Pay Day Treats!

It’s the last Friday of the month and for lots of us it’s….pay day – yippee!   So we figured it’s time for a little treat for yourself and our four legged friends and here are our top suggestions.

With the weather warming up it’s time to brighten up your dressage training attire and our new favourite is the LeMieux ProSport Suede Dressage Square & Bandages Set  in Plum. Here’s Skippy sporting this very saddle cloth before his lesson – looks gorgeous!

If you are spending more time in the saddle now the weather has warmed up, it might be an idea to invest in a pair of new breeches.  We’d highly recommend HyPERFORMANCE Frayer Pink and Grey Check Ladies Breeches that we ride in all the time – great for hacking, schooling and jumping and not too heavy for the summer months. These breeches WON BEST VALUE AWARD 2014 in Horse and Rider Magazine Tried at Tested and we can see why.

We often find our calves get very hot riding in long boots in the summer. To minimise this, the Coolhorsesocks Ladies Competition Horse Riding Socks – Purple provide a great riding sock, packed with all the Coolhorsesocks features but they are 48% thinner as they are designed to fit under tight competition boots.  Great for show days but also a practical sock to wear at the yard during the summer.

The summer holidays and coming up and if you have a little one who will be spending every daylight hour with her pony or at the local riding school, she’s sure to love some of our new Pony T Shirts.  Just choose her favourite as a little treat for your little pony lover which won’t break the bank.

Finally if you are giving XC a go this season then making sure you look the part with matching XC horse riding gloves and hat silk.  The sports designs are super popular and available in pink and purple.  Just make sure you match these to your other equestrian wear for a full matchy matchy look!

Equestrian Essentials for the Showing Season

With another summer of showing ahead of us its important to have the right equestrian gear so you feel prepared and confident for your classes.  Here are a few highly recommended pieces to get you and your horse shown off to your full potential.

When competing preparation is key and making sure your horse looks pristine is essential for the show ring.  Start at home with a thorough shampoo with warm water.  Depending on your horse's coat we'd opt for one of the Supreme Products shampoos or the Absorbine Showsheen Shampoo and conditioner for an all round effective wash.

If your horse requires plaiting then we love the Supreme Products Easy Plait to keep your plaits secure on a windy day.  Ideal to use if plaiting up the night before with thread. Tried and tested on a variety of manes and it proves to be most effective.

For any last minute stains then opt for the Miracle Groom - perfect if you arrive at the yard in the morning to find your horse has a huge stable stain (surely that doesn't just happen to me!).  Comes in an easy to use spray bottle you can take this to the show with you for any last minute marks and its great if the weather is a little cold.

For manes, tails and extra coat shine we would recommend the Pig Oil spray.  This can be used sparingly especially on the coat as you don't want your horse to become too slippery! Adds beautiful shine to mains and tails that will glisten in the summer sunshine.  Also useful for horses with full feather to add shine and condition.  Plus to add glimmer to your horse's hooves the Kevin Bacon Liquid Hoof Dressing is the perfect product to look good and condition hooves at the same time.

In the warmer weather it's important to ensure your horse stays hydrated and the Wacky Practical Foldaway Bucket is a brilliant product that doesn't take up too much space.  Folds flat for easy storage then expands to hold water for your horse to drink or to wash him down with.

And once your horse is ready it's time to start on yourself - phew!!!  But don't worry here are just a couple of products that will make you look super stylish in the show ring. The Equetech Kenton Tweed Messenger Bag is a gorgeous bag for ringside use and the perfect size for all your equestrian essentials.   Available in two colours so pick the best one to coordinate with your showing gear.

A luxury pair of horse riding gloves are essential to look the part and protect your hands - especially if your horse gets a bit keen on show day! We'd recommend the Carrots Brown Leather Competition Gloves for ultimate comfort and style.

For other products for the show ring why not check out our full show season collection for a little inspiration.  And with these goodies in your kit just remember if it all goes wrong on the day at least you will look absolutely amazing! Good luck! xx