I love my new boots!

I love my new winter boots! They were on clearance at Dover for $79.00! I have trucked through water, snow, and 15 degree weather and my feet have stayed dry and warm. Oh! And they were cute!They are suede with furry tops, reflectors on the back, and Horseware symbol on the side.

Mountain Horse Eclipse Mocca Boots

$79 at Dover

 

 

Other Horseware products I like.

 

 



Show Shirt Shopping

I am actually going to a real show this winter, finally! After years of owning project horses it finally has paid off. Milo is actually going to go to a real show, the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO. A less expensive 'A' show indoors. The indoor arena will be a challenge for spooky Milo, but what worries me more? Not having anything to wear!

My show clothes are terribly out of date and everything is blue. I am so sick of blue, not only are all my clothes blue but everyone else is wearing blue. Ideally, I wish I could wear a light green with brown. I have been shopping and shopping online and it is terrible hard to find anything that is not blue! I managed to find some, here we go...

Okay, this is technically navy blue but what I like about it is it is not your normal shirt. The Animo Babila shirt is a little more hip. $109. Buy Here.

The Animo Bang shirt is also adorable with black and white stripes. Buy Here.

I really like the red Animo shirt with flowers. Dover sells them for $209, buy here.

Essex show shirt with green collar, finally...green! $109 Buy here.

Essex in pink $99.99 Buy Here.

Beacon Hill shirts come in many different stripes including a blue/green stripe and a rainbow stripe which I love. $84.00 Buy Here

Horseware Competition shirt gives a tuxedo look. Already bought it, only $50. It's good as a backup shirt if it isn't 100% your style. Buy Here.

Kingsland Show Shirt on ebay for $45.

Kingsland Equestrian Venice Ruffle front show shirt

Cool Blast riding show shirt by Riding Sport $49 on sale at Dover! $49! Comes in teal, blue, pink, and white. Look how much fun she is having in it! UV protection too.

Goode Rider Regal Show shirt $77 at Dover. Very pretty.

Time to bust out the winter clothing: Day #3 Jackets

You probably don't need a horse brand jacket to wear around the barn, any brand of jacket will do and there are many high quality, warm jackets outside of the tack store. The thing about a horse brand jacket though is they tend to have that equestrian charm.

Again, don't forget to shop at Smartpak...free returns on all sized items!

Day 1: Boots
Day 2: Socks
Day 3: Jackets

Ariat Bristol Jacket: A very pretty jacket in red and black. It has a a 2-way zipper which helps when sitting in the saddle. The red jacket has a vintage horse print liner and the black jacket has a polka dot liner. $109.00

Buy Here

The striped Ariat jacket is on sale for $59.99 with a few sizes

Mountain Horse Windsor Jacket: This jacket comes in a maroon and navy color and features a cute equestrian-like logo on the arm. It has a fleece liner and a hood. $197.95

Buy Here

Dubarry Bracken Utility Jacket: This jacket is adorable, vintage, and very equestrian...so is the price at $549. The jacket is tweeted wool and made in Scotland so you know it's warm. It comes in Connemara smoke grey (love the name) and Galway River brown striped.

Buy Here

Kerrits Rain Shield: Love the stripes! Has a hood and would make a great outer layer on rainy days. $110.95

Buy Here

Horseware: $79.99 (on sale because this model is a few years old). I have this jacket and it is so warm and not too thick. It's easy to move around in.

Buy Here

Fixdesign Softshell Jacket: Warm and has the stylish bow. Only comes in navy blue.

Buy Here

Time to bust out the winter clothing: Day #2 Socks

We started off with some good winter boots, but those boots are not going to do much good without socks!

Some sock tips:

1. Try not to double up your socks to stay warm. Too many layers of socks restricts your toes and decreases blood circulating. You need that circulation to stay warm. If you need to add more layers, try silk liners or willies.
2. Do shop outside of your tack store for socks. Some of the warmest socks are found in outdoor hiking and skiing stores like REI.
3. Buy a taller sock, at least mid calf, that will help keep snow and water from getting down to your toes.

SmartWool Socks: Run about $18-$25 and so worth it. Smartwool has the warmest socks I have ever worn! The ski socks have cute patters too.

Buy Here

Women's PhD Ski Medium

Women's PhD Snowboard Medium

Darn Tough Socks: These socks are made in Vermont...where it gets really cold! They are guaranteed for life. They run about the same price as Smart Wool, $24, and are made out of Merino Wool. These would be my second choice, I still am a SmartWool fan.

Buy Here

Horseware Softie Socks: Only $5.99 at Dover. These look super cuddly and knee height. Maybe not great for super cold days, but I bet they are great for the chilly days. Who says you can't have a little luxury sock under your paddock boots?

Buy Here

Joules Willie Socks: Willie socks are designed to be placed inside your boot in addition to wearing socks. This is where one size up in winter riding boot is necessary. Wearing these and regular socks will keep you nice and toasty. $28.99.

Buy Here

Silk Liners: These are available to purchase at any outdoor type store. They are very thin and do not interfere with the ability to move your toes. They add an extra layer that really does make a huge difference in warmth. About $7-$10.

