Review, Smartpak Winter Overpants

With temps in Indiana dipping below zero overnight and not above the teens during the day, this has been my fashionable winter apparel.  You have my Ariat Bromont winter paddock boots, Kerrits windpro breeches, Snow pant overalls, Mountain Horse Original jacket, Balaclava head covering.

It's also why you haven't seen any blog posts.  I've ridden.... 7 times since the clinic?  First the holidays got in the way.  Now it's like 10 degrees.  The clinic was my last lesson as well.  Sigh.  Winter. 

Winter, it's not like the catalogs.  Unless you live in Florida?  Sidenote, people in Florida you suck.

While my outfit kept my warm doing barn chores in those temps, it didn't allow for any riding.  I see all of my Facebook friends hoping on their horses bareback for a stroll around the arena, or tacking up for a short walk around the fields.  This lead to the idea that maybe if I had some overpants suitable for riding, I might hate horses a little less if I could actually ride them. 


Smartpak is currently having their winter sale, and their Smartpak Winter Overpants were only $60, with a $10 credit I figured they were worth the plunge.


The pants have an all elastic waist, with zippers that run all the way up the legs so you can take these pants off without having to take your boots off.  However, there isn't a tab to hold the pants on you once you unzip them so I imagine you would have to reassemble them at home.

There is also a synthetic suede full seat, something my snow overalls didn't come with, and something I hope will encourage me to ride more.

These pants are extremely bulky for warmth so I'm not counting on any fine tuned riding, and since the weather is dipping below zero again next week hopefully I'll get a chance to test them out for that peaceful bareback ride in the snow. 

Product Review, Big Dee's padded halter and lead

A few months ago Stella's leather turnout halter finally kicked the bucket during a trailer loading moment.  The leather simply fell apart with one good tug on the leadrope and I was left with a loose horse, luckily at home!  An important reminder to check your tack on a regular basis for signs of wear and tear.  Also, always care a spare halter on your trailer!  I can't say I was super surprised, she has worn it daily for turnout in all sorts of weather for at least two years, and Annie wore it before that (sniff).

While I'm fine with Nylon halters I like the look of a leather halter more, and there are literally hundreds of options such as this stunning twisted leather Premiera Vienna halter from 20X60 tack for a quick $119.95.  A stunning show halter no doubt, but not something I ever want to see rolling around in the mud or the rain or pretty much anywhere near my filthy beast.

I finally settled on the Padded Leather Horse Halter and Lead from Big Dee's.  On sale for just $39.  It looked decent in the videos, and satisfied my need for a padded leather halter that was nice enough it could go to lessons but not so nice I'd feel queasy letting her get turned out in it.  I chose padding because sometimes she gets rubs in the summer when she sheds, and I also wanted a throat snap and double buckle crown for ease of removal and adjustment.

Big Dee's even has a handy little Youtube video demonstrating its qualities.  I looked at a few more halters in the same range that came with name plates, but I've never had good luck with nameplates surviving regular wear.  As a bonus this came with a free matching show shank, something I had vaguely considered buying at some point just in case I felt Stella had a chance at being a halter horse.  Snicker.

Overall I was pleased with the quality of the halter.  It isn't something I'd parade around at an A show in, but it has good quality leather, is highly adjustable, and there were enough measurements to determine size.  The padding is nice and soft and seems to be protecting Stella's face during the break in period.  The leather is sturdy enough you don't feel like it's going to snap when you have to knock some sense into a frisky horse, but soft enough it isn't causing sores.

Here's the halter after a solid week out in the rain and mud.  I think the cob size is average, I'm picky about my halters and I like them to sit on the first or second hole on either side of the crown.  If it's done all the way up it's too big. 

Please excuse the mare face. 

close up of the workmanship and some mud!

The lead shank is OK for local open shows.  It's a nice color, and has a 24 inch long chain, but the leather is covered in a thin plasticy type layer, and where it sat wrapped up in the store you can feel bubbles where the surface has started to separate.   I'll keep it around for when I decide Stella has a career as a halter horse. 

What do you like for a turnout halter and how much do you like to spend?

