August 31, 2016

Product Review: EquiFit GelSox

Written by Liv Godfrey.

—

So recently I discovered that even though I adore Lulu’s back T-Foam EquiFit boots, naturally from working, footing slides in between the liners and her hind legs. It was a substantial amount of footing, and her legs were getting really gross, but I didn’t want to buy a new pair of boots as mine are pretty new and still in great condition.

Photo Credit: SmartPak.com

I opted for a product I’ve heard of before from my lifetime groom, Aurora Luce, which would be the EquiFit GelSox. These come in black and tan, but SmartPak only offered tan. The socks came in a nice, heavy duty plastic baggie (that you can definitely store your Sox in). They’re about 2 inches thick when both sides are put together and no longer than a forearm. The outside is a non-slip material that’s kind of similar to Ecogold, and the inside is a clear, non-slip soft gel.

The Sox are designed to support your horse’s legs and keep them dry, clean, cool, and comfortable. I truly believe they do exactly what they are advertised to do, as Lulu moved and jumped amazingly in them. Her hind end was really clean and careful with these on, and she didn’t move differently in any negative way.

When I first put them on her, it took her a second to feel what was going on, but she got used to them really quickly and at the end of our ride the Sox had compressed down probably ½ an inch. I put my T-Foam hind boots right over them (which didn’t move an inch!), and there was still footing under the boot; however, with the GelSox on Lulu had no idea.

The best way to put these on are to bunch them up into a “ring” like a riding sock and stretch them over the foot on the ankles. I then pull them up and adjust them how I like. You do have the option of cutting these socks into a different size, but I haven’t done that because I like the length of them as they come.

Overall I really love these and recommend them to anyone who is looking for extra support on the front or hind end. They’re also really great because your EquiFit boots can go right over them comfortably! They’re easy to clean after each ride as I just rinse both the insides and outsides with cold water and leave them on my trunk to dry overnight.

I think they would be really great for a horse that just needs light protection in turnout too as they don’t fall down, and they protect every inch of the leg. Also, if you have a high-performance athlete, these are great for hand walking. Lastly, EquiFit makes “sox” (called Gel Bands) for humans as well which support ligaments and provide ultimate comfort. Overall I definitely recommend these to anyone whose horse’s legs are sensitive or to anyone that wants an easy way to add some extra protection to their partner’s legs.

August 30, 2016

Product Review: K. Marie Equestrian

Post by Kate Romanco, brand ambassador.

—

Logo Sweatshirt. Photo Credit: K. Marie Equestrian.

K. Marie Equestrian is a smaller and newer business that has many awesome finds for the stylish equestrian. They have a variety of products, but their most popular is their zipper bags which are great for storing small items like hairnets, makeup, gloves, or whatever else fits! Personally, I own two bags: one I use for school to keep my writing utensils in and another for my barn/show back pack where I keep any small items I need. Both of mine are custom made which means I picked out the exterior and interior fabrics along with the zipper color and of course the design and writing that comes along with it. Custom made zipper bags retail for $25.

OTTB LOVE zipper bag. Photo Credit: K. Marie Equestrian.

Additionally, K. Marie has a wonderful selection of pre-made zipper bags ($20). Many of the designs include “OTTB LOVE” and other slogans, such as “breeches & boots” or “at X halt salute“.

K. Marie also carries adorable wristlets ($25) and even a logo bag ($35) that is perfect for shows or just to take with you to the barn. They also a have many accessories such as bit key fobs ($12). Lastly, they carry apparel, like their classic logo sweatshirt ($35), or one of my personal favorites: the “Add Leg” tee ($25). The company also offers large custom orders for prizes, store logos, teams and events!

Overall K. Marie equestrian is a fabulous handmade growing equestrian business that caters to every stylish equestrian.

Logo Tote. Photo Credit: K. Marie Equestrian.

If you’re interested in purchasing one of their fantastic items, don’t forget to use my discount code for 10% off your order: KateR10

August 29, 2016

Lulu’s first away show

By Olivia Godfrey.

