TCJpart54 Stateside New Equipment Review

NEW EQUIPMENT FROM THE USA:

No shopping trip to the States would be complete without a quick look at all the new developments stateside, so I try to get to a saddlery when I go.

Here are a few things I have bought that have been very useful.

Firstly, I was in New York, so naturally I visited the Manhattan Saddlery.  My impressions about saddlery's/tack shops over there is their primary focus is for the rider, and there's usually very little for the horse, other than the odd thing we already have.  A  high-end experience with everything a dressage star might need, but very little for the ordinary horse-keeper.  

The Horse Cookies:



Although I did buy Tom & Henry horse 'cookies' from Mrs Pastures, which they loved:


BUT, there's a few things we don't get that are brilliant, and I found something fantastic for me too:

The Irideon Jodhpurs:

A fleece lined warm and snugly pull-on jodhpurs like a legging.  With gripping knee overlays and comfy elasticated ankle cuffs.  On a cold morning these are brilliant they keep you wonderfully warm.  They go in the wash and are so much more comfortable than regular jodhpurs.  You can buy them on-line only - try e-bay.

The Halter as modelled by Tom:

Not new to us since Parelli, but nonetheless the tack shops there sell lots of these.  John bought me this one and I use it when I take the boys for a walk.  It has a very long rope and is light and easy to wear on their heads.  Great for training and playing you can even walk/trot lunge with it over small logs for fun!

The Rubber Curry's:

These are very useful, I use one in each hand, and it makes getting mud off, and old hair out very quick and easy.  There are 2 different sizes, and they work very well together.  Since buying these a few years ago, I have seen them in my local saddlery.  I recommend you give them a try.

Then we went to Hawaii, and in the Waimea Hill Country & Tack shop I bought this 'quirt' rope.

The Quirt by Mustang:

I have no idea what it's used for, but according to the swing tag, the end leather part is called a 'popper'.  I think the cowboys use it under the noseband of their bridles when they're riding so they can grab the horse once dismounted. 

Western tack is deliberately designed to facilitate jobs the rider has to do, with his horse, but not on it.  So they're much better at the leading/tying, out-riding and dismounted type of equipment than we are, because we assume we never have to get off out hacking, so our tack has developed just for riding.  Maybe there's something we can learn about that?

The Americans have some great ideas that we can use in every day circumstances:  this quirt I have used to bring Tom in from the field, I don't need and leverage so it's brilliant for that.  And it's attached to the underneath noseband of his leather head collar, so when Steve the farrier came, that's all we needed.  No messing about with leadropes, because the thing I needed was already attached and ready to use.  PLUS, it's short enough to stay out of Tom's way whilst he's eating hay and wandering about the yard etc. Plus, if he gets away from me when I catch him in a mad moment of play, he wont be galloping around his field with a long rope attached to his head and cause an injury.

I wonder what's it's really for, because the part I have used to attach to Tom's noseband could be a wrist loop, and it might be some kind of soft, noise-making forward aid? like a rope whip?

Anyway, I have made good use of it and bought Jenny one too, I wonder what she's done with hers, I'll find out xx

CITRONELLA NAFOFF TAGS: closer to home (Amazon.com).

I will endeavour to continue to review new and interesting products from home and away when I can, I have just bought some Nafoff Tags to keep the flies off Tom & Henry's heads during the hot days.  I will attach them to their field-safe fly fringes, and of course let you know my review.  I like to source handy things for my 2 and myself, so hopefully I'll do the ground work so you don't have to.