Product Review, Ovation helmets

I'm an eventer on a budget.  A shoestring budget.  Make that a Velcro closure budget, only the generic hook n loop fastener type and not the actual brand name type because I can't afford brand name.  If you're looking for reviews of the latest $600 helmet, please move on.  Although, if someone wants to send me one to review I'll be more than happy to!

Helmets are an important part of safety, and I believe in wearing a helmet EVERY SINGLE time I'm on a horse.  What I don't believe in is that the more expensive helmets are any safer than the cheaper helmets.  There is no safety rating scale.  Helmets either pass or fail.  So when I helmet shop I want something that fits, something that is affordable, and something that doesn't look out of place with what everyone else is wearing.


For my everyday and XC phase helmet I chose the Ovation Protege helmet which runs about $40 from various tack shops.   This helmet looks very similar in design to the popular with eventers Tipperary Sportage helmet for half the cost.  It has a low profile look, an adjustable dial on the back, and comes in every XC color you could imagine.  With the price I don't have to worry about tossing it calressly in my tack trunk, or running into a tree branch on the trail (shut up).  An excellent value for your money.

Here's the helmet in action.

For my show helmet I purchased the Ovation Z-6 Glitz helmet for $67.00 with their perpetual %25 off coupon from Statelinetack.  I fit in the same size as the Protege.

For under $70 this doesn't look like a cheap helmet.  It looks expensive, with the leather brim and harness, and the white stitching.  It has an adjustable dial in the back to perfect your fit, and has a very low profile look from the front and sides.  I like the multiple vents to keep my noggin cool during hot summer show days.   I really like the blingy stickers and I've had multiple comments, both at horse trials, and at hunter shows where hunters tend to have much more conservative helmets.  It even comes with a nice helmet bag to keep it looking its best in between shows.

Safety features

Safety first, safety last, safety always!  

Also known as Proper Preparedness Prevents Piss Poor Procedure.

Have you ever left your trailer hitched up to your truck and then when you went to go somewhere the truck was dead?  Maybe because you left your trailer lights on?  Who hasn't!  

This little gadget is great for those emergencies.  It's a tiny pocket sized jump starter by Red Fuel.  It's small enough to fit in your glove box and powerful enough to jump a 3/4 ton truck.  It also has a flashlight and can charge your cell phones and tablets.  Although I usually unhook my brakes and lights as soon as I get to my campsite knowing me I'm bound to forget and I don't want to be two hours from home hoping someone has a set of jumper cables.  

I bought this reflective Hi Viz riding sheet made by Horze via Riding Warehouse during their %25 plus free shipping sale.  YEAH SALES!!!!  I got it mostly for trail riding, although I don't trail ride anywhere that allows hunting I have heard of poachers in those areas, and I assume that anyone poaching isn't making sure they are shooting a deer instead of my horse.

Since I also ride where there are a lot of mountain bikers I hope this makes me more visible for someone going a high rate of speed.

This quarter sheet is bright yellow, reflective, and mesh which is great for riding in the summer.  Although I bought it shortly before it was discontinued there are many other safe options out there.

What kinds of safety gear do you wear while riding?

Spotted Gecko Designs

Merry Christmas everyone!!!  I hope everyone had a great holiday and you got some great horsey gifts!

I love horsey gift shopping for my friends because it's so easy to do.  Simply find something that I think is awesome and buy it for someone else.  Not for me.  Ok, maybe also for me.  

Over the last few years I've had a few things that have grown legs and walked at horse shows, things like brushes and whips often look just like your neighbor's brushes and whips and get picked up.  Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't.  I've been thinking of unique and permanent ways to mark every day items to prevent this from happening, and to make them a little more special.  

I started my hunt for personalized brushes for a friend, I found several sources but some of them were way out of my budget, or the seller didn't have very good communication so I was worried about the transaction. Finally I found what looked like just the right match on Etsy.

Etsy is a great place to find personalized items from small business owners,  I've been looking at browbands and bonnets recently, although I do wish they had an "equestrian" section to make it easier to look at all the options in one spot.  One of my favorite small businesses, Higher Standards Leather Care started out on Etsy as well.  