—

Recently as I’m sure many of you have seen on my Twitter, my horse Lulu and I attended Grazing Fields Farm’s Head of The Bay Classic in Buzzards Bay, MA (Cape Cod). This was Lulu’s first stay-in-a-tent-for-a-week show, and I was very excited to see how she would handle the transition and new environment for the week. I’ve been to grazing fields multiple times for one day shows, and I have competed in the HOTB Classic for years prior to this one, so, I was very prepared and knew exactly what to expect of the show which I think helped Lulu a lot. When we arrived on Tuesday Lulu had no idea what to think. She stepped off the trailer and looked around, but was very timid towards the tents. She didn’t really know what to think when I asked her to walk into the big, white and blue attraction (the tent). However, eventually, with some trepidation, she finally walked in and relaxed once I put her in the stall which would be her new home for the week.

The first day was pretty quiet, and I was just focused on unpacking and settling Lulu in for the night. After I was organized I took Lulu for another small hand walk around the farm to show her the tents and other little things that changed because of the classic. I then hopped on and took her for a hack, and she felt really great, so I was super confident about showing the next day. I was my own groom the entire week, which was SO exhausting. Side Note: Props to those who care for and show multiple horses on their own.

The next day we were showing, so after a quick Starbucks stop (which was only 2 minutes away from the show grounds…. amazing) I arrived at around 6 A.M. I immediately went to the ring to look over the class sizes and enter myself in the puddle and training that were running that day. I decided to skip the warm-up because Lulu has been to the show so many times, and I don’t mind going in cold. Additionally, her puddle round is considered to be her warm-up class for that day. The first round (puddle) went really well, and she was clean except for one rail in the jump off, which was a rider error. The second round went better in the sense that she was faster and more responsive; however (rider error again) we had 2 rails in the power, so we didn’t make it to the speed. The first rail was me not setting her up well enough (however she should’ve helped me out), and the second was a schooling rail; when you add an extra stride to get a rub or a knock down so the horses pickup their feet. After the schooling rail, she went clean and jumped much better, so I was pleased!

The rest of the week was pretty light, and I lunged and hacked around the show every day that we weren’t showing. I was alone for the second half of the show because the farm whose stall I was able to take only stayed the first week. This made it really challenging, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure I cared for my horse the best way I could. Lulu only had one scare when she was slightly dehydrated and acted colic-y. However, I called the vet and gave her some milk of magnesia and thankfully she was much better the rest of the night and the next day.

Grazing Fields Farm is so beautiful and has so much land to explore. It’s honestly one of the most relaxing places I’ve ever been. They have a great size flat grass field, which is awesome for lessons or light hacks, 3 schooling rings, a pony ring, hunter land, and a huge eq/jumper ring. The atmosphere at Grazing Field Farm is surprisingly not tense, even though there is a horse show there, which is probably because everyone at the farm works really hard to make sure the days run smoothly. They have a huge team with a great work ethic. You always see the coaches hopping from horse to horse and ring to ring. I had the pleasure of training with Grazing Fields during HOTB and in the past at one day shows. I’m either training with the owner of the farm, Kathy Fletcher, or one of her coaches. But either way (even though Kathy is super awesome) I always feel taken care of, comfortable, confident, and genuinely cared about, even though I’m not a boarder or a part of their farm the majority of the time. All the trainers have given me awesome insight and tips to use with Lulu, not only when showing, but at home as well.

My last two days showing went really well. On Tuesday I competed in the training jumpers. Lulu was great, and we got a 4th and an 8th out of classes with 20 or so entries. I was really happy with the results even though we don’t ride for ribbons just yet… still learning the ropes!

Overall it was an awesome experience. While it was really exhausting, I still had a lot of fun, and the Cape Cod beach is my favorite. I totally recommend this show to anyone who wants to have a relaxing two weeks where you can easily focus on you and your horse and enjoy a show ground where everything is within walking distance (no golf cart or dirt bike necessary). I’m so pleased with how Lulu handled everything as a 6 year old OTTB competing in her first real show season.

