Size 3.5 and $ Easyboot Gloves almost here!

The larger sizes in the fantastic Easyboot gloves are almost here! The Easyboot Glove hoof boot are one of the most successful ever designed, so simple in their construction which helps make them supremely lightweight and easy to fit. The Easyboot Glove has until now been available in 9 sizes: 00 - 3 in 1/2 , but the two newer sizes 3.5 and 4 will help cater for the larger footed horse. The measurements for the new glove size 3.5 will fit a width 132-135mm and length 142-145mm, the size 4 glove will fit a width 136-139mm and length 146-149mm.

Mark Todd 20% off!

The new winter Mark Todd clothing range is now live with 20% off until the end of November! Mark Todd produce some really stylish and practical clothing for men, women and children. The Mark Todd waterproof over trousers are particularly nice, being waterproof, breathable and reinforced. These over trousers are available in mens and womens styles are are far superior to anything else on the market

The Riders Rasp: The Barefoot Horse Owners Essential Tool

The innovative Riders Rasp launched at the beginning of 2009, has already taken the hoof care market by storm in the US, and already showing similar trends here in the UK. The Riders Rasp allows the horse owner to optimise the care of their horses feet and save money- not something you would expect to hear in the same sentence! The Riders Rasp has been designed for barefoot or unshod horses, or horses that have lost a shoe. This innovative rasp can be safely used by horse owners to control flare, round or roll the edge of the hoof wall (mustang roll), and maintain a quick breakover in between professional trims. Every barefoot horse owner knows the importance of keeping the hoof in balance and maintaining the Mustang roll, and the Riders Rasp will allow the horse owner to maintain the hoof in the correct shape, thus allowing longer periods between professional trims.

Sponsorship opportunity!

Easycare's UK distributor, Trelawne Equine Ltd are offering a years hoof boot sponsorship in 2010 to one lucky rider and thier barefoot horse(s). 'We are looking for a rider that is as passionate about natural hoofcare as we are' says Lucy Nicholas, director of Trelawne Equine. If you are a highly motivated and successful rider within your discipline, please apply direct to them for more details via the contact form here.

DELIVERIES UNAFFECTED BY ROYAL MAIL STRIKES

The Saddlery Shop would just like to reassure our customers that our deliveries will be unaffected by the Royal Mail strikes. Express delivery is sent exclusively by courrier and orders placed before 12pm are despatched the same day. Standard delivery orders over £20 are sent by standard courier, all standard delivery orders are expected to arrive with the customer within 3-5 working days as usual.

Champion Cobra Body Protectors on Special Offer!

We have a limited number of the Champion Cobra body protectors on special offer this week, if you need to replace or buy a new body protector, this is one of the best on the market so worth a look! The Champion Cobra Body Protector is a major step forward for horse riders in the use of safety wear. After comprehensive research and development, Champion have accomplished a design that functions in performance whilst being comfortable to wear.
The Cobra is individual in that numerous issues have been addressed to enhance comfort, breathability and flexibility, without compromising safety.

Horse-Opoly and other great gifts!

We have some fantastic Christmmas gifts in stock now, including Horse-Opoly; a 'Monopoly' style board game with horse themed pieces and board spaces! The Saddlery Shop stock horsey gifts for men, women and children starting from only £1.99 and ranges from horsey socks to horse playing cards!

NEW design for Wintec Saddles

The Wintec 2000 GP saddle is just one of the Wintec saddles to have had a full make over. The new Wintec 2000 has a host of new features including performance panels, point girth strap and ergonomic stirrup bars. The Wintec 500 GP and Wintec VSD (dressage GP) are also redesigned and we have special prices with around 20% off RRP at the moment to don't miss out!

Winter Tottie Now on Sale!

Tottie clothing for Autumn Winter 2009 is now in stock here at The Saddlery Shop, and everything is below RRP! Tottie has really excelled themselves this year, with gorgeous warm fleeces and stretchy fashionable rugby tops. Have a look at the full range and put some on your Christmas list now!

NEW Caldene clothing offers

Here at The Saddlery Shop we have managed to secure two great offers from Caldene, a name synonymous with quality. The Caldene ladies Chepstow gilet is a stylish padded gilet, ideal for riding or casual wear. The Caldene active fleece lined jacket is a comfortable and fashinable blouson style jacket for riders and spectators, ideal to keep you protected from the wet weather.

