Category: Reviews

I am and always have been a lover of the baby pad, but as most of you already know by now, I am and always have been really picky too. I don’t like pads that are too short, too long, have straps where I don’t want them, don’t have straps where I do want them, are a weird shape, or a weird fabric. Plus I want them in particular colors. Good luck with that.

For a long time I used Wilker’s baby pads, and I liked them fine but didn’t love them. Then I tried the Eous pads since they had the wither contour and girth straps but they were super long so I had to cut them down to fit (which involved taking them apart at the top, cutting down, and re-sewing. Total PITA). Finally I came across Bobbigee’s on eBay, saw their huge list of options, and decided to give them a try.

My first order was tentative – one for me and two for friends. I didn’t get any special options except piping (base price of $18 includes your choice of trim color and a name or monogram embroidery) because I mostly just wanted to see what they looked and felt like. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality – I liked them more than my Wilkers for sure – so I ordered a couple more. I’ve been using the same few pads in rotation for over a year now and they still look great.

One of the best things about BobbiGee’s IMO is all the custom options. From a wither contour cut to girth straps to thickness to length to colors to embroidery, they can make just about anything you want, and for very affordable prices. To get a custom one-color logo put on one side of the pad is $3.50, or you can do both sides for $5! I haven’t found a price like that – with zero minimum and zero fee to convert to digital image – anywhere else. Not to mention that every logo they’ve done for me has come out really well. They obviously take the time and effort to do it right, and it shows. The finish of the pads is really well done too, the trim and piping are straight and sewn without flaw – very professionally done.

As can be common with baby pads due to how thin they are, I had a few problems with my regular basic rectangle ones slipping back sometimes. So when I had my new $900 fb pony logo pads made, this time I opted for a wither contour cut ($9) and girth loops ($4). That did the trick perfectly, and now I have zero issues with my pad moving. I also really love how the upgrades made it look – very classy!

Bobbigee’s pads are made of basic cotton with polyester batting. No rocket science materials here but they hold up well and do their job well. My white ones of course have gotten a little stained over time although the fabric just seems to get softer and softer with each wash, and the stitching and embroidery have been rock solid. I haven’t had any issues with colors bleeding or the pads shrinking, although I line dry them and then toss them in the dryer for a few seconds on low heat. The standard dimensions have worked really well for me (using a 17.5″ CWD and an Ogilvy) but Brandy’s dressage pad is too short across the top, so if you’re ordering for a dressage saddle or a larger seat size, double check the dimensions you need against their standard dimensions. They will make custom sizes if you need it.

Ordering is a little odd since they don’t have their website completed, but you can either do it through their eBay listing or directly via email to bobbi@bobbigees.com, and they also have a facebook page. Sometimes it takes a couple days to get a response but IMO these pads are worth the wait.

I’ve gotten a bit behind on my PS of Sweden reviews, it seems. I still need to do one on the High Five breastplate, but I want to wait until I have a chance to use it more and give it a thorough test. For the Flying Change bridle, though, the time has come.

I’ve had this bridle for about a month now and used it several times. I’ve conditioned it a couple times and cleaned it once. This is not my first bridle from PS of Sweden, I also have the High Jump in dark brown leather. Like the High Jump, I ordered the Flying Change in a cob size. Henry really measures between their cob and full size, but I prefer how the cob size browband fits. The Flying Change was ordered with the intent of being his dressage bridle, so I chose black.

I have gotten really spoiled by PS’s shipping… two days for something to make it from Sweden to my doorstep (it’s ALWAYS two days!) is pretty amazing considering how long most of my other orders take from other places. Plus the bridles come in a fabric bag to store them in to keep the dust off, and there’s always something “extra” in there from PS – either rein stops or a keychain or whatever. Small details, but nice ones. When I opened the package, the first thing I noticed was the thick soft padding on this bridle. The noseband and crown are super soft and squishy for those delicate faces and polls. There’s also a nice thick pad running under the jaw area of the noseband. I gave a quick condition with Higher Standards balm and it was ready to go.

As with the High Jump (and all of PS’s bridles) the browband snaps on and off to be easily removeable and interchangeable. This is an awesome feature if you happen to also own a sparkly PS of Sweden browband like I do. It literally takes 15 seconds to do a browband change. Yes I timed it.

