A Few Favorites

Riding is at an all time low for my lifetime, and so purchases of tack and apparel are few and far between. My old standbys are serving me well and I expect they will continue to do so for some time - my future riding buddies are cob shaped, just like Bridget and Ginger and half the things in my tack room are/were. I'm still me shaped too! I must be getting older, because I notice I am less likely to try new trendy products and more likely to stick with products or brands  I know, even if they're not perfect.

But, here are some tried and true products I think are pretty perfect for me and I have been using for at least a couple of years now. (And no, I'm not sponsored or otherwise incentivized in any way):

- Stubben Care Brush On. This is the only thing I've tried that both detangles and moisturizes thick cob tails. I feel like with everything else you get one or the other, either it detangles like magic, but eventually dries the hair out, or it moisturizes but getting a comb through it takes more work and costs more hair than I'd prefer. My only cons for this stuff is it's a little on the pricier side, and the scents are nice but they're strong. If you're sensitive to fragrances, be warned. I think they smell good (the blue Rose and Green Tea one is my favorite), G's man opinion is "Why does my horse smell like Granny's house?" 

Runners up: Canter Mane and Tail - almost perfect but I did notice a tiny bit of drying on Buck's tail. Eqyss Avocado Mist - I would have said it's my favorite until I met Buck,  it doesn't quite detangle his curly hair enough.

The hair situation is real and braids or tail bags aren't going to be safe when he lives with a friend who lives for destroying and grabbing things. I keep threatening that if G wants 'his' horse to have a natural looking mane and tail he's going to have to care for it, but Buck absolutely loves a good spa day and I'm a pushover for both of them.

We veer off topic for a moment for me to make my case...this deceptively innocent looking horse may have stolen the hose this morning while I left it unattended and filling their water. Evidence shows he chased/sprayed his friends thoroughly, then dragged it into their house and flooded it. In related news, he absolutely hates baths and all things me attempting to get near him with a hose running. /sidetrack

-Purodora Lab - Horse Urine Cleaner & Odor Neutralizer. This stuff works miracles here. I have a mare who seems like she's permanently in heat and who only pees in one specific spot in her paddock. It smelled bad no matter what I did. I ran the hose on it daily, I dug it out and replaced the gravel, I added copious amounts of lime, still, yuck. Maybe not a big deal if you're on a giant acreage but in our semi residential neighbourhood I'm pretty conscious of my neighbours and want to keep the farm smells to a minimum. It's easy to use, I add a cup of the concentrate to a big bucket of water and dump on the offensive spot abut once a week. You can also mix it into spray bottles, mop buckets etc, and while I haven't needed it for that I can see it being very useful for horse trailers or smelly stalls inside the barn.

-Maya Delorez Function Breeches. OK I know I said I'm not riding a ton, but these are my all time favorite riding tights and I like them so much they still get use out of the saddle. Every other brand I've tried has either wanted to slide down, has legs that are too long, or get stretched out. These do none of that. These are like my favorite gym tights but with a silicone seat added. My only caveat is that they are more of a summer weight. They're on the high end of my budget once I pay duties and shipping, so I haven't explored winter ones yet. Runner up - Free Ride Define leggings or Lux breeches. These don't fit me as nicely and are IMO almost too stretchy, but I do find them comfy and nice for the price point.

-Ecolicious Comfort Me Skin Balm. I'm sure there are many products like this, (and at it's heart it's probably just zinc oxide cream with a nice smell). But I keep buying it, and the horses keep using it up so here we are, I think it gets favorite status. It smells really nice and feels a little indulgent. I do use it on my hands, but of course it's main purpose here is all those itchy scabs, nicks and scrapes and missing patches of hair young playful geldings seem to be full of. Plus Sophie. She's her own brand of suffering consequences for her poor decisions and normally has a spot or two needing attention. A container lasts me about a year and it makes me happy to use, so I feel like I get my money's worth.

- Carr Day & Martin Leather Care Belvoir Duo Box. Another magical product. Not riding as much means this stuff mainly works for a living in the form of cleaning and conditioning outdoor leather halters and my well used winter paddock boots. I like the ease of use with the spray bottles. Most importantly, they make everything look new again, even after weeks or months of abuse. The amount of grime the cleaner pulls off is surprising. It's one thing on my nasty barn boots, but I do look after my tack and give it a quick wipe and condition now and then even if it's not in use. I was shocked at the amount of stuff it easily cleaned off a bridle I would have previously said was put away clean and very well cared for. The conditioner leaves a nice soft feel, and isn't overly heavy or oily.

-Proper ground driving reins and cavesson. I've been of the double longe line off a halter or bridle persuasion my entire life, but if ground driving or longeing is something you do regularly as part of your training or fitness, both these pieces of equipment are well worth a look. I'm wondering why I didn't rethink my choices sooner. Two lines that feel more like reins are so much easier to handle and the weight is so much more appropriate than my longe lines that felt like they were forever floating around and threatening to tangle. With the cavesson, the feel is much more like I'm riding and the ability to use outside/inside rein independently and effectively makes me feel guilty I didn't start doing this sooner.

I have the Kieffer Ultrasoft Longe Cavesson. I chose this one because it's a bridle like fit and has multiple rein attachment points. It comes with clip on bit attachments too so you can transition to riding with a bit, perfect for baby horses.