The weather here in Georgia over the last week has been less than ideal, to say the least. With an accumulated rainfall of around 7″, riding has not been feasible as the arena is quite literally like a small pond at the moment. 😬
Since riding was definitely not a possibility, I decided that my first day back home from college would be a grooming/organize-all-the-things day. I spent at least three hours, de-mudding the ponies, conditioning tails and manes, hand-grazing in between rain showers, cleaning tack, and reorganizing all of my junk in my two tack trunks.
If you can’t ride, you might as well be productive, right?
The face of a pony who enjoyed the mud a little too much.
Enjoying snack after being de-mudded.
The angel who didn’t succumb to the temptation of going mudding out in his pasture.
I ended up getting a lot done, and the ponies definitely looked so much better after a little elbow grease! At least they don’t look completely feral now. 😂
Unfortunately, the next day, we suffered a loss. Let’s have a moment of silence for Dies’s Amigo sheet that was sentenced to death by a bored, young horse. It fought a good fight. RIP Amigo sheet.
The face of a guilty pony.
Sigh. I guess this is just part of owning horses, but man, I definitely wasn’t planning on having to buy another blanket anytime soon – especially another sheet that doesn’t come with a warranty.
SmartPak, if you are reading this, please, please, please make a 100g sheet! We rowdy horse owners are begging you! 😅
Everyone that knows me knows that I am a sucker for a well-groomed horse and am a little obsessed with my horses’ grooming routines. What can I say? I love squeaky clean ponies!
I have been holding off on reviewing the products I bought from The Herbal Horse oh so many months ago, but after putting them to the test over the past few months, I am now ready to give y’all the low down.
A few months ago I made the leap and decided to give The Herbal Horse’s products a try after stumbling upon their website one late night. And let me tell you, I was in heaven! I honestly wanted to try everything they make, but since I am not a millionaire yet, I had to rein in my excitement and narrow it down to just a few items. Today I am going to review my favorite item from my mini haul: Herbal Horse’s Healthy Hair Salve.
The Herbal Horse’s Healthy Hair Salve is a 100% natural product that is intended as a deep conditioning treatment. While I have used it strictly on my ponies’ tails, it can be used on horses, people, and dogs! It is offered in sizes ranging from 1 oz to 16 oz and comes in cute recyclable containers.
I ended up buying two 4 oz containers – one for each of the ponies to use. I thought it would be a great experiment to use the product on a horse that has a thin tail (Diablo) and a horse that has a thick tail (Diesel) to compare both the results and how fast I went through the containers. Even though their tail thickness differed, each container has lasted me around three months of almost daily usage.
The salve itself smells absolutely amazing and is easy to handle. It isn’t sticky or messy, which makes distributing it into the tail effortless. All you have to do is hold it in your hands for a few seconds to warm it up and it is ready to. Unlike show sheen, it doesn’t make the hair slippery or slippery feeling. It leaves their tails shiny and soft without making it look greasy.
Look at that beautiful tail! Photo credit: Emily Gann Photography
After a few months of using the product daily, I feel confident saying that this product really works! Both of their tails look super healthy and shiny! If I had to choose between this salve and other tail conditioners on the market, I would definitely choose this one! What is there not to love? It is effective and 100% all natural. I love the product so much that it is now a permanent staple in my grooming routine!
Let me know if you have ever tried a Herbal Horse product down in the comments! I am always interested to hear what other people think of the products I review!
Are you looking for a gift for that special equestrian or just want to treat yourself this holiday season? Look no further than this list of my favorite products and equestrian-based businesses!
Ellany Equestrian Belts
Similar to the belts made by the well-known brand Ruespari, the belts sold by Ellany Equestrian are made with high-quality elastic fabric and hardware. Not only are they affordable for those on a budget, but they are sleek and stylish enough to make the transition from the schooling ring to the show ring. It also doesn’t hurt that the colors they offer are sure to please anyone, and the belt is adjustable to fit most waist sizes. Did I mention they offer belts with rose gold hardware? Check out their site now for some awesome Black Friday deals!