Spotted Gecko Designs had exactly what I wanted.  They were crazy fast answering my questions, sometimes replying back in less than 2 minutes!  They were super patient with me when I realized I could have ANYTHING EVER engraved on my gift brushes!  I literally spent hours looking at horsey clipart trying to to decide on the perfect one.  THEN I had to pick out the font.  I'm not even getting to what happened when she mentioned that she could do different types of brushes as well.  I finally settled on colored brushes that matched my friend's colors.  

During the entire process Olivia was both patient and helpful, working with me on the entire design process.

She double checked on what I wanted and how I wanted it engraved, and she sent me pictures of how it would look on the brushes before she began the process.

Then she sent me pictures of the finished brush before she shipped them out to make sure she got it totally right.

Due to a delay in shipping that wasn't her fault in any way, she didn't get one of the brushes in time to send it out.  She let me know it was a possibility, updated me during the entire process, and even included an extra gift to make up for the delay, a stock pin done to match the color of the brush.

Isn't that pretty?  I think my friend liked it more than the brush!

The brush and pin arrived just in time for Christmas and the second brush is on its way as we speak.  I can't recommend Spotted Gecko Designs more for their customer service and attention to detail.  I will definitely be back to buy brushes for my friends, brushes for me, and maybe a nice browband for Stella.  

Be sure to check them out and give them your business!

Blingy Half Chaps

Back in the spring my half chaps bit the dust, darn zippers never seem to last more than a few years.  I have tall boots but I don't like the hassle of changing out of my paddock boots, and I really want to make them last by only wearing them during shows and lessons.  I know, I'm cheap.

I ordered one pair from Horseloverz that I couldn't even zip up because the size chart was wrong  Half Chap Review.  Since I lost out on the money due to Horseloverz very difficult return policy, I bought a cheap pair off of Ebay from Army Plus who shipped them promptly.   For $27 I can't complain!  They've so far lasted in regular 5 day a week use since June.  I would like them to come an inch taller, sometimes I get pinched right below the knee.  They are a great option for lesson students or someone who wants something serviceable but not expensive.

These totally blinged out fringy half chaps on Ebay are available from Thoroughbred Express Tack Sales LLC.  I think the fringe would get in the way of the zippers, and they don't come in black!  I can't have mismatched paddock boots and half chaps.

I also like this slightly less blingy (HA!) half chaps from Millbrook Leathers for $79.  I like the spanish tops and the alligator print, bling without being BLINGY.  

How do you like your half chaps?  Bling?  No Bling?  Suede or smooth leather?  Spanish tops or easy wear?

Bell Boots

Today's subject is Bell Boots.

I believe in keeping a shod horse in bell boots at least for turnout, having lost a few shoes before and forked over the extra cash for an emergency farrier trip I would rather spend the money on boots than new shoes.

Stella ripped off her very first shoe less than a week after it got nailed on, and tore off a bell boot under saddle a week later so I think she needs them.  However, she has so far murdered 5 (FIVE!) pairs of bell boots and my pocket boot is feeling it.

The first pair I used on her were the flappy flappy petal kind.  They come in cool colors so you can coordinate, make a ton of cool noises so people can hear you coming, and you can replace the petals easily.

She tore so many petals off in the first couple weeks I gave up on them.

Next up were standard velcro boots.  I like these boots from Roma which cost about $8 from Riding Warehouse  the price is right for replacing them twice a month.  Eeeccckkkk.

What I don't like is how the velcro gets clogged down in mud and eventually stops sticking.  I'm trying to get better about taking them off on a regular basis and hosing them down to clean off the velcro.  However, all the pairs she has ruined have had the stitching torn out before the velcro wears out.  Would this happen with more expensive velcro boots?  I dunno.

I've considered trying the pull on kind, I think they'd last longer with the lack of velcro but I've heard nightmare stories about getting them on and off the horse.  Any thoughts on this?  Do they make more or less sturdy pull on boots that are easier to get on and off?  I see several different kinds of pull ons.

I'm also looking at these Professional's Choice ballistic overreach boots.  Still the problem with velcro but they look like they have a closer fit so she might not step on them as much.

