Ponytail's beauty products!

About a month ago, I discovered the Californian brand Ponytail.

The brand has been created by Nicolle Lubman who is passionate about horses and who works in cosmetics. The idea of creating the brand came from the fact that many brands do not indicate the ingredients they put in horse's products. Nicolle wanted to create safe products adapted both for the horse and the rider.

The range now has 5 products that have a really elegant packaging:

There is a shampoo named "Bubbles & Bucks", a styling spray "Mane Stay", a shining serum "Show Pony Shine", a dry shampoo "Trot the Spot" and a leave in conditionner "Ready to Roll".

Today, I am going to tell you all about both products I tried today: "Show Pony Shine" et "Ready to Roll".

To let you know about the products and to show you the results after using them, we have a special guest with whom Totem will have to share the spotlight with, Veryquool, french saddlebreed of 4 y.o. 

Totem tried "Show Pony Shine", the shining serum and Very used the leave in conditionner "Ready to Roll". 

To use the serum, you have to put a small amount on your hands, rug them and massage the horse's coat with it. You really have to put the product everywhere on your hands so that you do not do marks on the coat.

Here is the result on Totem after I applied the serum:

The serum is really nice to use. It has moisturizing properties and it is made of argan oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil and macadamia seeds (yes, all of this in one product!).

Let's now move to the special guest, Very, and to the "Ready to Roll". The conditionner is really easy to use. You just have to spray it on the coat and then brush the horse with a soft brush.

Here is the result:

With the product, dust goes off really easily. The product smells really really good (it is made with eucalyptus, peppermint and lemon essential oils!). 

Some pictures of the models after their Ponytail beauty session:

To get more information about the products and get the retailer list, click HERE.

Shine with style!

Fouganza innovation: half chap socks!

It's been a while since I had not talked to you about Fouganza, Décathlon's riding brand!

This article will make you forget about my mistake as it is targeted on their new innovation: the half chap socks!

The concept: the sock is reinforced at the level of the calf level so that you can ride without half chaps, without hurting your legs.

But why would you ever want to ride without half chaps?

Well, for many reasons! Some people just like riding without them. Also when the weather is really hot, it can be annoying to put your half chaps in leather on as you will get really warm. You can also put the socks in your locker for the day when you will forget your half chaps (don't tell me it never happened to you, I would not believe you).

It can also be useful when you start this wonderful sport that is horse-riding and that you do not know if you are going to enjoy the activity or not. Then, investing in a pair of half chaps can be risky if you realize on your second lesson that being flung to the ground horse-riding is not your sport. Then, the half chap socks can be great for you!

For the time being, only two sizes are available: from size EU 35 to 38 (UK 2.5 to 5) and from EU 39 to 42 (UK 5.5 to 8).

The socks can be washed in the washing machine and they are available on Décathlon's website (UK: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/black-half-chap-socks-id_8279196.html). They cost 17.95€, £14,99.

Waldhausen boots are dead, welcome Norton boots!

After 5 months of collaboration in order to protect Totem from himself, I can officialy declare that the Waldhausen stable boots (Article here) are done. They have been a great ally during these five months, as Totem did not hurt himself once!

They broke around the fetlock area, the neoprene lining because of frictions did not resist and now there are some holes in the stable boots.

Mmh yummy!

I could have bought another pair of Waldhausen stable boots as I was happy with them but the Norton stable boots were sold with a 30% discount. 

At the time I wrote this article in french, Totem was wearing the boots for around two weeks. But now we are in May, and I can tell you that the Norton stable boots lasted for 4 months, the exact same period as the Waldhausen.

The Norton boots are a bit difficult to place on the horse leg at first but once they took the shape of the leg (after 2 use), they become really easy to use.  

Sometimes we can read that the stable boots can nearly have the same effect as standing bandages but on Totem it does not. Totem is always a bit congested on its hind legs before exercising and the stable boots do not help at all on this matter.

Last information, I bought a stable boots pack (fore legs + hind legs). On the picture, it is the fore legs boots I put on the hind legs (no use for me to put the boots on Totem's fore legs). It is ok to use them like that, the legs remain well protected, they are just a little less high than the hind legs boots.

Métalab spurs

As I was spending my holidays in "Le Touquet", last August with Totem (by the way I totally advise you the stables, horses are really well treated and there are a lot of riding paths), I went to the showjumping on the wonderful grounds the stables own.

Of course, I could not stop myself from going shopping but I stayed reasonable and only fell for Metalab spurs, the Prince of Galles kind, with rubber on the sides.

At first, their price scared me a little (43€! (talking about that, I did not understand it all, on Métalab website, they cost 53€...), but still, I wanted to try my first pair of spurs covered in rubber, hoping that the price would be related with the spur's life expectancy.

After 9 months of using the spurs around 2-3 times per week, they remain the same (that would have been a great scam if not...). They are really nice to wear, you don't feel them and the fact that they are covered in rubber and also that they have a technology that makes that they cannot slip (picture below) make that they do not move at all while you are riding.

I am really satisfied with them!

Small advice however: with these spurs, it is better to get leather or fake leather straps as the nylon ones slip from the "S" holes (let me reassure you, not when the spur is on the boot, only when it's not).

PS: The "souvenir" picture of Totem and I having a great time during our holidays:

Sure thing: we will be back in Le Touquet for the next holidays!

Waldhausen's surcingle

Around a year and a half ago, I bought my first surcingle.

I was looking for a good quality surcingle with many rings to have many options when I am lungeing my horse with side reins.

I found in my usual saddlery the Waldhausen surcingle that costed 69.95€.

For a surcingle, I found the price to be a bit expensive but I purchased it anyway as it seemed to be really resistant and had many rings.

I now own it since a year and a half and everything is still looking right. It is really comfortable for the horse and you do not need to use a saddle pad to protect the horse's back as it is really ergonomic. 

It was quite a big investment but I am really satisfied with it and I think that I will keep it for a long while!

Hervé Godignon competition jacket

This weekend was my big come back to showjumping, after 7 years where I did not compete at all! Despite a really deceiving result, I had a big satisfaction: my new competition jacket!

I found it during the sale, only two days before my competition! I got a discount of 50% so the jacket costed me 150€ instead of 300€.

Hervé Godignon at 300€ - 50%

The Hervé Godignon coat is really nice to wear, the fit is great and fabric is light, tensile and really elegant. Furthermore, it does not hinder the rider's movement at all during the jumps. I highly recommend it!

The only negative point is that it gets dirty really easily. After the round, you really have to put it back in its case to avoid the dirt to get on it.

Some pictures of the competition coat in action:

Yes, my face looks awful!

Fougamash

As explained in my article about Waldhausen stable boots here, Totem hurted himself on his hindleg, near the hoof.
As it is really close to the ground and thus to the straw and dirt, the vet put him on antibiotics so that the injury does not get infected.
However, it has been impossible to make him take the antibiotics, even with the help of apples or even mixed with applesauce.

Thus, I tried to hide the antibiotics in a mash. Having finished my big 15kg bag from winter, I bought two small bags at Fouganza (Décathlon equestrian brand).

A bag costs 4.95€ and weights 1.5kg. I succeeded in doing 4 small mashes with each bag. The 5 big spoon of antibiotics that were hidden in the mash got absorbed by Totem without having him realizing what was happening.

These bags are really convenient when you do not need big quantities and they look really tasty as Totem did not leave a crumb behind!