Budget Equestrian – The Podcast – Episode 19
Talking About Riding and Some Of Our Favorite Equine Products
Welcome back to the podcast my favorite equestrians of the internet! Last week I had my friend Lynda on as my guest. And we decided we were going to get together once a month to recap how things are going with us getting out there and riding our horses. But we had so much fun last week, she is back again! And we had our first accountability meeting yesterday. I texted her to let her know I was going out to ride, and she texted me back. It was awesome. Just knowing that I had to let her know that I was going to ride motivated me to do it.
So I thought we would start off with how our riding went.
Lynda
Due to commitments outside of our horse realm, Lynda has not been able to complete her ride, yet. And while she was attending a memorial service, she said she thought about how often we let other things get in the way of us working with our horses.
She is planning on getting out this afternoon and hoping that her husband will be able to get out and ride with her as well. Because having someone else to ride with makes it easier to commit to it. So even though she hasn’t ridden yet, I know she will get out there and ride soon.
Lisa
I worked with Frisby. I know I was planning on riding Ethan, but I went with old reliable and rode Frisby. And like I have talked about on my blog, and videos, I get bored with just walking in circles, and I think my horses do too.
So I decided I would work with a dressage pattern. I printed off a British Dressage Society introductory pattern. I folded it up and put it in my pocket and took it out with me while we were riding around. This way I could revisit the pattern when I couldn’t remember what came next.
I also have a pair of wireless ear phones which are very nice to wear while riding. And on my phone, I have a music playlist to inspire me while I’m riding. So I put my phone in my pocket, and start the music while I am grooming my horses and getting tacked up to ride. I find it helps me to move, which can be pretty awkward, but I like it.
I groomed Ethan first, and then put him into his pen, and then got to work with Frisby.
We started with a lot of walking, then worked on the dressage pattern for a good session of the ride. I find it helpful to have a plan before I ride so I’m not just riding in endless circles and wondering what we should do next. Now if I could just get Frisby to have a little more energy when he is moving, then it would be perfect!
Online Dressage
Just in case you were wanting to find some dressage tests to print off and take with you to the barn, I have the links here of where I find different tests online, and they are free!
- British Dressage Intro Test A
- USDF Dressage Intro Test B
- British Dressage Intro Test C (This one is my favorite!)
And even if you are not a dressage rider by discipline, these tests are fun to work on in your arena. Especially if you are tired of always walking in circles, and need some direction. I find it really helps my riding to have a plan.
And here are a couple of the online horse shows that offer monthly video classes:
Overall, I had a really good ride. I did ride for a full hour and spent about 30 minutes grooming before and after. And on a side note, while I was riding, my next-door neighbor was riding too. She had started before me, and she was walking her horse out on the road while I was riding, so she came over and we chatted for a bit. That was so cool! We decided that we need to go out on a trail ride sometime soon before the weather gets bad. Which would be really fun, because she is a really good rider, and I love having someone I can watch, and learn from.
So maybe one weekend I will be able to share how our trail ride went!
Ok, so I rode for an hour. That means I have $40.00 to stick away to spend on horse related stuff in the future. I don’t have my eye on anything now, but that is sure to change. But I feel like I accomplished something, I worked with Frisby and I paid myself to ride. I like that! And paying yourself to ride may not seem like a good idea for some, but if you don’t like that idea, and you need something to motivate you to get out and ride your horse do it. The money motivates me, so that’s why I decided to do this. If it gets me out on my horse instead of just playing on the ground I call that a win.
My Favorite Product(s) of the Week
Ok, so I have been wanting to make a scratching post for my horses for a while now. I even considered buying the ‘real’ scratching post mats that you can by online, for like $50.00. But they are small, and you need a lot of them to make a large scratch-able surface. And well, I am always looking for solutions to expensive projects so I couldn’t commit to buying these expensive scratchers.
So I started looking for alternatives, like attaching old brushes to the post, or buying a broom head and screwing that on. I didn’t like the way that would look though, so I continued my search. I knew there had to be something that would look decent, and work well without costing a fortune. And all of my tenacity paid off! I found an affordable option to the expensive legit scratching post surfaces.
I found these mats on Amazon. They cost $11.99 for 2 mats. And they look pretty small, but they work perfectly for covering the tops of the landscaping timbers that are making up my horses paddock pens. I bought 2 sets, so I got 4 in total. I used exterior grade screws, and I circled the tops of the landscaping timbers.
These mats are so cool. They are a bendable plastic and they have little round bumpy surfaces covering the mat. So the horses can rub on them, and get the itchy spots!
I feel like a genius!
