Body Protectors, An Essential Piece of Kit!

Body protectors for horse riders have come a long way from the days of awkward-looking rigid foam back shields. Today constructed with both comfort and safety in mind and subject to rigorous repeat testing and available in various styles and colours, the Body Protector is a must-have item for any rider, whether a top-flight competitor or happy hacker. Body protectors are an essential piece of equine kit as the important item of equipment can make the difference between a serious injury and a minor one. Body protectors can protect the upper back and torso and are designed to protect the wearer in the event of a fall from a horse,whether jumping, schooling or hacking but also to offer protection from impacts such as being kicked, which can happen at any time. Understanding Body Protectors BETA 2000 and BETA 2009 are general standards to which all body protectors sold in the UK must conform. Having a BETA 2000 and BETA 2009 label confirms that the body protector has met all the requirements of the European standard EN 13158 and is certified to the Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) directive shown by the CE mark. This is important as it can accurately provide piece of mind that this item is safe to use and will protect you. Manufacturers of these products are also required to undertake additional testing on an annual basis to ensure long-term consistency in quality and design so you know that what you are buying will have durability and longevity. Under EN13158:2009 there are three ‘levels’ of protection: Level 1 (black label) denotes a body protector intended for jockeys only, as it is designed to meet the weight restrictions of race riding. Level 2 (brown label) body protectors offer lower protection for low-risk situations only. Level 3 (purple label) body protectors are the ones that are suitable for normal riding conditions, and are designed to prevent minor bruising, reduce soft tissue injuries and bruising and limit the risk of rib fractures. The Saddlery Shop thinks Body Protectors are really important so we stock a wide range of Body Protectors for Men, Women and Children including Racesafe, Harry Hall, Mark Todd and Gallop. For more information visit our website today www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk to view the stock we have available. If you have any questions or queries about which Body Protector would best suit you contact a member of our team on Tel:0844 880 6900

How to Choose a Bit

To conclude our Bitting Blog Feature which saw us feature a three part series of Questions and Answers regarding bitting we present our latest blog explaining how to measure your horse for a bit. Use a piece of smooth round wood, e.g. a wooden spoon handle or piece of doweling, and two rein stops (rubber bands can be used but are slightly less accurate.) Put the wooden rod into your horses mouth, so that it just lifts the corners of his lips into no more than 2 wrinkles, and push the rein stops up to touch his lips on either side. Remove the wood, and measure the gap from the outside of the rein stops to give the correct bit size including the right amount of clearance for the bit. If you are between sizes (e.g. 5 1/4"), it is normally better to choose the smaller of the two sizes (e.g. 5") unless opting for a loose ring bit when it can be advantageous to go slightly large to prevent pinching. So which bit should you buy for you horse? It can be a challenge to find the right bit for your horse however there are some conformational pointers you can look for that help to suggest what type of bit may suit your horse and narrow the search. Certain breeds of horse can be prone to certain mouth shapes for example cob types often have large tongues which leave little room for a thick bit to sit comfortably in. Thin bits are often considered to be severe, but if a horse has a thick tongue a thinner bit will allow the horse to relax and swallow where a thicker ‘kind’ bit would not, presuming the rider is competent enough not to need the reins for support the thin bit is actually far kinder to the horse! When examining your horses mouth, have a look carefully at the shape and anything that is different or unusual as even little things can potentially make a big difference to the way a horse will react in a bit. These can be such as; parrot mouth, a low palette, the presence of wolf teeth to name but a few! To receive one-to-one bitting advice for your horse contact The Saddlery Shop online and with our huge range of bits available there is sure to be something to suit every horse and rider combination.

Bitting Edition Part 3

As the final part of the three part series The Saddlery Shop takes a look at bitting and presents a Q & A featuring bitting enquiries and bespoke answers from bitting expert and owner of The Saddlery Shop, Lucy Nicholas. Question "I have a new 15hh cob Teddy, who is 7 years old, green, and very forward going. At the moment he is in a pelham (5.5 inch although I think he would benefit from a quarter inch wider bit) because he has poor brakes. I'd like to do dressage and showing with him in the long run. Ideally I would have a dressage legal bit for schooling him, but I do need brakes. I would like to use one bit all the time.What would you suggest?" Answer Lucy says "I always advise to have your horses teeth, back and saddle checked and recommend that you have a good progressive schooling plan in place with an instructor. The emphasis needs to be on lightening your horses' forehand using lots of circles and transitions during the session ensuring he responds immediately to the aids. This will get him between hand and leg, giving you far more control in a snaffle. Very few horses only need one bit, working in an arena or doing a dressage test is not as exciting as cantering accross open coutryside in company and even the best schooled horse will usually need something different for the extra control needed. Pelhams can make a horse feel very 'dead' in the hand and do sometimes encouraging leaning on the bit unless you ride with double reins to enable you to push the horse up into the bit without the use of the curb. I would really recommend a bit that will help with schooling like this Myler Low Port Eggbut Snaffle. This bit will enable you to give very clear instructions to your horse, and will be comfortable in his mouth as it is not too thick and has space for the tongue. You also have the option of adding a curb if you needed extra brakes out hacking in the immediate future. Kind Regards, Lucy