Buy Here

See Day #1 Winter Riding Boots







Time to bust out the winter clothing: Day #1 Boots

With the holidays and winter weather right around the corner (if not here right now) its time to bust out the winter riding clothing...the boots, the gloves, the jackets, the list goes on and on.

What is so nice about being an equestrian is you can ride all year long, we just need to be better prepared for the winter. Warm boots are a priority for me. I have Mountain Horse paddock boots, which I love! Three tips for buying winter riding boots:

1. One thing to keep in mind is it's hard to find half chaps that fit around your thick winter paddock boots so I suggest tall boots.
2. Buy from SmartPak they have free shipping on returns for all sized items.
3. Look for thick soles, that's what will keep cold air from creeping into your boot.
4. If you plan on riding in temperatures 20 degrees or lower, consider purchasing a size bigger then your normal would so that you have room to move your toes with thick socks.

Tuff Rider Tundra Fleece Tall Boots: Thinking about trying these, they are such a good price! Only $89.95. For reviews there was 50/50 split between liking them and not liking them. Most everyone said they were very warm and looked nice. The con was the zippers were stiff and unzipping themselves.

Buy Here



Mountain Horse Tall Ice Boots: Did not receive very good reviews. Most riders complained about them being too stiff and for those super cold days (think single digits) most toes were cold in these boots. Price is okay at $134.95. Still leaning towards Tuff Rider Boots above.

Buy Here

 

Solstice Waterproof Leather Boots: They are so pretty, you could wear them around town if you wanted! $199.00. They received great reviews, especially for comfort. The boots are advertised as fall boots/winter boots so I am not 100% sure they are great for those super cold days, but probably are fine for fall riding and chilly days.

Buy Here



 

Solstice Winter Fleece Boots: $199.00, fleece lined. Great reviews on being warm. Riders did note that they ran a little small in sizing.

Buy Here

 

Dubarry Longford Boots: $520, rather expensive, but they get good reviews and most people say they are worth the money. Not a single person complained about these boots and all said don't hesitate on the price. I personally think you pay for what you get, however, $500+ is extreme. But if you can afford it, then go ahead and make the purchase.

Buy Here

 





Adams Horse & Pet: Free Stuff!

Shop at Adam Horse and Pet Supplies For The Deals

SmartPak's Breech Quiz

This was actually kind of fun and cute. Answer a few questions to determine your breech type at SmartPak.

I am a Bradley! Take the quiz here: http://blog.smartpakequine.com/breechquiz/

Get $50 towards a new Rambo blanket when you send Dover your old one

Dover offers $50 toward a new Rambo blanket if you send in your old Rambo or Horseware blanket in to Dover. Your old blanket will be donated to local charities and rescues. The offer does not apply to blankets on closeout.

 

More details may be found here on the Dover site. A list of eligible blankets to purchase using this program may also be found here.

SmartPak Leather

A new horse means new tack. Picking out new bridles and determining what color blankets and saddle pads a new horse will be wearing is at least half of the excitement. When Indy came along, I was shopping within 24 hours...could not resist, it is too fun!

Buying Indy was a total stab in the dark, I know nothing about the horse except he desperately needed a home. Not knowing his potential, I didn't want to blow hundreds on a new bridle or halter. I decided to shop around and fell upon the SmartPak brand halter and bridle. A friend told me she was rather impressed with their tack, so I thought it was worth a shot.

I ordered the SmartPak Plymouth Fancy Stitched Bridle for $69.99 and the SmartPak Double Stitched Stable Halter for $44.99.

Both arrived in the mail today! The bridle was a pleasant surprise! Great quality with a soft feel, not stiff like most new bridles. The color was a deep, attractive chocolate brown and the stitching is flawless. Probably one of the better bridles I have owned. To give you an idea; I just had a Pessoa $300 bridle come in the mail and ended up returning it. Comparing the two bridles, I would say SmartPak is the better quality. This bridle is more then appropriate for local shows, schooling shows, or to have a nicer looking schooling bridle. In most cases, depending on show and class, I would say it is good enough for the 'A' shows too.

The halter was also great leather. A little more tough then the bridle, given that it is a halter that would make sense.  Really liked the option of being able to choose my halter color. The only downside was not being able to choose the buckle material. My halter is black with gold buckles, I would have preferred silver. Either way, great quality on the halter. Quality wise, I would say the leather is one or two steps below the Walsh brand halters. If you want a nice halter without spending over $100, I would strongly suggest this halter.

All in all, I thought the items were a great deal and worth the money. SmartPak did not disappoint and I am considering buying more bridles from them for my other horses!

Dubarry of Ireland

If you have been to Rolex you probably have seen that guy standing in a pool of water to prove a point- that Dubarry of Ireland makes the best boots for country wear. Their country boots really are waterproof by the way and a huge hit in eventing. I was blinding on the cross country course by so many Dubarry boots! It seems like anything labeled Ireland makes an appearance in a 3-day event somewhere (Horseware seems popular too).

Typically known for their boots, but don't worry Dubarry makes much more. All of their clothing has that traditional Ireland countryside appeal. I am a huge fan of the tweed...

And of course all the boots, as well as sailing shoes!

They also have a few leather goodies.

All items may be purchased on the Dubarry site located here. There is a pricey tag on their items, but the quality is good. The cheapest item above is $99, most of the boots are in the $400s.