Author: Amanda C

I have a weird confession to make: I really really really like grooming a hairy horse during shedding season. I don’t know why, but there’s something extra satisfying about losing yourself in the simplicity of it, and seeing that big billowing pile of hair on the floor when you’re done. It’s satisfying work, with easily-seen results. I love body clipping for the same reasons. Okay, maybe I’m just really into hair removal. Either way, Henry doesn’t get a full body clip – lower maintenance when it comes to blanketing – so right now his super fuzzy back half (or as I like to call it, The Mullet) is in serious shed mode. I already own a SleekEZ, and someone else at the barn has a StripHair, so I decided it was time for a Shedder Showdown.

Before we start, I should say that StripHair has recently come out with a newer model of their tool, one that is more ergonomic and a bit… fancier looking (if it’s possible for a chunk of rubber to look fancier). From what I’ve seen of it, the material is the same, so I’m betting the performance is similar, but just a heads-up on that – to be totally fair, I tested their older model.

Neither of these tools is particularly ground-breaking as far as materials or design. The SleekEz is like a dulled mini saw blade set into a carved wooden block. The StripHair looks like a chunk of 1″ stall mat, it’s literally just a rectangle of rubber. But hey, simple tools often get the job done well. I have the large SleekEZ, which retails at $18.50. The StripHair retails at $39.00. So, how do they work?

I’ve been using both of them together, for the sake of comparison, for two weeks now. For “control” purposes I’ve also used a currycomb, a grooming stone, a Shed Flower, and the most basic of tools – my hands. When it comes to just the sheer amount of hair that each tool is able to remove, the SleekEZ is the winner. I can definitely get more hair off with it than with anything else. I also like that it sort of has a combing action to the coat, which helps it lift some of the dirt and dander to the surface. There’s definitely some cleaning action to it. The little teeth of the shedding blade itself seem to be good at getting down into the coat and picking up the hair from down there, too, not just the top layer.

The StripHair mostly just seems to gather that top-most layer of loose hair, which makes sense given the design. The rubber grips the loose hairs and pulls them away. If your horse has already fully blown it’s coat, then it’s great, but if it’s still in the process, the StripHair isn’t really going to get down in there and expedite things. I DO think that when it comes to legs or delicate areas, the Strip Hair is more useful. It bends and flexes around the contours pretty well, and obviously it’s a softer material.

That said, I think that I can get just as much hair off the legs simply by using my hands as I do from using the StripHair. Maybe even more. Those big long double jointed fingers of mine are finally useful for something.

If you really want a complete shedding arsenal, both tools are useful in their own way. But when it comes to sheer performance, the SleekEZ is the winner, hands down. If you have an extremely delicate flower of a horse then maaaaybe the StripHair could edge it’s way to the forefront, but honestly Henry is one of the most delicate flowers I know and he has no objections to the SleekEZ. You can’t really beat the bang for your buck, either… at less than half the price it outperforms the basic shedding capabilities of the StripHair, for sure. My favorite combination is currycomb + SleekEz.

As for the other grooming tools, get outta here with those Shed Flowers and grooming stones. Garbage. Yeah I said it. GARBAGE. Well, ok, Sadie really loves the Shed Flower to scratch her perpetually itchy elephant stomach. Other than that, though…

Like any self-respecting nerd, I’m am really really into metrics. I also have a huge interest in equestrian-related technology. So when Seaver had a Kickstarter for their smart girths and girth sleeves in summer 2016, I was all aboard that train. Equisense was pretty much already complete and on the market by that point, but it didn’t have heart rate monitor capabilities, whereas Seaver did. Being an eventer, heart rate data is pretty huge to me, so I opted to invest in the Seaver, knowing that it could be a year or so before it came. Yeah well… it’s been almost 2. They did recently confirm my shipping address though, so maybe I’ll get it before summer. Who knows. Honestly as long as all the functionality works correctly and it’s well-made, I’m cool with the wait. That’s my official stance anyway.

Lots of other bloggers have the Equisense, and I always stare a little too intently at their data. It’s really interesting to me. Eventers… we love times and speed and symmetry and all that stuff. And then last week Leah posted about a free app called Equilab, which boasts some of the same features. I downloaded it pretty much immediately. Because toys.

