It has been a long winter and now it is spring cleaning time. So air out those trunks, make some space and get them organized with our list of the best equestrian essentials. And we are giving some of them away!
Horse and rider gear has come a long way in the last few years. With so many products on the market, knowing which ones are worth adding to your repertoire can be hit or miss . But there is some great stuff out there to make your horse's coat shine, your saddle fit better, your stalls smell better and even make you a BETTER RIDER. We have taken some of the guesswork out for you as we let you in on our team's favorite products. We are not affiliates with any of these companies - these are just what we buy for our own horses!
Coat Defense Daily Preventative Powder
Our Account Director, Cerice Berndsen, swears this product is amazing. It is an all natural powder that your sprinkle on your horse's coat. It treats rain rot and other skin fungus issues within minutes of application, and it also dries up sweat within minutes and leaves your horse's coat shiny and clean. If your horse has summer allergies, like my sensitive mare does, it also helps with itchy skin https://coatdefense.com/collections/for-horses/products/daily-preventative-powder-8-oz
Bye Bye Odor
Bye Bye Odor is a natural non-toxic microbial solution that Nancy Matolak, our "Air Traffic Controller," uses to remove the ammonia and manure smells in her horses' stalls. Bye Bye Odor actually uses microbes to consume the organics creating ammonia and causing the smell. I am thinking it might be also useful in a house full of teenage boys!
Mattes Saddle Pads
As Kimberly Dunlap, one of our Account Managers put it, "I love the Mattes sheepskin Dressage saddle pads. I think they are superior for reducing friction and heat and as a result, keeping the horse more comfortable." You can order them for different disciplines and they are customizable in different colors and trim. So pretty for the upcoming show season.
E-Cloth Grooming Mitt
As an owner of a very sensitive red-headed mare, a curry comb is not the best option. So Catherine Nihem, Account Manager, discovered this grooming mitt. It is dual sided with a rough side for massaging the dirt out and a soft side for brushing the dust away. Plus it is machine washable and her mare now enjoys grooming sessions. The E-Cloth company has trouble keeping it in stock, so if it is sold out on their website you can try resellers on Amazon.
Healthy HairCare Shampoo Plus
There are a million horse shampoos out there. I recall in college using Dawn liquid dish soap - the horror! It is always good to find one that is all natural and gets the job done while still leaving the horse's coat shiny and healthy. Raye Wysocki, Account Manager and Videographer, says this is the ONLY shampoo she uses on her horses.
EQyss Micro-Tek Equine Spray
All of the EQyss grooming products are winners and smell really good too. Yarden Cohen, who helps with Team Tate Academy and is also our resident TikTok guru, uses this spray to soothe and moisturize horse skin on contact. It helps with scratching, itching, biting, and/or rubbing. Provides a healthy environment for healing and is easy to use – just lightly mist on affected areas.
https://eqyss.com/products/equine/shampoos/micro-tek-shampoo/
The Equestrian Journal Spiral Version
Our Founder, Catherine Respess, developed The Equestrian Journal to help herself become a better rider, and when her horse friends demanded copies, she knew she had a product every rider needs. We highly recommend this journal to anyone who rides with a goal in mind; no matter how many days a week, or how small or big the goal. There are 3 sections - monthly for a snapshot of upcoming events and horse appointments, weekly for tracking your progress and daily for jotting down notes after your rides. One journal covers 3 months + 1 extra month in case you start your journal mid-month. EVERYONE on our team LOVES this product!
Slow Twist Saddle Soap
One of our Certified Partners, Meredith Duggar, founded the Slow Twist brand and this wonderful all-natural tack soap. Great for use on your boots, your car, or even your hands. Cleans incredibly well without being abrasive. You should definitely check out what she can do with your old saddle pads and show mementos too - turning them into tote bags, purses, laptop bags, coin purses and even phone cases. We love it all! https://www.slowtwist.com/products
Equispangles Browbands
Our Design Director, Merideth Hebert, sources these beautiful, handmade browbands for her own horses. They are all custom designed pieces of art and can be made in the colors of your choosing from standard beads to birthstones, gemstones or even name beads
Horse Hair Creations Custom Bracelet
We speak a lot about heart horses at The Equestrian Journal, and we love having a beautiful remembrance of these magical animals who touched our hearts. Celia takes pieces of your equine friend's hair and creates a custom piece just for you. We love the sterling silver horse hair bracelets ourselves.
https://www.facebook.com/HorseHairCreationsCH/
We are so certain you will love these products too, we have partnered with a few for an exclusive giveaway! See our Facebook posts or below for more details.
Happy Shopping,
Cat
P.S. Are you still wondering… "DO I NEED THE EQUESTRIAN JOURNAL?"
Let me make it very simple. If one or more of these describe you then YES YOU DO!
➡️ Feel like you aren’t making progress
➡️ Repeat the same lesson over and over
➡️ Feel like you are letting your horse and trainer down
➡️ Aren't sure about your equipment
➡️ Wonder if your horse is happy
➡️ Goals are made and forgotten
➡️ Can’t keep track of your horse’s history
➡️ Feel like you are missing something but not sure what
➡️ Pay for lesson after lesson but stuck at the same level
Remembering your breakthroughs and your fails FUELS YOUR PROGRESS. Your tack, boots, trainer, amazing horse, etc doesn't matter unless you are actively remembering what works and what doesn't - no matter how many lessons you take - if you want to the REMEMBER THE BREAKTHROUGHS from “everyday” rides and have CLEAR ACTION STEPS to get better
YOU NEED THIS JOURNAL SO STOP GOING IN CIRCLES AND TRY IT OUT TODAY! If you have read this far, then you deserve one of our favorite products in your own trunk! In case you missed the details on our social media here is a recap: Dirty Horse Photo Contest
Win a prize package from our friends at favorite product company COAT DEFENSE with a 10 oz. Trouble Spot Drying Paste, 8 oz. Daily Preventative Powder, and a super cute Coat Defense Equine baseball hat! To enter:
📸 Post a picture of your dirty horse on our FB page .
📸 Comment on why your horse needs the power of Coat Defense.
Like Our FB Post Contest WIN a full size container of our favorite tack cleaner SLOW TWIST SADDLE SOAP + CONDITIONER! To enter:
💥 Like our FB post about Slow Twist.
Heart Horse Photo Contest
Win a gift certificate for a beautiful custom made horse hair jewelry creation from Horse Hair Creations by Celia. To enter:
♥️ Post a heart horse picture on our FB post.
Happy Spring,
The Equestrian Journal team