Plus, cool colors!

Those have pretty much been the option for years until Thinline came out with their new Gatorbootz Bell Boots.  They are purported to have a latch that is easy to open by humans, eliminating the struggle with pull on boots, but never by horses, eliminating the velcro issue.  They are a bit pricy at $54.00 a pair but if you aren't replacing velcro boots twice a month the cost quickly adds up.

Has anyone tried the Gatorboots?  Since they don't turn up is the clasp easy enough for my farrier or barn manager to undo when needed?  Thoughts on bell boots in general?

Rolex, some shopping!

ROLEX!!!  Yesterday was our annual trip to Rolex  The shopping was so great we totally missed all of the dressage tests but one, I plan on catching up on some of the dressage today while I'm home waiting for XC to start.

The weather was FANTASTIC, although it doesn't like it will be as nice today!

I'm not a huge spender, it helps that I just bought a truck and trailer, so I did lots and lots of window shopping!

Here are a few things I loved but DID NOT buy.

The Alexus riding top by Smartpak.  First, duhhhh, purple!  This is a tech fabric shirt with a UPF rating so you're good in the sun.  The stand up collar buttons up under your dressage coat to provide a very traditional look but folds down and shows some nice color on the neck, plus the slimming color contrast side panels.  Loved it!

The Romfh lace show shirt another very traditional show shirt with some non traditional flare under the arms acting as nice ventilation.  The lace was soft and could only be seen without a coat, although I think this was a little "risque" to wear without one.

The Fits Ruffle Show Shirt  I really loved the waffle weave texture and having your stock tie built right in!

I liked the ventilated mesh back of the FITS show coat, a smart idea when you want to wear your coat for dressage and it's a summer day.

I sat in a bunch of saddles, just because.  I wanted to sit in the CWD saddles since so many people have been swooning over them and I wanted to figure out why.  I liked the saddles, but I didn't find anything SPECIAL about them for me at least.  They felt fine to sit in, but nothing that said "you will be at PSG in two months."

I loved the feel of a Stackhouse similar to this one.  It was made of this interesting suede like material that you were supposed to oil and make it look like normal leather while retaining the grippy texture.  These saddles are entirely custom, made by the owners of the company and they are produced to your exact measurements and your horse's measurements separate.  I liked that it was a smaller company who could be more focused on each buyer and not on mass producing almost identical saddles.    It did mean that all of the saddles I sat in were total customs so none made exactly for me, although I think if you sat in enough you'd get a good idea of what saddle worked for you.  This saddle was a work of art, and I love the flap design.  Very unique.

I LOVED the innovative design of the Bliss of London Paramour  Dressage saddle.  Sometimes I'm disappointed in monoflap saddles because even though there is only one layer, the leather is so thick it doesn't really make a difference.  The Paramour saddle had a thinner panel of leather and one of the reps put her hand underneath the flap and you could clearly feel it.  The flap really felt almost extraneous which I really enjoyed, something to keep my breeches from getting sweaty, but not enough to put a mountain between me and my horse.   My favorite part is that little dip between the seat of the saddle/the panels and your leg, it gave this ultra close contact feel as the supportive seat dropped away under your thigh to provide a great feel of your horse.  The thigh block also felt supportive but not restrictive, I'm a big fan of being able to feel like I can move around in my saddle when I need to.  With the hoop tree I think this would be a great saddle for someone on a wider barreled horse without making the twist so wide it was uncomfortable.

I hope everyone liked my reviews and I'll continue to add more as I remember all of the great things I saw!

Half Chaps and size charts

My half chaps bit the dust a few weeks ago so I started shopping for a new pair.  Something nice enough to show in because I'm lazy about boots and schooling shows, and something cheap because I'm cheap.

Horseloverz was having a sale on several of the Ovation half chaps so I decided to order the Ovation Turin

I tend to be an adult size "medium" in half chaps but one can never be too sure so I started looking for a size chart.  First, why don't tack stores have the size charts listed??????  Especially on things like half chaps.  So aggravating.