The other super cool “quick change” feature of this bridle is the flash attachment. The tab connecting the flash to the bridle runs between the top layer of leather and the padding. The tab hooks back on itself via a little rounded metal stud, similar to the studs you see on some models of jumping boots. The stud has smooth rounded edges and just barely sticks up from the surface of the leather when the flash is attached, so I’ve had zero worry about it getting snagged on anything. The stud really makes it very quick and easy to put the flash attachment on or take it off. Again, just a matter of seconds. The first time I took it off and put it back on I didn’t push the leather down firmly enough on the stud and it popped off when I went to fasten the flash on the horse. Once I took care to make sure that it was back on the stud correctly, I’ve never had another problem with it popping off. I absolutely LOVE the fact that when you take the flash off of the bridle, you would never know it was there in the first place. No ugly flash tab, and no dents in your padding!

 

The reins on this bridle are similar to the High Jump but not quite the same. They are made from the same “softy” leather, which I really adore. It’s super super soft and thin and grippy, which makes it very easy and comfortable to hold. They also have the same leather hand stops spaced evenly down the length of the reins. The only difference is that these are not lined in rubber. For a dressage bridle, these reins are really ideal for me. I love having the hand stops to help make sure my reins are even and to help prevent me from letting them slip through my hands – both bad habits of mine.

The noseband came with a clip on the bottom for easier attachment, and while I do love the ease of it I liked the fit a little bit better without it, so I took it off.  There are rollers on each side of the hardware under the bottom strap of the noseband for easy and fluid tightening/loosening.

The top of the nose has a slightly squared design to it that molds really nicely around the nose and then tapers to thinner leather on each side. IMO this makes it a very flattering bridle for many different head types.

The reins and cheekpieces also have the same heavy duty elastic “cradle” inserts in the ends as the High Jump has… it’s up to you whether you take them out or leave them in. I’ve left them in for now but will take them out before we start showing just in case a steward ever objects.

Overall I’m just as happy, if not more so, with this bridle as I am with the High Jump. The quality is good, the design is both innovative and beautiful, and the horse goes well in it. I sat here for a while trying to think of something negative to say, but honestly I’ve got nothing of note. The only slight negative, depending on how you look at it, is that one of the keepers on the noseband was very tight. To stretch it out a bit I slathered it in conditioner and stuck a Sharpie in it (it was just the right thickness!), twisted it around a little, and left it for a few days. When I took the Sharpie out it was looser, and the keeper held up perfectly to all the twisting and stretching. I’m excited to debut Henry’s fancy new dressage bridle at events this year! Thanks PS of Sweden for another great product.

 

 

When I first found PS of Sweden‘s website and began perusing all the cool stuff, their quarter sheet was one of the things that really caught my eye. It hit all my favorite criteria: it was fancy, it was navy, and it was unique.

Alas, when I made my first purchase from PS my budget was tight so I resisted adding it to my cart. Instead I just stared at it a time or two a week on their website and thought “one of these days”. Then, as if by fate, a couple months later they put it on sale for a few days – into the cart it went and I had it in my grubby little hands a week later (hats off for fast shipping).

I have had many a quarter sheet before. I will forewarn: I’m very very picky about them. I hate fleece and refuse to put it on a horse in any form. I only do wool – and not cheap acrylics, but real wool. And since I live in a climate where it’s rarely cold enough to need a quarter sheet for the whole ride, I need one that is easy to take on and off. That nixes the ones that go under the saddle, and the ones that either go under the flap or over the rider’s leg. They bug me when it’s over my leg and they’re hard to take off when they’re under the flap. So the fact that the PS quarter sheet had an attachment method that I had never seen before is really what drew me to it the most.

Of course I love how it looks – who doesn’t love a fancy braided hip ornament? It’s just as pretty in person as it is in pictures and I love the double cord piping. But the best part about it, IMO, is how easy it is to get on and off. On cold days I usually warm up with the sheet on and then reach down and simply unbuckle both sides (which is very very easy to do from the saddle with one hand – no contortionist skills required) and pull it off. I’ve also put it back on for the cool down and found it pretty easy to do from the saddle as well. Not quite as easy as taking it off, but pretty easy. It stays in place well while you’re riding, and the buckle is far enough back to not interfere with your leg.