Basically the app uses the sensors on your phone to calculate and track your ride, so you have to either wear it on your arm or put it in a pocket. My phone is usually shoved in my pocket when I ride anyway (since I ride out, and I ride alone), so it’s just a matter of turning the app on and hitting “start riding” when I mount. The app has metrics for total ride time, time in each gait, turn direction, beats per minute, total distance, speed, elevation, energy consumption, and stride. It also paints a fun little GPS map for you that looks pretty damn artistic. Over time it gathers and accumulates the ride data to show “trends” or comparative metrics.

Naturally my first thought was that there’s no way it’s capturing all of that data accurately just from using the phone’s sensors and GPS. And from my observations so far (I’ve used it for 4 rides, of varying type), that’s true. I’ve kinda just tossed out the beats per minute and stride data. It’s definitely not accurate. I’ve also noticed that it has a really hard time picking up on quick transitions. For instance, my dressage ride yesterday included a whole bunch of quick-succession trot/walk/trot transitions and it picked up none of them. I think when it’s less than 15 to 20 seconds, it’s not capable of catching it. Or maybe it just thinks my transitions are shit. That’s possible too.

So the gait graphic in general also isn’t super useful to me for rides like that. For conditioning rides, however, where I’m not swapping back and forth between gaits a lot, it seems to do a respectable job of measuring the big chunks.

What it struggles with in those rides, though, is the “turn direction” data. I think because I ride in such a huge space, it’s just not registering the turns. When I ride in a smaller space it picks them up fine (although it also measures the turn data by way of cumulative time, which I don’t like and find kinda useless). I pretty much have to throw that data out, too. It’s interesting, but I definitely wouldn’t hang my hat on it. I always do the exact same thing both directions for conditioning rides anyway, so I don’t really need it.

What I DO really like Equilab for is total time, and time spent in each gait, especially for those conditioning rides. I mean… I do those rides with a specific plan in mind for how long my sets are, but it’s nice to have the metrics to back it up, and to be able to store them over time and look back on exactly what you’ve done. For logging purposes, especially tracking the length of rides for the purposes of fitness, the app is great (should also say, I’m in an area that has excellent GPS coverage – your experience may vary if you are not in such an area). I like that you can also input things at the end of the ride like how the ground was, how you and the horse performed, and what type of ride it was.

I did notice that the Android version looks different than my iPhone version. How different, I’m not really sure, but Leah had a few different things on her version than I do on mine. I kinda like hers better.

So is this thing a good replacement for something like an Equisense or Seaver? Definitely not. It’s capabilities are pretty limited. Then again, it’s totally free. It’s definitely at least worth the download to play with it or to use as a data logging system for your rides.

Now that I’ve settled on a date for bringing Presto home, things are kicking into high gear. Mostly because that date is less than 2 weeks away and I have a lot of other things going on in that time period. Time is even shorter than it seems.

I needed to go ahead and do my “it’s spring, omg the bugs” order from Riding Warehouse (since it’s in the 80’s here now… no turning back) so I perused the website and tossed in a few more things for Presto along with my gallon of Pyranha. When I was in Midland last weekend I learned that he is a bucket stomper/flinger/terrorist at feeding time and lives to scatter his food all over the ground. The stall that he’s going in doesn’t have a feed bucket up in it yet so I tossed this one in my cart:

Hoping that maybe two thick sturdy clips will be a bit more secure than an over the fence feeder or a single snap option? I dunno, maybe I’m dreaming here. I do know this thing will have to hang high enough to where he can’t get his feet in it, because I’ve seen him at work with those crazy giraffe limbs and it’s kind of impressive. In a really really naughty way.

Either way, it was only $10, so if he murders it then it’s not the end of the world.

And because of that habit of flinging his food on the ground, I picked up a tub of Sand Clear. We have a lot more ground cover here than where Presto lives now (and our horses eat their grain meals in stalls), so horses ingesting sand isn’t as much of a problem, but I definitely want to run a round of this stuff through Presto when he gets here. He’s already had some there in the past, but let’s start off a new place with a clean slate.

