By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

LEBANON, Ohio — In these economic times it’s become a buyer’s market for certain things, such as stocks, houses and cars. Add horses to that list.

“Five to 10 years ago horses were expensive and some breeds were hard to even come by,” said Daryl Anderson of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. “Today, you can get a horse real cheap and all the gear that comes with that horse. Many people can’t afford to feed their horses and when they get rid of their horse the tack goes along with it.”

Anderson was among more than 4,000 who attended the 25th anniversary of The Great Tack Exchange at the Warren County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Ohio last week. Horsemen and vendors from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Pennsylvania were on hand with new and used tack and supplies, riding attire, trailers and horses to buy, sell or swap.

Tammy Hoskett of Henderson, Ky., surprised her daughter with a horse for her 13th birthday and came to The Great Tack Exchange for the tack her daughter would need.

“You can purchase new tack from a dealer or store and pay top dollar, or you can come to this annual event and pick up some great bargains,” Hoskett said.

Saddles were this year’s main attraction with riding apparel a close second. A horse-for-a-trailer swap was made between two Indiana men and everyone took part in a raffle which featured a Kiger mustang.

The Great Tack Exchange works really well because people are actually trading equipment with other people who are just getting into horses,” said Catherine Estill, tack exchange coordinator and member of the Ohio Horsemen’s Council of Warren County. “With today’s economy people don’t want to head to the nearest tack shop and pay top dollar. They don’t mind coming here and getting good second-hand gear.”

The Great Tack Exchange got its start 25 years ago when founder Scarlett Rowland and three of her friends wanted to get Warren County horsemen together during the winter months.

“It all started in the Arts Building on the grounds at this fair in Lebanon,” said Rowland, who was just 17 at the time. “I remember we had 10 tables and just 10 members of the Ohio Horsemen’s Council involved at the time. The attendance was sparse. But as the years went by more and more horsemen looked at this as a gathering point the first of March and a chance to meet up with old friends while making some new contacts. And, because there are so many horses and horsemen in Warren County this event just grew immensely.”

So big and popular is the event that Estill and other organizers had to put a limit on the number of vendors and the event now utilizes several barns on the fairgrounds premise.