Price: $38-$45
Sox Trot Socks
An equestrian can never have enough pairs of socks! These socks are thin enough to not disrupt the fit of your tall boots, yet durable enough to last through long days of wear at the barn. They come in some fun patterns, but if you’re more of the conservative type, they offer great solid colors as well.
Price: $7-$10
Dreamers and Schemers Socks
Yes, really, another recommendation for socks. You can never have enough pairs of socks! The socks from Dreamers and Schemers are extremely comfortable and come in a wide variety of cute patterns. The socks feature a lightly padded footbed to add cushioning and protection in high friction areas. The socks are also made of a stretchy material to help give a custom fit.
Price: $18
The Herbal Horse
The Herbal Horse offers a wide selection of amazing hand-crafted and organic products for both you and your horse. The Healthy Hair salve, Shine Bright coat spray, Aloe Vera shampoo, and Muscle Soothe lotion are, in my opinion, some of the best organic products on the market. I wouldn’t use them on my boys or myself if I didn’t think they were wonderful! You really can’t go wrong with any product you choose. Get 25% off with the code BFCM2018.
Price: $3.50 and up
Myst Equine Products
I am a believer in trying out products from awesome small businesses, and this business is no exception. Myst makes some fabulous dry shampoo that is sure to knock your socks off this holiday season. It smells great and works well on horses ranging from bays all the way to those high maintenance greys. They also offer a great selection of other coat products that are sure to leave your equine partner looking their best. Check out their website for more details!
Price: $19-$24
Sport Horse Essentials
If you haven’t noticed by now, I have a slight obsession with grooming products. Sport Horse Essentials is yet another small business that makes some amazing grooming products. All of their products are non-toxic and all natural, so you know their your pony is only getting the best. Also, their wide variety of products are sure to please even the pickiest of equestrians. Right now, their individual products are 30% off and their waterless shampoo is 50% off!
Price: $16 and up – check out their gift baskets for some awesome deals!
The Artful Equine
If you or your favorite equestrian are in the market for a stellar set of brushes, look no further than The Artful Equine. These custom horse brushes are some of the best brushes I have ever used, and they are absolutely stunning. Each brush is handpainted custom to your specifications. Want a portrait of your horse? Done! Want a brush with your farm logo on it? Done! Anything is possible with these brushes. You won’t ever lose your brushes ever again with these beauties.
Price: $15 and up depending on number of brushes
Saucy Piaffe
From quality leather halters with custom nameplates to custom engraved brushes, Saucy Piaffe has all of your personalized product needs. Their products are top-notch, but my personal favorites are their leather halters. Not only is the quality of the leather great, but so is the quality of the custom nameplate that comes on it. They offer two models – the padded leather halter or the ergonomic fancy stitched leather halter. You really can’t go wrong with either!
Price: $80-$140
Triple Crown Custom
If your favorite equestrian is in need of a new cooler, rain sheet, blanket, or scrim, look no further than Triple Crown Custom. All of their blankets are very high quality and meant to last meaning that you and your horse should be able to enjoy your custom blanket for years to come. Not to mention, all of their blankets and stable accessories are made right here in the USA.
Price: $145 and up
Back On Track Mesh Sheet
You can’t go wrong when purchasing any of Back On Track’s products. Every single product they make is sure to be a home run with ponies and humans alike! Although they are all great, my personal favorite is the mesh sheet! It helps warm up the muscles pre-workout to help your pony get the most out of their workout and provides relief to sore muscles after a strenuous workout. Both ponies absolutely adore their BOT apparel and I do too.
Price: $199
Have you ever tried any of these products or shopped with any of these businesses? Feel free to leave your reviews below and tell me what you think! Happy holidays, everyone!
There’s nothing more I enjoy than spending some quality time with my guys. Grooming, bathing, and hand walking were on the list of to-dos today for Mr. Dies. With his third show coming up this weekend, he was in need of a good pre-show pampering session – especially since he was covered head to toe in dust and mud. His formally white socks were red from the Georgia clay, which surprisingly, is not appropriate for the show ring. 😂 Since today was Dies’s spa day, I decided I would share some of my grooming holy-grails to get those ponies gleaming – nobody likes a grungy pony!