August 13, 2016

19 Stages of Competing in a Horse Show

By: Grace O’Brien

—

Horse shows: we love them, and we hate them. There are so many ups and downs that we go through while showing. Despite everything that may go wrong during a horse show, one thing is for sure: we are hooked.

1. Weeks before the show you start doing as much research on your competition as possible.

200_s-2

2. Getting to the show grounds the day before you show with your friends like…

3. But that night the reality sets in that you’re going to have to show in front of a judge…

4. The next morning you pull yourself together and walk into the show grounds like…

5. You try getting your horse to come near you for a pre-show pep talk but it doesn’t really work out.

6. You get your horse ready for the show ring and while you wish they looked like this:

beautifol

They actually look like this:

7. You head to the ring to warm up and see your friends and family cheering for you.

8. While you’re warming up you to try to be discrete about looking at your competition and it looks more like this:

9. Your warm up goes decently well, and you’re feeling kind of ready.

10. But then the nerves set in…

11. Your trainer gives you some words of encouragement and off you go!

12. You trot into the ring and pick up the canter but feel like this inside:

13. You give the course the best you got – or at least try to

14. The judge and the ring steward watch your ride like…

15. While your trainer is watching at the in-gate like:

16. Finally your division is over and everyone tries to get their horses to stand still in the lineup, but it ends up looking like this:

17. You’re sitting in the line up minding your own business when you hear your name called for first place:

18. You leave the lineup to take pictures, and as you wait for your victory gallop, you pause to take it all in – all of the hard work, sweat and most likely tears, has paid off.

19. After you take care of your horse and hug your trainer, you then go raid the horse show’s concession stand…

Followed by a nap on the closest tack trunk:

lineup

July 25, 2016

What to do during a course walk

Written by Joscelyn Richards.

—

Course walking is my one of my favorite things to do at a horse show. I always feel like a hardcore equestrian who could go tackle a Grand Prix course after I course walk (even if I’m just walking my 3ft hunter course). However, sometimes course walks can be overwhelming, especially if it is a big class. Through my years of experience I have developed tips for what you should do during a course walk.

Picture Credit: @jlrequinephotography

Stay with your trainer

Your trainer is like your “tour guide” during the course walk so do not lose them. They will be able to give you helpful insights during the course walk that will help you succeed during your round. In big classes there will dozens of other people walking the course at the same time as you, so make sure you stick next to your trainer. If you’re a short equestrian like me you know how difficult it can be to match your trainer’s walk. I have found that looking down at their legs while they walk and counting the strides out loud helps me stay with them.

Ask questions

The course walk is like a sneak peak to how your round will go! Make sure you have the course memorized before you course walk. This allows you to focus on planning out your approaches and distances before you go into the ring with your horse. Course walks are the golden time to ask your trainer any questions you have about your course. If you have a question about the striding of a line or what turn to take, your trainer can show you how you should ride it in real life.

Bring a crop with you

Okay this might sound weird, but trust me it helps. I always carry a crop with me so that I can point to the different jumps while I’m walking. I point and move the crop around the course like it is me and my horse. I have never gone off course after using a crop to point and go over my course. Plus, if your trainer gets on your nerves you can give them a tap on their behind (just kidding don’t do this unless you want no stirrups for a month).

Be aware of your surroundings

There will be other trainers and students walking the course at the same time as you. Don’t be that rider that walks the course while using SnapChat and texting their friends. One time at WEF I saw a rider run into a trainer, who was walking a line, because she was taking a selfie. Be courteous to other riders and trainers, and pay attention to where you walk. Also, make sure you wait your turn to walk a line, don’t cut in front of people.

Picture Credit: @jlrequinephotography

Don’t Stress Out

Course walks are supposed to help you during your rounds, so take full advantage of them. If you’re feeling nervous about your course, tell your trainer, and they can help calm your nerves. Remember, anyone can feel nervous about a course. I’ve even seen some big name riders look worried about a course. Just have fun and do your best!

What do you do during a course walk? Let us know in the comments!