These are exactly what I was looking for at an affordable price. I’m not sure how long they will last, the plastic is a little brittle, so I may end up replacing them if they get brittle and break over the winter with the cold temperatures, but time will tell to how they hold up.
I know the horses are using them, because I can see dirt on the little nubs. It’s so cool. For now, they are working like I had anticipated. I will just have to keep an eye on them to make sure they are intact, and not breaking. But for $12.00, it was well worth the investment.
And hopefully this will protect the poles, because the horses don’t have to push as hard on them to scratch themselves. I think I am going to add the last one to a pole in Frisby’s pen so he can scratch his butt. He has pushed on his front panel so much that he has bent it. I am going to replace the front panel, and down the middle, I am going to put a landscaping timber and then wrap the last reflexology mat I have so he can scratch his rear end, but not bend the corral panel!
Le Mieux Saddle Pads
This are my new passion. I love how these pads are made to fit under the saddle. The cut of the saddle pad makes it fit very nicely without any wrinkles. And the colors they offer is increasing.
The best part about these pads is they keep your horse’s back dry. I rode Frisby for about an hour and it was 80 degrees. We didn’t work hard, but we both did work. And when I took the saddle off, there were no wet spots under the saddle. And I know that he was sweating, because when I removed the girth, the entire area under the girth was wet with sweat.
The pads fit nice and perform even better.
And they also make matching ear bonnets, which I had to get. So I have the plum saddle pad and ear bonnet. And I noticed the same lack of sweat under the ear bonnet. Because normally when I ride and after I remove the bridle, there will be sweat on the back of Frisby’s ears from where the bridle was lying. But not with the ear bonnet. Again, no sweat left.
So my commitment money will be put away so I can get another saddle pad and ear bonnet. I’m not sure what color I want to get next. I already have a navy set, so I am torn between the gray and Benetton blue. But I want to make sure I can also find the matching ear bonnet.
Riding Warehouse has the best prices for both the ear bonnet and the saddle pads. And they have more than just one saddle pad to choose from. They have jumper pads, dressage pads, or just the basic pad to choose from. I bought mine from Dover’s because I wanted them NOW, but they are $10.00 cheaper on Riding Warehouse.
Lynda’s Favorite Product(s) of the Week
Omega Fields Horse Shine
This is a multi-purpose supplement that we both use. It is fantastic for keeping your horse shiny, hence, the name of the product. But it has a lot of other benefits too. It has biotin in it for hooves, and also can help with achy joints.
The Biotin is a new ingredient that they have added. So I am not sure how it will work, or add to the already great benefits of horse shine. But I do know since I started feeding it to my horses, I will never stop. You can usually find it locally cheaper than if you buy it from the Omega Fields website. We purchase a 20 lb. bag from our local farm store for $51.99 and on Omega Fields website it runs $64.99 and if you sign up for their autoship program, you can save $4.00. And you can buy it on Amazon too.
I feed my horses 2/3 of a cup in their morning and evening feed. And a 20 lb. bag will last about 2 months.
Horseshoer’s Secret
This is another supplement, and it focuses on the hoof. The ingredients are touted to improve the hoof strength and overall quality of the horses hoof.
Lynda says her horses hooves are so improved over what they were, she will always feed this supplement. I am still on the fence but thinking about it. I mean she was right about the horse shine right?
And I was reviewing the label of both products, and the Horseshoer’s Secret has 7.5 mg per serving of biotin, and you feed it 6 ounces per day for 8 months, then you go down to 3 ounces per day. And the Horse Shine has 10 mg of biotin per serving, and you feed up to 8 ounces per serving, twice a day.
The Horseshoer’s Secret has been around a long time, and it costs $28.95 for an 11 lb. bucket which is supposed to last one horse for 59 days.
Weekly Podcast Wrap Up
Well I think that is about it for the week. And it was a very busy week, I have been making some changes in how I eat, and I have been busy making videos, and doing lots of craft projects for fall while trying to take another certification exam. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel as my projects chill out, and I can focus on riding.
And horses are an excellent opportunity to stay active, and help with weight loss, so that is another motivating factor I have to get me into the saddle!
We shared a lot of our favorites today, more than I thought we would! But when Lynda and I get together, we can talk horse for a long, long time. So no surprise there! Hopefully some of the things we talked about will be helpful for you. Nd next week I think it’s going to be a solo episode. I want to talk with you a little bit about preparing for winter, and keeping your horse healthy when the weather changes. And also how to make time to ride, even if it’s cold outside or even worse, snowing!
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast over on iTunes or Stitcher and come back every Monday for a brand new podcast!
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