A Few of My Favorite Things

Now that I'm finally out of school, working full time, and the wedding is a year behind me, I've started upgrading some of my riding things that have worn out or purchasing the things I've always wanted to have. So here's a post of some new, some old- but all of my favorite things.

Clockwise starting from the top left.

1. CWD Saddle and saddle cleaning kit: I loved my Antares saddle, but the flap had been bunching up under my leg while riding and I was having trouble clearing the pommel. While these weren't deal breakers, they had started bothering me more and more while I was riding. I had the CWD rep come out and found a saddle that fit me really well and this saddle cleaning kit was the promotion during the month I purchased the saddle. I wasn't unhappy with the leather conditioner and soap that I've always used, but the saddle care kit came in matching CWD case which easily keeps everything together and their products smell great. There wasn't anything wrong with the tupperware I used to keep my saddle cleaning things in, this makes me feel all *fancy* and happy inside, not to mention it matches the CWD saddle cover (It's the little things in life...) It came with saddle soap, conditioner, a tack sponge, and a cool fuzzy mitt to apply the conditioner with. I love, love, love the zippered pouch and cleaning kit that came with my saddle.

2. The next thing I upgraded were my grooming brushes. After a full summer of using them I can say that I won't be going back to synthetic brushes. Natural fiber brushes really do require fewer sweeps to remove dust and dirt and I feel like they bring up more of the coats natural oils. I've also been cleaning them every week or so because they remove more of the dirt from the coat instead of just pushing it around. I do notice a difference between the freshly cleaned brushes and when they're in need of a bath. Overall these seem to remove more dirt than the synthetic brushes I have used in the past.

Clockwise from top left: Haas Kopfburste Face Brush  (soft enough for the face, firm enough to remove caked on face dirt), metal curry for removing dirt from the brushes as I go (100% necessary with these brushes), Haas Schimmel Brush (a stiff body brush, 1st step after currying), Hass Lippizaner Brush (a medium body brush used after the schimmel to remove finer particles of dust/dirt), the Ultimate Hoof Pick Junior (so easy to remove packed in dirt!!), and Sleek EZ 5" shedding blade (great for removing loose hair).

You can find a more in depth review of these brushes here.

3. Ogilvy half pad. While this isn't new this year I really enjoy using it whenever I ride. Do I really know if it actually makes a difference in the way a horse goes versus a normal fitted pad, no, but I feel better knowing theres impact absorption and a squishy cloud between me and Panda. I've also been thinking about buying a memory foam fitted pad for when we show, but I'm nervous the pad will pill and look dingy after a couple of uses like most fitted fleece pads do. I wanted to purchase the hunter memory foam half pad and just using it in conjunction with a normal fitted fleece pad, that way I can just replace the fleece pad when it starts to look less than show worthy. Alas, when I went to look I could't find the hunter half pad option anymore. Maybe I'll reach out to Ogilvy and see if they're still in production or if I'm out of luck.

4. I love the Jeffers open front tendon and ankle boots for schooling. At $29.99 and $21.99 respectively, I'm really happy with these boots. They're easy and quick to put on and take off and you can even throw them in the washing machine. They've held up great all summer and I get compliments on them all the time, people are always shocked that they're not a more expensive boot. I've never had any problem with the stitching, over stretching, or movement when riding. Love these boots!

Product Review: Haas Horse Hair Grooming Brushes

I hate to admit it, but I've gone to the dark side: I've become a brush snob. My whole life I've used the standard no-name brushes you can find in any tack shop but the natural fiber brushes I've switched over to make such a difference.

I've been using these brushes for a while now after biting the bullet and buying my first two but it's the newest one I find myself being shocked by. 

1. Haas Schimmel Brush is made of dense coconut fibers and is the first brush I use after currying. I'm continuously shocked at the amount of dirt that it picks up (notice I said "picks up" and not "pushes around"). The large particles of dirt and grime are lifted off and carried away with this brush, leaving a much cleaner coat that I had with my synthetic brushes. I use a metal curry as I go to clean out the brush and am constantly shocked at the amount of dirt I find there. This one gets an A+ in my book and is a steal at only $14.95.

 2. Hass Lippizaner Brush is more of a medium body brush. The horse hair bristles are dense with slightly longer bristles around the edge to lift off particles of dust. This brush is not as heavy duty of a brush as the schimmel, and while it is a body brush you'd have to really work to get stains or muck off. I consider it more of a secondary body brush, one that removes dirt and dust, but not one to be used directly after currying (note: I did test these brushes during shedding season. That being said if you don't have a horse that likes to get muddy or one that has a finer coat, this body brush would probably be fine as a stand alone body brush). Because this brush is made of hose hair bristles, I noticed more hairs tend to get stuck in this brush than compared to the Schimmel brush. I clean both with a metal curry as I use them, I just have to clean this one a little more frequently. I still like the way this cleans and I think I'll be more than happy with it once the horses summer coats have fully come in, B+ and it retails for $29.95.

3. Haas Kopfburste Face Brush is the perfect size and density for cleaning the horses face. It's dense and firm enough to clean thoroughly but soft enough where you don't have to worry about it being too harsh. It fits perfectly in my hand and has an elastic band to keep it secure and in place. Love this brush, A+, $16.95.

4. Haas Noir Soft Brush this is the perfect soft brush for finishing touches. It removes any fine layer of dust to leave the coat looking healthy and shining. Great soft brush, A, $24.94 for a large size.

I feel like my new brushing routine really gets the horse much cleaner than when I was using synthetic brushes. I'm not using crutches like show sheen or rags to get the shine I was always looking for, these brushes do such a great job of naturally cleaning the horses coat. I can't wait to slowly upgrade all of my brushes, especially after seeing the Diva Exclusive in person, so plush!

P.S. I'm thinking of doing a video showing the different brushes, I just have to set aside some barn time to do it