Dublin Valley Boots MAD PRICE!

Dublin Valley tall boots have just gone on sale in black, very similar in style to Mountain horse and Tuffa but a fraction of the price while on offer (normally £109.99!). Here at The Saddlery Shop we are always looking for the best bargains in equestrian clothing so make sure you check the site out regularly to pick up on the hottest deals in the equestrian industry!

Great Value Winter Turnout Rugs from The Saddlery Shop

Winter is nearly here, for better or worse, but don't your horse get the winter blues and make sure they keep warm and safe with a winter turnout rug.

The Saddlery Shop are here to help with a great range of quality winter horse rugs and are taking delivery of new winter rugs all the time. Add on to that the fact that The Saddlery Shop offer turnout rugs at the lowest possible prices and it's really looking cosy for your horse after all.

The Saddlery Shop's current star pick comes from Masta, who in usual style have done it again with the brilliant Zing range of low priced and high quality winter turnout rugs.

A personal favourite, and a bargain to boot, is the Zing high neck turnout rug which is a bargain at only £58.99!

Grab a Bargain on a Wintec Isabell Saddle

The Saddlery Shop have just dropped prices again on the very popular Wintec saddle range. Wintec provide some of the best quality saddles in the business and The Saddelry Shop have a great selection of saddles from wintec in stock.

A few examples include is the Wintec Isabell Saddle in both flocked and cair panel styles. Both of these are beautiful and high quality dressage saddles designed in conjunction with world dressage champion Isabell Werth; these Wintec Isabell saddles can be snapped at some of the lowest prices on the internet from The Saddlery Shop!

Don't miss out on a bargain priced Wintec saddle while they are available!

New Sizes Coming for the EasyBoot Glove

The Saddlery Shop is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new sizes in the revolutionary EasyBoot Glove!

The EasyBoot Glove range of hoof boots will soon be available in size 3.5 and 4 which will allow larger hooved equines to use the latest in booting technology too!

As great avocates of barefoot hoorse riding we are pretty excitied about this as it opens barefoot riding up to even more riders.

Summer Horse Rugs Now on Sale!

The Saddlery Shop have a fantastic horse rug sale on now!

Why not pop by and see the fantastic range of horse rugs including fly protection rugs and sun protection rugs as well as lightweight turnout rugs and much, much more.

The saddlery Shop beleive in quality for your horse and the rug selection offere comes from top branded and trused equestrian names such as Masta, WeatherBeeta, Mark Todd, Saxon and many more.

The New Easycare Fit Kit

The new Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On hoof boots represent a revolution in hoof boot design. They are both very lightweight, simple and fit the hoof like a second skin. As the Easycare Glove and Easycare Glue-On hoof boots do not have any hardware or fastenings, achieving a good, close fit is more important than ever.

Each shell in the Easycare Fit Kit has only 4mm of width difference between itself and the next shell size. This tight gap between sizes helps ensure a snug fit, but it also means that there is little room for error in measuring and determining the proper size of boot.

The Easycare Fit Kit is the ideal way to quickly and easily determine which size Glove or Glue On is the best fit. The Fit Kit allows consumers to fit their horses feet correctly before ordering, to ensure a perfect fit first time and preventing wasted time and money trying many different pairs.

The shell used in both the Easyboot Glove and Glue-On is flexible and has a great deal of stretch. Although taking the measurements is a good start to check if the shape and size of a horses hoof should fit one of the new hoof boots, the Fit Kit is the only way to properly determine the correct size.

The New Easyboot Glove

The Easyboot Glove is a brand new, innovative hoof boot giving a form-fitting, seamless fit. The Glove hugs the hoof and responds just as a naturally bare hoof would. The Easyboot Glove is flexible yet tough, and adds traction to the hoof whilst allowing a free stride and quick break over. In the same wasy a glove fits a hand, the Glove hoof boot provides protection without stifling mobility. The material the Easyboot Glove is made from stretches over the hoof and clings to the wall so that debris stays out of the boot, even through sandy and muddy conditions.

The Easyboot Glove must be carefully sized and fitted to the hoof. The horses width and length measurements must fall within the same size of glove for this boot to be successful. The Easycare fit kit is the ideal tool to determine the suitability and/ or size of the Easyboot Glove for a horse’s hooves. The Power strap is also available to give a closer fit if desired. Accurate metric measurements and a snug fit are essential to the success of the Easyboot Glove, and it is recommended the Easyboot fit kit is used to determine size when possible.

