Favorite Horse Products

Having owned Calvin for a while, I've noticed that I've fallen in love with certain horsey products. These aren't the average horse items, they are the *game changers*. These are the products I find myself always using, and sometimes taking for granted, because they're that good. Basically, can't-live-without horse stuff.

I'm sure I'll add to this list later and obviously the products that are mentioned are things that coincide with Calvin's level of training. Hence, this won't be a completely inclusive list, but it's what I'm using with Calvin at this time:

1. Nathe bit

This was such a painful purchase because there is not a cheaper generic brand that works as well (the herm sprenger duo is close, but shaped slightly differently). The black rubber mullen mouth I started with was just too big for Calvin who has a fat tongue and low palate commonly found with mustangs.

This bit is tapered to be thinner in the middle and is so, so soft. He is now super responsive and sensitive in the mouth, which is saying quite a bit because he's not a naturally sensitive horse. That being said, it may not work for horses that don't like tongue pressure of any kind.

2. Effax Lederbalsam (conditioner) & Ledercombi (cleaner)
This was one of the brands recommended to clean my specific saddle by the manufacturer, but I use it for all my tack now. The ledercombi is non-greasy and I like the little spout so I don't waste tons of it and it really cuts through the dirt and grime, which is great because I'm not the most diligent about cleaning my tack (bad!).

The conditioner though is what I'm really smitten with. When I first got my saddle, it was a stiff sucker that squeaked. I conditioned it with this and oh my gosh it made it so soft, slightly grippy, supple and the squeak disappeared. Same thing with my cheap dressage bridle, a few treatments with the conditioner and I had a noseband that actually bent! A little goes a long way and the smell you either love or hate (smells like a waxy honey to me, but some people hate it). Living in a dry climate, this stuff has been a life saver for my leather.

3. Mohair/Alpaca cinches & girths

Soft, low maintenance, long lasting, and good for sensitive horses. They're more common among the western crowd, but if you search you can find some for dressage & even h/j. The more you use them, the more horse hair they collect and the softer they become. Just make sure to get 100% mohair/alpaca and not a blend of synthetic which can cause irritation for some horses.

I use an alpaca cinch for Calvin because I found it on sale. I wasn't sure if it'd be as strong as mohair as alpaca is softer, but after a year of weekly use there still isn't any indication of wear. I'm just waiting for my cheap fleece dressage girth to finally give out so I have a reason to get a mohair dressage girth.

4. Rope Reins

I bought the extra long Yacht rope reins for trail and have zero regrets. Soft, low maintenance, and super long (12 feet!) for when I let Calvin graze and don't feel like getting pulled over his neck. Turtle clips make taking them off/on simple (especially for times when your horse is a brat and you need to have an impromptu lunge session...) I also use them for dressage since it's near impossible to find long dressage reins for whatever reason.

Calvin doesn't seem to mind the metal on metal noise of the turtle clips on the bit, but some horses might be sensitive to this in which case they are removable.

5. The Ultimate Hoof pick

You may be thinking "really, a hoof pick... and for $20?" Yes... this thing has changed my life.  Calvin is a disgusting boy who doesn't seem to mind standing in his own poop/mud/you name it often leaving me a disgusting job. Yet all of that is no problem with this pick. Rocks, mud, etc. all come out with little effort and doesn't get all over my hands. The hoof pick itself is large and if you have small hands it might feel too big. If you know you have small hands, they sell a "junior" size that is probably a better fit for you.

6. Biothane tack
You can read about in-depth in this blog post--long story short: it works and it's easy.

7. Diatomaceous Earth
After a recommendation from my previous hoof trimmer to use No Thrush to treat mild thrush, I read the ingredients and noticed Diatomaceous Earth (DE) was listed. I had a huge bag of DE at home from trying to treat fleas/ticks the natural way on my pup (ticks it worked, for fleas it worked... to a point) and using it on my plants to keep ants/other bugs away. No Thrush wasn't cheap so I wondered if using DE alone would work on Calvin's mild thrush.

DE under a microscope: fossilized algae!

It did.

Finally one shortcut that paid off--No more expensive thrush treatment as I can purchase a giant bag for $20! I apply it with a stiff brush all over the hoof and it does a great job of drying up any moisture. However, it does have to be applied to a dry hoof, so keep that in mind if you decide to try.

8. Renegade Hoof Boots
Last but not least, the Renegades. Due to Calvin living on soft footing and not in a rocky pasture, his feet have become wussy, so now I have to use boots when going over super rough terrain vs. when he's in the wild and living on the rocks.




I haven't used the Renegades to their full potential (ahem, a real endurance ride, but many others have with great success!), but we have hit some intense trails with zero problems. There was a bit of a learning curve on my end to find a way to fasten them to where they fit properly, but after that I haven't had any issues. Calvin didn't even notice boots on his feet, nor did he notice when one came off at a canter and was swinging around his ankles (see reference to user learning curve). Plus, I think they look so badass, I always get comments on them, and they come in all kinds of colors!

