lapped inseam might work fine. My 12-year-old daughter has been riding since she was 4, and has been in Pony Club since she was 5, and we have 3 horses. If anyone out there is interested in horses, Pony Club, riding lessons, trail riding, etc. feel free to contact me. I've been riding in the bay area for about 20 years and know lots of places and people and love to talk horses!