The Glove is suitable for Horses with slightly longer than wide hooves, and ideal for long distance riding, endurance or all day rides but equally suitable for any horse whose measurements fit the size chart correctly for day to day riding, schooling and competition (where permitted). This hoof boot is the best choice for horses that have a tendency to over reach or brush due to the lack of hardware and faster break over. The Easyboot Glove is not usually suitable for horses with flared or wider than long hooves, or hooves that do not fit within one glove size category.

The Easycare Glue-On Hoof Boot

The Easyboot Glue-On shell has been developed as a high performance hoof boot and an option for horses in speed and long distance events. The light weight shell style hoof boot has thin walls that allow the boot to stretch and form to the hoof, the end result is a seamless one-to-one fit that resembles a second skin. The Easycare Glue-On is the next best thing to a naturally bare hoof, giving protection without excess weight or bulk.

This hoof boot is designed to be disposable, being used once or twice and then thrown away. Glue left on the inside of the boot may affect performance. It is not recommended to leave the Easyboot Glue-On hoof boot on for more than 10 days in a dry environment or 5 days in a humid environment. It is possible to purchase an easy boot glove gaiter and covert these boots to gloves if desired to extend the life of the purchase, but all glue must be removed for the boot to continue to work successfully and not cause rubbing or bruising to the hoof.

All portions of the shell can be modified or trimmed down if desired. The rear of the shell can be lowered or even removed to accommodate horses with low heels. Trimming the heel area will not affect the application or holding power of the glue (but would negate the ability to fit gaiters Accurate metric measurements and a snug fit are essential to the success of the Easycare Glue-On , and it is recommended the fit kit is used to determine size when possible.

The Easycare Glue-On hoof boot is suitable for horses with slightly longer than wide hooves who need a reliable boot for endurance events, competitive trail rides, multi-day rides/ holidays or any occasion where the horse needs a low maintenance hardware free hoof boot. Width and length measurements need to fit within one size to work correctly.

The Glue-On is not suitable for horses with flared or wider than long hooves, or riders who want a boot that can be reused .

Suitable Clothes for Riding Horses - Horse Riding Hats

When learning to ride a horse or pony, the closer you can get to correct riding clothing the more comfortable and safe you will be whilst riding.

An absolute essential that should never be overlooked is the riding hat. Riding hats come in various sizes and styles, the two most commonly seen are the skull cap or jockey helmet and the traditional riding hat with a peak (often referred to as a velvet riding hat).

Whichever riding hat you choose to use, they should always be kite marked, and ideally conform to the British standard for riding hats of BSEN 1384 and the PAS 015. Choosing a riding hat of at least these standards will ensure that the rider is fully protected whatever the choose to do on the horse, be in riding in the confines of a manege or galloping and jumping across country or whilst hunting.

A lot of modern riding hats include some form of ventilation which is often also seen as essential by people that ride on a regular basis, as they help to prevent your head from becoming overly hot and sweaty whilst horse riding.

The skull cap was once the most popular and safest type of riding hat, and was used by jockeys in particular, as well as everyday horse riders. Silks or hat covers are used with the jockey skull cap to give it a peak and its often colourful appearance, and because of this they are a useful everyday riding hat as the rider is able to use different hat covers for different occasions.

The other popular style of horse riding hat is the traditional looking velvet covered riding hat, that has a built in peak. These hats are most often seem in horse riding competitions, especially show jumping or dressage or when showing horses.

Jodhpurs and Breeches for Horse Riding

Specialist leg wear for riding has been developed to help overcome the common problems normally associated with riding in ordinary trousers or jeans. Loose fitting leg wear without reinforcement will often lead to chafing, rubbing and even pinching of the calves particularly by the stirrup leathers. The problem is far more common with English saddles with their thin stirrup leathers, than with the wide straps of a western saddle, with which is it usual to wear jeans.

The vast majority of riding in the UK is English style, and jodhpurs and breeches are the accepted leg wear for women riders, and male riders, and child riders usually wear jodhpurs as opposed to breeches.

The difference between jodhpurs and breeches is the bottom of the leg; breeches finish at or above the ankle bone (but always below the knee) and fasten with a button or hoop and loop closure. Jodhpurs should finish below the ankle bone with a turn up of approximately 1”.