I finally found a size chart attached to the Turin half chaps at Victory Canter, measured my calves, and saw that I once again fit into adult size medium.

The chaps arrived a few days later and I couldn't even get them zipped up!!!!  The size chart on the package was totally different from the one listed at Victory Canter.

So now I'm faced with paying Horseloverz restocking fee of $8.95 to return my useless half chaps and find a pair actually connected to the actual correct size chart.  Typically when I order sized items I try to order from a website such as Smartpak or riding warehouse due to their excellent free returns and exchanges program, I took the chance since I'm a pretty standard size and there was a size chart but now I'm out of luck.

Upon further research I see that these half chaps are on sale in several different places, perhaps because of the sizing?

So fellow readers, know of any sales on half chaps?  Smooth leather, zipper on the back, suitable enough for schooling shows but under $60 shipped would be perfect!!!  Start shopping!

Buckwild Breeches

I really love breeches that are unique, tan gets so boring!  I also like nice breeches that I can show up for lessons or clinics in, or hack around the night before a show.

For Christmas my wonderful boyfriend did some sleuthing and purchased me a pair of breeches from Buckwild Breeches  who carries breeches in a wide array of obnoxiously loud but fun breeches.  I just got a chance to wear them last week so I thought I'd give my review.

I got the Buckwild Breeches in the argyle, they are a high waist breech (stops about two inches below my belly button) with a faux suede in an argyle print and are machine washable.

Here are the breeches with my butt inside.  One of the things I didn't like was that, although they are stretchy, they are a bit loose in the bit and the leg area.  The waist area fits me perfectly so I'm not sure if going down a size would be too small, or if they are simply meant to fit loose.  I purchased a different brand around the same time and they fit both me and my larger friend the same relaxed fit so it might be a trend.  I am also used to wearing lots of riding tights so that could be another factor coloring my review.

My only other complaint is that I wish they had a sock bottom or something slimmer, my tall boots are quite fitting and I had difficulty zipping them up over the cuffed bottom.  Someone with paddock boots and half chaps or looser boots would not have an issue.

Besides that I really like their fun colors as well as the easy clean factor.  I'm SOOOOOO not dry cleaning anything.

Price?  I can't really comment here, I thought they were expensive which is why I got them as a gift.  However, I'm super super super cheap and I don't think I've ever paid over $60 for a pair of breeches.

They do run sales quite often so be sure to like their FB page and keep an eye on things!

Blanket Rubs

I've been having an issue with Stella's turnout sheet rubbing her.  I didn't notice the issue last winter, but she wasn't as muscled and was clipped.  

This winter she has developed rubs right at the little square where the gusset point ends so I have been looking at another blanket for her.

Here's a semi recent picture of her conformation

Here is the sheet she wears now.  Quality is pretty good, denier is quite high.

I have been looking at this sheet from Schneiders as an option,  I really love the quality of Schneider's blankets.  They are affordable, last for years, and remain waterproof.  I already have this in a midweight (Although I have the lower denier version and would be buying the higher denier version).  However, the shoulder seam appears to be in the same spot.  Would it also rub?  She wore her sheet for a month or two before it was cold enough for the midweight so I have no idea if the midweight would also rub.

This is another option, notice no shoulder gusset.  Same price but lower denier.

Thoughts?

I had also considered a shoulder guard but I always thought they were a pain to have an extra layer to take off and they never seemed to fit right.

Unitaskers

One of my favorite TV shows is Good Eats Staring Alton Brown as a cook/historian/scientist.  I love the history behind the food, the science behind the food, the yeast puppets, and of course the food!

One of Alton's biggest pet peeves are unitaskers in the kitchen.  Those gadgets that clog up your gadget drawer because you only use them once every 4 years for that very specific task they are made for.  I tend to agree, I hate buying things for one purpose only.

However, I think I am willing to change my mind for this really nifty unitasker.  This Fly Spray Holder
is a smart idea for hanging on your stall door or near your wash stall or cross ties.  I found it available at Equus Now but if you really hate unitaskers you can purchase it from the manufacturer without the fly spray label and use it to hold any number of bottles on the front of your stall.