Unwashed vs washed!
If you know me, you know that I am the queen of personalization and monograms. Nothing makes me happier than a nice personalized grooming set! Some of my favorite brushes are the brushes that I purchased from Saucy Piaffe and the custom brushes I bought from The Artful Equine. Since my ponies are in two separate places, they each have their own set of brushes. I use the brushes I purchased from Saucy Piaffe for Diesel and my custom brushes from The Artful Equine for Diablo. I absolutely adore both sets, and they do an excellent job of leaving my ponies’ coats gleaming! These brushes, along with a little hard work, really make a difference in the health of their coats. You won’t catch me going back for generic brushes again!
My custom brush set from The Artful Equine featuring custom portraits of Diablo and Diesel!
Saucy Piaffe’s stock photo of their custom brushes! I will upload a picture of mine when I go back out to the farm! Dumb me forgot to snap a photo!
I am just now trying out Healthy Hair salve, Heal Quick salve, Shine Bright Coat Spray, and Be Calm salve from The Herbal Horse. I haven’t got a chance to use it yet as it just arrived at my apartment this afternoon, but I will definitely write up a full review on their products once I get a good feel for them. Just to give y’all a run-down, I plan to use the Be Calm salve to help them to relax during long grooming sessions, and the Healthy Hair salve on their manes and tails to help encourage thicker tail growth and strong hair. Finally, I am planning on incorporating their Shine Bright Coat Spray as the final step in my grooming routine to see if it helps their coat remain healthy and nourished. I can’t wait to actually get to put my hands on them and put them to the test.
As for bath time, I am an avid fan of Lucky Braid’s shampoo to get their coat nice and clean. It smells great and leaves his coat nice and shiny. It does an excellent job of getting Diesel’s thick tail super clean as well. If I’m running low on cash, Suave’s line of cheaper shampoos works almost just as well for a fraction of the price. I like to keep some Sauve on hand to wash legs after riding when I can’t justify breaking out the expensive stuff. However, for his white legs and Diablo’s white body, I bring out the heavy duty stuff – Wisk. I know what you’re thinking, and no, it is not harmful to them whatsoever. I’ve been using it on Diablo for shows for the past five years and his coat looks amazing. Yes, it is the washing detergent that you see in the cleaning aisle at the supermarket. Let me tell you, as the owner of a paint horse, this stuff is a complete lifesaver. Unlike Quik Silver or any of the “horse” purple shampoos, you don’t have to scrub until your hands bleed. A small amount of this stuff will literally save you 30 minutes of scrubbing. Just make sure that you rinse their coat thoroughly and follow with a coat conditioner or a conditioning spray. You will have a gleaming white pony or white socks in no time.
After I gave Diesel a nice long groom and a long sudsy bath on this nice 70-degree day, I took him for a nice hand walk and hand graze to help him to dry out. I love this part of my grooming routine as I really feel that it is a great way to bond with my guys. It may not seem that significant, but taking the time to hand graze your horse really helps build a bond. Some of my best memories are hand grazing Diablo on warm spring days. Since I am not always able to see Diesel every day, I make the time to frequently take the time to just go out and hand graze him. I really enjoy just taking the time to spend some one on one time with my boys. It is quite relaxing for me and them. I always finish up their spa day with a nice coat of Farrier’s Fix hoof oil and a handful of well-deserved treats!
What a handsome guy!
Diesel drying off in his Amigo cooler.
Hand grazing in front of our beautiful farm, Southern Sky Farm!
“But mom, I want to stay inside and get pampered and eat lots of treats!”
Don’t fear, tomorrow will be Diablo’s designated spa day. Even though he is no longer showing, the old man won’t get left out. 😉 He enjoys getting pampered too. Maybe a little more than Diesel!
Stay tuned for Diesel’s third show coming up this Saturday! I will make sure to update y’all on his progress this show – he will be moving up to the 2’3 division! He is getting closer and closer to the big boy jumps! I can’t wait to share his experience with all of you. Until then, happy riding, everyone!
Pembrokes & Ponies 