Love us some elevation

Super rocky? No problem for the Renegades!

So that's it for now! I will update this list as time and equipment gets updated, but those are my favorites so far!

Training Update 4.20.16

The last few months have been mainly trail riding, but in the last few weeks I've shifted my training focus back to more arena work. The system I have now is to lunge for about 15 minutes to warm up, ride for about 20-30 minutes. 

I recently acquired a chambon (not to be confused with the neck stretcher or chambon de gouge which cause a break at the 3rd vertebrae). I am in love with this training tool, even more than the side reins. It's a gentle & effective tool that is easy for the horse to understand. I'm utilizing this tool since I'm seeing his top line needs work as shown by a slight dip behind the saddle that I want to eliminate. He seems to be prone to the long QH/Morgan back anyway as well as the tendency to travel downhill. 

The chambon basically encourages long & low to eventually build a solid top line. It will activate if Calvin raises his head too high and I, of course, have it set very loosely since he's a young, green horse. 

It's also important that your horse knows how to respond to poll and bit pressure as I can see how it might startle some horses if they raise their heads and catch themselves too hard. Calvin adjusted to it really quickly and it only took a few laps for him to learn to stretch down. 

Top pic--engaged

Bottom pic--released & traveling long & low (notice his abs engaged & using his back!)

Some purists don't believe in any training tools, but I think tools can be useful since they provide that immediate release/pressure that humans, no matter how good our timing, just can't always get right. Also, the lunging-before-riding warms Calvin up before the weight of a rider, which I view as a positive thing. 

Right now my training goal is improve my leg aids and to build solid back muscle to help Calvin in the later stages of training. We have been working on top line for a while, but I guess his genetics and growth have influenced his back, so I'm creating a greater focus on this area. It's slow work, but rewarding in the end. 

Allergies

I decided to put Calvin in the bigger pasture where there are more horses and I don't have to clean. Quite a bit of thought went into that decision, but ultimately it's because I got tired of cleaning the pasture, grass hay is $$, and Calvin is getting fat. The only problem was that I had to switch him to alfalfa as he has been on orchard hay for a long time.

I set him up in a stall to transition him slowly to alfalfa for a week:

Day 1: Pretty cushy setup 

Then exactly 6 days into that transition, he exploded in hives:

Neck, shoulder, face, & haunches got the worst of it

Called the vet and she said that it sounds like allergies. "Really? Because he's been on Alfalfa his whole life until 3 years old?"  Vet: "Yep, it can happen at any time and feed is a very common allergy, also I think it's a pretty big indicator that this happened right when you transitioned him."

I'm wondering if it's the pesticide he's allergic to that they spray on the alfalfa that my boarding facility uses, or if it's the alfalfa itself? I think I'll ask where this place buys their hay & research that.

I also realized that there were wood chips in his stall (better seen in the first pic), which also might have triggered the hives. Either way, I pulled him from the stall, stuck him back on orchard, and now he's back in his original pasture.

If he returns to normal, safe to assume it was the alfalfa (or maybe wood chips...), but only time will tell. 

Also ignore his ghetto yet functional fly mask--he likes to destroy fly masks

:(

Ugh Calvin, you're a mustang and therefore you're supposed to be super hardy ... didn't you get the memo? 

Five-Year-Old Brain

I heard someone say once that horses go through a teenage period around five years old where they are more rebellious. I'm not sure the science behind that statement, but it sure seems to be true of Calvin right now. I've noticed lately that he'll just get kind of sassy. It's not that he's doing anything dangerous, but just something that resembles flipping you the bird. One example is asking for a more enthusiastic canter, he'll just do a little buck, as if to say "I'm not happy with this, so I'm going to let you know, but I'm not trying to kill you either."

Some things he's so level headed about on trail: Huge tractors doing construction? No reaction. Bags on the side of the trail flapping? Maybe a side stare. People on bikes? Running? Dogs? Pricks ears. Not to mention he'll walk over logs, sagebrush, and thick underbrush all day long.

But large birds? Looses his mind. Water he has to cross? As if his brain has literally fallen out of his head.  

We saw water today and about 10 feet away he decided he's not going anywhere near it. My (what I thought was) reasonable goal was to go up and sniff it. It took probably 20 minutes of work to get him anywhere near that water. Now it was kind of mucky and muddy, so I didn't make him go into the water because i'm not entirely sure the footing and didn't want some sort of quicksand situation to happen:

My childhood fears do not need to become a reality

Just to get him up to the edge required an act of God. First, he tried to spin around. No Calvin, we don't spin. Then, he figured he'd just back up away from it all. No, when you back up your human starts cowboy kicking and that isn't the most pleasant feeling. Next, he tried just ignoring my leg completely, but about 10 cowboy kicks later he decided that was annoying. He then tried to walk forward (good boy!), stop, and start pawing like an idiot proving how pissed off he really was about this whole ordeal (pawing has been his go-to lately for when he's feeling very impatient and/or annoyed). Finally, he figured out that moving forward released the pressure (i.e. cowboy kicking), and it was actually easier to walk forward and sniff the water.

