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

I'm no expert...

Having attended Burghley Horse Trials a couple of weeks ago I was feeling a bit deflated that I had not progressed to such a top level or even a competition level within my own riding career! I am more of a happy hacker who loves horses to bits but i''ll fess up now that i'm no expert. I don't come from a horsey family and until I got my own boy I didn't really know many equestrian folk. I wasn't one of those girls out competing on their ponies from a young age...rather I would walk round to the riding school on a weekly basis for my lovely lesson. Having pleaded with my parents for a pony every Christmas and Birthday since I was seven i'm sure they got sick of me but they never gave in. By the time I got to 18 I had saved enough money; the hunt for my own horse began. And what an experience that was...teaching myself the translation of "horse for sale" adverts! Seven years later i've come a long way with my neddy but still have a long way to go. I get a huge sense of pride when he scrubs up nicely and behaves himself...but that's sometimes evened out with the rage I get when he breaks out of the field/ acts like a total rebel.But I shouldn't be deflated. He might not be picture perfect or impecably behaved all the time, but just like me, he's no expert. We're just enjoying learning and improving together. So if you're new to the equestrian field, baffled by the lingo, intimidated by the environment, don't worry. You're not alone and more often than not you really will know as much (if not more) than the person next to you!

Marvellous Mugs!!!

We love this time of year at The Horse Diva as we are busy choosing gorgeous new goodies (which I hope you are all going to LOVE!). This week has seen the arrival of our new collection of mugs- perfect for a cuppa tea, coffee or a tasty hot chocolate. We have a few different designs, so hopefully there is something for everyone! Perhaps if you have a horsey mum, granny or guardian, one of the following may be the ideal gift for Mother's Day...

New Shoes Fine Bone China Mug- £10.50 - Perfect Mother's Day pressie if your horsey mum loves her heels! Caption reads "I really wanted something with a heel."

Last Season Fine Bone China Mug- £10.50 - If your mum is a fashionable lady...why not treat her to breakfast in bed with the compulsory morning cup of tea in this gorgeous mug. Caption reads "this coat is so last season".

Stubbs Mugs- I'd rather be riding - £8.00 If your Mum would rather be riding on Mothering Sunday why not have make her a mug of hot chocolate in this mug when she returns from her morning hack.

I'd rather be mucking out- £8.00- Well to be honest we're not too sure how many mums would rather be mucking out this Mother's Day but you never know! Caption reads "i'd rather be mucking out".

Here comes the rain...

Well I woke this morning to the sound of pouring rain outside the window and honestly didn't want to get out of bed. However I dragged my sorry self out from under the duvet and headed to the yard where the field looked dramatically flooded and the horses were not as eager as normal to get out the stables! Plus I know as well as the next person this is not a one off day and Winter has well and truely arrived.

So to help you get through the dark, wet and cold months ahead (we love it really!) here are a few suggestions....

Keep warm this Winter with the Katrine Fleece. Perfect to wear under your waterproof coat out hacking- great fit with long sleeves and it's long in the body.
Orginally designed as an Apres Ski boot, the Snugg will keep your feet warm and dry at the yard or out walking to dog.

Use layers to keep warm - wear these knee high socks under your jodhpurs on those icy mornings



And dont let your hair get ruined...keep it covered from the rain with this Messy Mare Beanie...

And when you're all mucked out, you've finished getting drenched whilst hacking through the bridleways, plus you have a cold face from galloping in the wind...treat yourself to a luxury hot chocolate in your Messy Mare Mug. Bliss.