Weight wise I would call it a lighter to mid weight wool. For my climate it’s plenty warm. It seems well made, I’ve used it many times now and there are no signs of premature wear or anything like that. I know some people don’t like the big branded logo on the side but I personally don’t mind it, so that’s more of an individual preference thing. I struggle to find anything negative to say about it really… I guess maybe if you have a fully clipped horse in a really cold climate it might not be thick enough? Or if you have a super giant elephant horse (like blanket size 84+) it might not be big enough.

I’ve searched for a nice wool quarter sheet for a reasonable price for years and never found one. Regular price is around $100, which IMO is a good deal. Similar quality wool quarter sheets run from around $75-200 so that puts it solidly on the lower end of that range, and none of them have this kind of (IMO ingenious) attachment design.

Bottom line? Two thumbs up. I gave my old wool quarter sheet away, and good riddance. This one has now taken up residence in my “winter riding staples” collection.

Anyone who reads this blog with any kind of regularity knows that I’m always looking for nice, pretty, unique and modern riding apparel. But I also am pretty picky about fabrics, fit and features, so it’s tough to find a lot of things that I really like. When I saw the Monochrome Luxe shirt at Aztec Diamond, I was intrigued.

It’s short sleeve, which I wanted… I have several long sleeve shirts but nothing short. It’s white (necessary) but it’s got just enough unique features to keep it classy and interesting instead of being your run of the mill everyday white show shirt.

First – the fabric is Scotchgarded. I don’t know why all show clothes don’t have that. Brilliant. The closures are on the back of the neck – a row of snaps. I was pretty hesitant and skeptical about that feature because I’m really weird about having stuff touching my neck all the time, but I found that this didn’t bother me and was easy to fasten up. It’s not too tight and it doesn’t come up too high, so I didn’t really even notice the collar when I was wearing it. I like that it looks SUPER clean and elegant from the front with no buttons or snaps.

The other main interesting design feature is the slight puff sleeve. Admittedly, I’m not a puff sleeve fan, but this one is small enough to not bother me much. I found the shirt to fit well (body skimming without being body strangling) and be comfortable to wear. The fabric has enough stretch in it to move with you, and it’s thick enough to not be super see through but not so thick as to be hot.

The real test was when it came to washing. At one point after a show I let this poor shirt sit on top of my dryer under a pile of saddle pads for TWO MONTHS before I washed it. It had horse snot, horse slobber, and various other pigpen-type filth on it for that entire time, getting more and more baked in by the day. I threw it in the wash thinking there was no way it’d come totally clean. Guess what? IT DID! I couldn’t believe it… it was bright sparkling white, just like new. I wish I could say the same thing about my Tailored Sportsmans, they did not fare so well.

It’s priced at 45 GBP which is about $70 US right now. I’d call that mid-range for a show shirt, and think that this is a good buy for the price. It would be especially well suited to dressage or jumper riders – it’s easy to wear it with or without a coat and still have an elegant formal look. I also wore it for our eventing derby and thought it transitioned well throughout the day between disciplines. As for Aztec Diamond the brand – I am still madly in love with my Houndstooth breeches and have had nothing but fantastic experiences with their customer service. Their website is also now set up for international orders, which makes it super easy for those of us overseas. Someone get me the Luxe Technical Gillet, STAT! I can’t wait to see what new designs they’ve got coming up for 2015.

Whether you think it’s ugly or awesome, you really gotta see this. I have never in my life seen a bridle that was so meticulously designed. From top to bottom, it is definitely worthy of the term “engineered”. Gotta hand it to those Swedes.

First let’s talk features, then I’ll give some opinions. Fair warning: all I had to take pictures with was my crappy old iPhone, which seems to think that the only place in my house with suitable lighting is the guest bathroom, so it looks a little shinier and darker here than it really is. I’ll have nice pictures by the time I post a full review.