Into the jungle where the horse-eating water is located

Needless to say we were both exhausted after that ride. I don't fault him at all, it's all part of the baby horse training journey and in the end, I just laughed it off. You can't take things personally with horses. 

"You still love me"

Calvin meets Baby

Those who follow my instagram or facebook have seen me post about this new baby horse so much. I cannot resist this little face.

Squishy nose!

So I was walking Calvin around after his turn-out and decided to let them meet.

Because Calvin is a strange horse, this baby is teeth clacking which is a submissive behavior or another way of saying "don't hurt me!" Calvin was sweet to baby horse and super interested to meet him. Glad it went well :)

Calvin also flirted with adopted mom, such a tease ;)

Sport of Kings

Long referred to as the "sport of kings," horseback riding has been notorious for its expense. My long-time horse friends and I have had long discussions surrounding what it means to succeed in the horse world, ultimately coming to the conclusion that to really be "top" in the field (i.e. nationally and internationally ranked) one has to have tons of money.

Which is really too bad, because it means that there are many talented riders who will never make it to the "top" because they simply can't afford it. It would be nice, though, if the person who "won" in equestrianism was actually a true horseman instead of who runs/jumps/spins the fastest. Which speaks more to society and what we value as "success" anyway, but that is a moral discussion for another day ;)

There are some of us who just simply love horses regardless of the competition aspect. We'll be happy despite not winning the Olympics just because we truly love the horses themselves and not just winning.

Charlotte Dujardin, one of my favorite top dressage riders, looking fabulous at the Olympics.

However, it still feels like there's an "equestrian" expense added to products that really should be less expensive. For example, horse board--shouldn't it be just the price of hay and cleanup? Yet top barns regularly charge $700+ for a tiny12x12 box stall that does not benefit the horse in any way--mentally or physically. As they say: barns are for people, pastures are for horses.

While beautiful eye candy for us humans, the horse would rather be outside eating grass ;)

I'm all about purchasing quality items at a more expensive price--but it actually has to be quality and proven to be worth the expense. Many times it just feels like there's a "horse" charge and I definitely believe this is worse on the English riding side: h/j, eventing & dressage. A half pad for dressage, with no scientific support that it actually distributes weight better (but it has been endorsed by big trainer X) regularly going for over $200. Maybe it's just me, but I think this is worse in the horse world when compared to other sports that have testing behind their products. How much decent quality horse stuff costs, and by decent I mean it won't fall apart, and these are just the starting prices:

• Show bridles: $200+
• Quality saddle: $1500+
• Bits: $50-200
• Show jacket: $200
• Breeches: $300 (I'm looking at you Pikeurs!)
• Everyday shirts sold at equestrian stores: $50+
• Show helmets: $500
• Tall boots: $200+

Not to mention the largest expense of all? The horse itself--with midrange show horse prices being 20-80k, high end horses going regularly for 6 figures, and top horses going for millions. 

I try to get less expensive stuff where I can--the "equestrian" sunshirts that are for the heat? I just buy running shirts on Amazon. Helmets? I just get a plastic one (with the exact same safety certification). I try to buy things for half price on ebay and biothane tack or inexpensive western leather for daily use. Yet some things I can't avoid the horse expense such as "cheap" breeches that start at $75+ (and actually feel very cheap, unlike the $200+ tailored sportsmen/Pikeurs) or quality bits for Calvin. I'm not showing, but if I were, I'd have to buy tall boots, a show jacket, show shirt, all of which go for at least $100, individually. The end result is that I use functional tack, but it isn't always pretty. 

Inexpensive horse, western bridle, used saddle, stirrups & breeches from 10+ years ago, cheap helmet/sunshirt/saddlepad. But you know what? It's all functional!

So I don't show, and I try to get the quality things used at a steep discount, but it'd be nice if English riding wasn't catering to the wealthy. It seems as if there's always a feeling of not being good enough because someone doesn't use expensive tack or clothing. Instead of being snobby & pretentious, it would be nice if Equestrianism was focused on the *healthy* partnership between horse and rider instead of which horse can run/jump/spin/etc the fastest. 

This girl would win everything! Truly an amazing partnership.

Calvin and I are Official

Like it says in the title, Calvin and I are official now. I have received his title! His title means that he no longer belongs to the US government and that I am his official owner meaning I can do things like sell him (nooo!) or just say I actually officially own a piece of the west :)

So cool! Side note: I really do want a burro at some point!

You can receive the title of ownership one year after receiving a mustang, but I may have procrastinated on sending the title in (oops!). Luckily the people at the BLM were very patient (thanks CJ!) and had to remind me a few times, but I eventually got it done.

Anyway, I love before and afters so here is ours!

Adoption Day 1: three years old

One Year --4 years old

He's really filled out, has had high quality feed, shiny coat, and looks more like a real cavalry mustang now. I feel like I should ride him into war or something?