Breeches are more suited to wearing long boots or half chaps and gaiters as they dramatically reduce the bulk around the ankle.

Jodhpurs are ideally for use with short boots such as jodhpur boots, and they can be secured with jodhpur clips to keep them in place. Jodhpurs and jodhpur boots are the correct dress for young riders as it encourages correct leg position and grip and allow a riding instructor to see what the child is doing with their heel.

Both jodhpurs and modern breeches are most usually made from a 4 way stretch material, with reinforcements at the knees called knee patches. Both jodhpurs and breeches are made to fit closely to help avoid the material twisting or rubbing, and should be comfortable around the waist when in a sitting position. The usual fastening for riding leg wear is a hook and bar fastening with a zip for ease of fit, but pull on style jodhpurs and riding breeches are also very popular.

The Peewee (Pee Wee) Bit

The peewee bit is a revolutionary horse bit produced in Australia, but invented by a horseman in America called Peewee Stevenson. The Saddlery Shop imports this nifty little bit and we wholesale and retail the peewee bit, as well as offering a hire service for the peewee bit.

The mouthpiece of the Pee wee bit is a fine mullen mouth, which allows the horse plenty of space for his tongue, and being made from sweet iron also encourages the horse to salivate and keep a soft mouth. The Peewee bit is generally constructed from stainless steel for strength and durability, and has two small arms that enable the rider to communicate far more effectively with the horse without using the horses mouth directly. The side bars put pressure on the side of the horses jaw when activated by the riders signals, and encourage the horse to turn and listen without discomfort being imposed on his mouth.

The peewee horse bit can be used in two different positions, the standard and correctional position. When in the regular position, the pee wee bit sits passively in the horses mouth and follows the curve of the horses tongue. When pressure is applied to the rein, the bit merely pushes down on the tongue and bars evenly and without excessive pressure in any one place. The lack of joint prevents the bit from jabbing the roof of the horses mouth or causing a nutcracker effect on the horses bars. In the correctional or remedial position, the peewee bits’ mouthpice sits in a curved shape up the horses tongue, which helps to prevent the horse from attempting to put their tobgue over the bit. When the bit is activated through the riders rein, the bit rolls down slightly more into the tongue which gives a slightly stronger signal than in the regular position.

The pee wee horse bit is very popular bit for use on Thoroughbreds and Arabs, particularly in the endurance and racing world. TB’s and Arabs tend to have very petite mouths with a large tongue, thus not allowing a lot of space for a bit to sit comfortably, hence the slenderness of the Peewee bit is ideal for such a mouth conformation. The pee wee is currently available in two sizes; standard and large but will also be available in a medium size in 2009 for horses smaller than 6” but bigger than 5 ½” (or with fleshy lips).

Hackamore Bridles & Bitless Bridles

The Hackamore is one of the options for horses that need a method of control that does not involve a bit in the horses mouth. Also known as a bitless bridle, at The Saddlery Shop we stock the two most popular and readily available forms of hackamore, the English and the German hackamore.

Both the English hackamore and the German hackamore are used on your existing bridle with the noseband removed, and the hackamore attached to the cheeks as you would a traditional metal horse bit. The control is achieved by the use of nose and poll pressure, and as such care must be taken when fitting the hackamore bit to ensure the noseband is fitted above the soft cartilage of the horses nose to prevent nerve and cartilage damage from occurring. The hackamore should ideally be fitted approx 2 fingers width above the last soft part of the horses nose- it is equally important not to fit it too high or the rider may find a lack of control!

The English hackamore is regarded as one of the least severe forms of the bitless bridle, and has a relatively short shank. The back strap is either leather or a combination of leather and a chain, the latter being slightly more severe in its action. The nose of the English hackamore is usually padded with fleece on a wide leather strap to minimise pressure.

The German hackamore has a much longer shank and a chain style noseband and curb. It is often advised to use a thick noseband cover to prevent pressure and rubs, and as with any hackamore, the German should in particular be used with care by an experienced rider.

There is no doubt some horses prefer the communication achieved though nose pressure to the relatively invasive action of a traditional meal horse bit, but they tend to work best on relatively well schooled horses that respond well the leg aids as it is common to experience some loss of steering compared to a metal bit.