Crown: The crown looks really wide and padded, and well… it is. But it doesn’t swallow the head like I imagined it might. The padding is nice and thick and soft, I can see how the horse would find it very comfortable. The cutout design around the ears sits perfectly on Henry, you pull the bridle on and it settles nicely into place as if it was molded for his head. He’s got very sensitive skin and gets rubs even from his padded leather halter, so I personally am a fan of this feature.

Browband: I was really skeptical of the “swoopy” design of the browband, but luckily it actually looks pretty good on Henry. The swoop isn’t very severe, and the way it sits on his forehead is very ergonomic… once it was on him I understood why they designed it that way. It also has snaps on both sides so that you can easily remove it. They sell lots of fancy browbands so in theory you could switch back and forth if you wanted. The snaps are very easy to fasten/unfasten but hold really well. Super cool feature, I’ve never seen anything like it.

Cheeks/nose: The cheeks are curved and shaped to pass around the bones of the face. I love the fancy stitching and the padding, those details help give it the look and feel of a high dollar bridle. The noseband is the same general idea of the Micklem as far as not having any straps running over top of the teeth. The rolled parts and the flat part across the nose are easy to bend and mold to the horse’s particular nose shape.

Noseband strap: This basically looks like your standard bottom strap from a crank noseband, except instead of “cranking” it has a metal snap on the side for easier and quicker on/off. If you don’t like the snap you can remove it. I like that there is a roller buckle and plenty of padding under the jaw. I did change some things around on this, configuration wise, which I’ll talk about in a minute.

“Flash” strap: The strap that runs around the mouth under the bit is pretty straightforward. I really like that it buckles directly underneath the chin, instead of to one side or the other. It seems much less likely to pinch and also makes it a lot harder to over-tighten the flash. An interesting thing I noticed with the buckle here, as pictured above, is that instead of being sewn down like all the other buckles, this one has screws.

Cheekpiece/rein elastic: This is a feature I wasn’t expecting, and I didn’t even notice it until I put a bit on the bridle.  In the hook ends of the cheekpieces and the reins there are little elastic inserts… two layers of heavy duty elastic that are sewn and glued together. The bit nestles on the elastic. I pulled on it REALLY freakin hard before I realized what it was, so I have to say it seems sturdy. And yet again I find myself saying that I’ve never seen anything quite like this. They do say that you can easily cut the elastic strips out or have a saddler remove them if you don’t like them, but my initial impression is that on my very sensitive fussy horse I kinda liked the feel. It seemed a little bit softer. We’ll see as time goes on, but for now it stays.

Reins: These are all of my favorite things rolled into one. They’re thin, they’re soft, they’re rubber lined, and they have stops. If you want GRIP, these are your reins. And since they’re so thin and soft, they feel really nice in your hands. No more bulky stiff rubber or web reins.

Rein stops: My bridle came with regular leather rein stops but since I don’t use a running martingale on Henry and probably never will, I took them off. However, PS of Sweden did send me a free pair of their snap-on stops, which are awesome. I’ll keep these in my trunk just in case I ever do need them. Gone are the days of trying to pull those damn rubber stops over rubber reins or buckles. Snap on, snap off. And so much prettier than rubber.

As far as design goes, this bridle hits it out of the park. For as cool as it looked online it’s way cooler in person. I got Cob size, which probably would not fit a horse any bigger than Henry… he’s on the lowest hole of the noseband.

There were a couple things I changed around.

First, the snap on the noseband was facing outward. I’m one of those people who cringes all the way to the depths of my soul when I see a full cheek bit without keepers, so it’s not much of a stretch to imagine that I just couldn’t let the snap stay facing out. My luck, the horse would rub it’s face on something and snap his face to it. So – I flipped it around to where the opening of the snap is facing inward, which I think is easier to fasten anyway. I also switched the whole chin strap around so that the snap is on the left, since that’s the side I bridle from.

Also, the excess flap of leather on the noseband kinda got in the way of the cheekpiece a little when I was riding, so I took a keeper that was originally in the bottom middle of the chin strap and moved it to the end so that the flap would stay tucked as close to the face as possible.

There are a couple of things I’m not 100% in love with, if I’m being really picky, but I’ll touch on those in the full review after I use it for a while. My first impression is that this is a really COOL bridle, very innovative and beautifully executed.