Products I Love Pt. 2

In case you missed Part 1 this post is going to cover all of the gear I use on Smash that I love. Tell me all about your favorite gear in the comments section!

Let's start with tack!

My biggest piece of tack is my saddle. I use the All Purpose Wintec saddle with Smash. I love it because of the changeable gullet system and because it can be used for everything. Granted I'd love a real dressage saddle but I don't have the funds to have a million saddles for everything I do.

With the saddle comes the girth! I use the Professional's Choice girth because it doesn't rub and has plenty of elastic! Plus they are easy to clean and synthetic!

This is my girth extender. I need it when tacking up just to get the girth on. Then Smash sucks it in and I can swap the extender off and have only girth to saddle. She is such a bloater! I totally recommend you get one of these vs a larger girth to save you some money!!

Even though these Eskadron open front boots were fairly pricey, they were worth the money! Smash over reaches all the time and these boots have a nice hard shell so she doesn't hurt herself. And I love the open front so when she is jumping she remembers to pick her feet up and not be so lazy because if she doesn't she will feel it.

I stick with simple WOOF boots for the hind legs because she does rub her back legs a little and I am always a bit nervous those ankle boots don't cover enough of her leg. Plus WOOF boots come in many colors and are much cheaper!

Smash's bridle is no-name generic brown leather but her brow band is not! This pink brow band from Clever with Leather is actually my Mom's. I also own this purple one below. Smash's halter is also from Clever with Leather. They make amazing products! I saw them when I went to ROLEX 3 day Event in KY but they will make custom tack from their website, too!

Her name plate has seen better days...

you can't see the purple very well but it's a nice color!

Part of my tack up routine also involves using some hoof oil to make sure the pounding while jumping on the dry and hard ground doesn't completely ruin Smash's hooves. I love this Farrier's Fix stuff. It smells like bengay a little bit but I have noticed her hooves have stayed in good shape because of it.

Last but not least is my trailer. It's a Featherlite with a roomy tack room. The saddles fit neatly in a nook under the bridles and there is ample space for all of my junk.

Side view

Front of trailer

Entrance to dressing room

Bridle hooks and saddle racks

all my junk piled inside

Products I Love Pt. 1

Most riders are curious about what products other riders use and love so today's post is going to dissect all of my rider apparel/gadgets that I currently use and love! Come enter my trailer!

A lot of people have asked me about my helmet cam I use so I decided why not share not only what I use for my helmet cam but also what I use when I ride, show, and take care of my horse. Below are the products I love to use until they are no longer usable.

Cameras:

I use (or rather have someone else use) a Sony HD Handycam. It has 7.1 megapixels and a 32 GB internal memory. The quality superiority between this handycam and my previous non-HD handycam is astronomical! The file size might be larger and take a while to upload but it's worth it! (note: we got this on sale at HHGregg so don't go thinking I like dropping tons of cash on stuff. Remember I own a horse)

For my Helmet cam I use the GoPro Hero with an additional side mount (purchased separately) so I didn't have to wear the camera on the top of my head/helmet. The mounts that come with the camera as is are very limited and while the bases are a thick double sided tape that probably stick well to plastic helmets it does not stay on horseback riding helmets with velvet or velvet wannabe exteriors. The only way I've gotten my GoPro to stay secured is with super glue. I got my GoPro at REI with a member discount and coupon.

Clothing:

My go to paddock boot is the old Ariat Volant zip ups. Obviously these have seen better days and I don't think Ariat even makes them any more but their latest Volant XT is probably going to be next on my list to buy. I wear these with the matching half chaps and they are great for the summer!

These are my most favorite riding pants. From Left to Right the Kerrits Full Seat insulated winter breech, On Course full seat white show breech, and Kerrits full seat super thin summer breech. 

In the summer I usually will wear the Kerrits summer breech exclusively. It's so super thin that I never get as hot as I used to in other riding pants. They are very tight, though, so be warned that you will feel like you've just put on a second skin. 

In the winter I wear the Kerrits Full Seat insulated breech and it's so much better than piling on layers of underarmour and feeling like the michellan man. They keep me warm and are super soft on the inside!  

For my horse shows I wear the On Course full seat white breech and I love them. They are comfortable and get the job done!

Also for horse shows I wear my Ariat Field boot with zip up back. Love the zip up! It keeps me from struggling with boot pulls (which I always end up losing and having to resort to hoof picks) and they are a much better fit. I also save money with them from not needing tall socks since my pants don't bunch up at all while putting them on. I still will by a few pairs of tall socks, though, ...to be cool, naturally.

I protect my cranium with the IRH helmet. This is not the helmet I attach my camera to but that helmet is also another IRH style just smaller so the additional weight of the helmet cam is less noticeable. I love this helmet because it has the traditional velvet look and feel but with some modern wannabe GPA action for a third of the price. It's also super comfy and keeps my hair more contained. I don't struggle nearly as much to make my hair look neat/tidy with this helmet since it comes down farther in the back and around the sides.

Last but not least, I wear Tipperary's jumping vest whenever I go cross country. It comes in a few colors and is very comfortable on course! Safety is very important to me and with this jump vest I get great protection for an affordable price. Since I'm not jumping in the higher levels I don't own an Air Vest but I have heard pretty good things about those, too. Reminder - if you decide to go with an Air Vest you still need a traditional jumping vest like the one pictured above!

Those are all of the items I wear as a rider. I hope you enjoyed this post about rider apparel and products I love! Part 2 will show you the products I love to use on Smash! Stay tuned!!