He also got a fly mask, arab/cob size, which will hopefully fit. It was cheap, so when he inevitably destroys it or removes it and stomps it to death, I won’t be that sad. Do we see a theme here with the things I’m buying for the baby horse? I got a fairly unattractive tan one though, working off of the well-known rule that the uglier a “barn supplies” item is, the longer it will last. We’ll see if that holds true against the whirling dervish of destruction that is Presto.

I also realized that I will need a lot of things in sets of two now. Like… I need two hay nets for the trailer. I need double the amount of salt blocks and fly spray and fungus stuff. Somehow this hadn’t occurred to me yet until I tossed that $3.88 clearance hay net into my cart. Then I had to sit here for a while and think about what all else I would suddenly need two of. I’m 100% certain I haven’t thought of it all yet. I definitely need more fungus spray.

We also sat down and looked at the feed options and what made the most sense. Due to supply issues and the barn’s bulk pricing, it’s easiest and cheapest to get Triple Crown Growth. So we’ll do that and see how it goes. I’m planning on supplementing with Equipride, alfalfa pellets, and a little oil, at least for a while until he’s filled out a bit. I don’t want him fat, he’s a baby, but he’s super growthy right now and looks like he could use the calories. We’ll start there and see how it works out. I’ll let the barn guys feed him the TC/Equipride and I’ll do the alfalfa pellets/oil when I’m there so that I can soak them, easily tailor the amount, and bribe him into loving me.

The barn owner and I also plotted out a good area for a high tie. There aren’t really any trees that are in a good spot for a Patience Tree, but we sure can sling up a high tie with an inner tube in the arena. She has a horse in for training that would benefit from it, and Presto certainly needs to spend time on it, so it’s in process. The main barn worker also said I could borrow his roping saddle to put on Henry for those first few ponying experiences for Presto. Muahahahaha on so many levels.

The alfalfa pellets are already purchased and sitting in my garage, the Equipride is in my guest room, and the TC is on order. The box of barn stuff is already in it’s spot in the tack room (oh hey, other boarders, sorry that I take up literally 1/5 of the tack room on my own). I hesitate to say that we’re definitely prepared, because I’m sure that there are approximately a hundred other things I’m forgetting. But… at least maybe we’re off to a good start?

Guess who is officially a yearling today???

 

In some ways it’s like WOW time flies, how he is a year old already? And in other ways I’m looking at all the gray hairs I’m sporting these days and wondering if it’s just my imagination that 90% of them have popped up in the past year. Only a year? THREE more til we’re even thinking about eventing? Sigh. Baby horses really are the long, hard road.

I can’t say that I’m not thrilled with him so far though. Sure, he looks a little bit like a mangey brown flamingo right now, but if your eyes can see past the yearling uglies, I think he’s going to be a nice horse. His gaits are good, he’s leggy, he’s athletic, and he’s smart. I can already see that we will definitely butt heads on a regular basis – that little turd is stubborn and calculating – but those qualities could really come in handy later in his career, so ya know… fair trade.

I see a lot of his sire in him, and also a lot of his dam too. It’s fun to sit there and watch him and be able to pick out which qualities he got from which parent.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget his birth. His sneaky mom laying down out in the pasture in the middle of the afternoon and squirting him out in 10 minutes. The way I felt when I saw that little white foot for the first time. The fact that he was neighing before he was even all the way out. Him thinking that we were his mom before he realized she was right behind him. Those first few steps right through the big pile of hay, because why do anything the easy way?

I loved him immediately.

It’s also hard not to think back on those dark few weeks at the beginning of his life, too. I’m not sure that I’m ready for all the facebook memories that are going to start popping up in my feed. It just breaks my heart all over again. He still has a little hairless scar from where his IV catheter sat taped to his neck, covered in elastikon, for 3 weeks. In some ways that scar is a point of pride. He’s a survivor, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

His story could so easily have had a different ending, and this would be a very different post that I’d have been writing today. But instead I’m wearing one of my Presto Warrior shirts, feeling extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to buy him a goofy hat and make him a silly cake. Maybe I’m that horse owner now. Maybe I’m okay with that.

Happy Birthday little man. You don’t even know how loved you are.

