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For most, horse riding is a passion—but let's face it, it's not a cheap one. From saddles to grooming kits, even the smallest essentials can set you back a fair bit. But UK-based equestrian content creator Millie Stennett has found a smart way to cut costs without cutting corners.

Millie, a 22-year-old rider from Suffolk, has been around horses since childhood. While she loves riding, she dreads the chore of cleaning and maintaining horse riding equipment, known as tack. It's a tedious but necessary routine to keep saddles and bridles in top shape. The last straw came when she found out her mischievous dog chewed up her only cleaning sponge.

Frustrated, Millie vented to a friend in a social media post. "I won't be letting my dog near my tack again!" she joked. But what really irked her was the thought of buying yet another expensive sponge from a tack shop. "Every time I go there, I feel like I'm getting robbed. I don't even want to think about how much I've spent on tack cleaning sponges in the past," she admitted.

Determined to ditch the markups, Millie turned to Temu, the fast-growing online marketplace where shoppers buy direct from factories—cutting out middlemen and cutting down costs. A quick search later, she had her answer: a pack of sponges for less than the price of one at her usual store.

When they arrived, she was pleasantly surprised. "The quality is just as good as the ones from professional tack shops."

Armed with her new stash, Millie got to work. At first, the sight of dust-covered leather made her groan, but once she got into the rhythm, she even admitted she found it weirdly relaxing.

Temu has been making waves for its wide selection of quality products at low prices, thanks to its direct distribution model. And the savings add up—according to research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research ( CEBR), UK households could save around £3,000 a year by shopping this way.

Consumers globally have also responded by propelling the platform to become one of the most visited e-commerce sites and a top Apple-recommended app of 2024.

Now, British riders have even more choice, as Temu expands its network of UK-based sellers, with some products available for next-day delivery. By the end of 2025, half of all UK sales are expected to come from local sellers and warehouses.

And if Millie's dog gets too curious again? No stress—she knows exactly where to find a bargain replacement.

When elite horse riders discover budget-friendly gear on Temu