Since I’ve been pouring money into my car and vet stuff lately, not much has been left over for splurge purchases. Which is fine because I honestly have everything. More than everything. Except I still really want that EQ3 MIPS helmet… that’ll have to wait. But I have picked up a few low budget items over the past few months that I thought were good buys, and stumbled across some great spring sales in the past couple weeks. I can’t partake in those, but I can totally enable other people to. It’s my one talent in life.

A few months ago I got this little bonnet from Equine Couture. I am extremely picky when it comes to bonnets, especially about material and fit. We are long past the days when your poor horse has to wear one of those tasseled contraptions with oversized cotton ears and a throatlatch string. Don’t do it. Just don’t. But if you also don’t want to spend $40-50 on something custom, the Equine Couture bonnets could be the perfect solution. They’re well made, with spandex ears and correct proportions, and they’re only TWELVE BUCKS. Henry fits the cob size perfectly. If you don’t like the little brand tag on the poll area, it’s easy to remove with a seam ripper. Pretty solid little bonnet for the price.

I finally lost my 6 year old RoadID medical bracelet when we were at Texas Rose a couple weekends ago. The rubber-bracelet band that it was on had a tendency to get stuck in the sleeve of sweatshirts… it really was only a matter of time until I lost it for real. Honestly though it was past time for a new one anyway… I wear my RoadID 24/7 and you couldn’t really read the information on the RoadID itself anymore because it was so worn. I found a $10 coupon code online and discovered that the new “Elite” model has a limited edition navy band available, and this model is sizable so it’s way less likely to just come off. And there are lots of different options for hardware color, including rose gold. You don’t have to tell me twice. Now I have a nice, new, pretty, readable medical bracelet for show season. AND – I have another $10 coupon code too. Not sure if it’ll work more than one time, but if you need a new RoadID, try: P8FCQCBJW7. If that doesn’t work let me know and I’ll try to find another code for you.

This one is a little bit pricier, but I have to say, totally worth it. If you want something fun to bring to horse shows, clinics, or happy hours this year, definitely look into Equestrians Against Normalcy. I bought the first Jump Off Deck in December and then when the opportunity came up to test the Extreme Eventer Deck, I was all over it. This game is really hilarious, plus quick and easy to play, which makes it a great way to pass the time with your horse friends. They’re in the process of coming out with lots of specialized decks for different disciplines too (I know I’ve seen a hunter deck, dressage deck, and western deck in the works!). I’d definitely recommend getting one or two of the “base” Jump Off decks plus a specialty deck.

NetEquestrian’s liquidation sale FINALLY includes their Ultimate Hoof Picks!!! You have to find some other stuff in the sale to make the shipping costs worth it (there’s tons of cheap stuff, it shouldn’t be that hard), but the hoofpicks are marked down to $3.99 for the Jr and $4.99 for the big one, which is like $10 off. Awesome deal for the best hoof picks on the planet (yes it’s weird how much I love these, no I won’t apologize for it). Or just buy a bunch and keep them stashed everywhere, like I’ve done.

Mango Bay has stuff on sale, too! There’s a limited selection of belts for $10 and shirts as low as $7.50. Also kind of in love with their new foxhunting and OTTB shirts, which aren’t on sale but are super reasonably priced anyway. By the way, Mango Bay is extremely supportive of equine charities and donates a ton of stuff for shows/awards/etc, so they’re a business that you can feel good about giving your money to.

And last but not least, I know I say this a lot, but don’t forget to regularly check out Riding Warehouse’s clearance section. Just from a quick perusal, right now there are 2 different shadbelly’s under $300, Kask helmets on sale, tons of show shirts/breeches/sunshirts, gloves, blankets, fly sheets, fly masks (the Noble Outfitter’s Guardsman is $18!), mud boots, hay bags, leather halters, stirrups, saddle pads, horse boots, etc etc ETC FOREVER. It takes a few minutes to look through everything, but you can always find some gems there, whether you’re trying to get outfitted for show season or if you’re preparing the barn for spring. It’s easy to meet the $50 minimum for free shipping. And don’t forget to use FB10 for an additional 10% off, or USDF10 for $10 off. I just recently stocked up on fly spray for the season and threw in a clearance hay net for $4 and a clearance fly mask for $12. Can’t beat that.