Brinicombe Equine Think Fly spray review - sponsored blog post

Whilst warmer weather and longer days means more hours to spend with our horses, after a very wet but warm winter, it seems like we're going to have a summer that is full of flies, bugs and other annoying insects. It's only mid-April, yet I'm already having to use fly rugs and masks as well as using fly spray to keep the horses happy when turned out. Which is why when Brinicombe Equine got in touch with me about their new fly spray, I was more than happy to trial it out!

For me, the best fly sprays are long-lasting so that there isn't a need for constant reapplication, as well as being highly effective. I think it's pretty nifty if they don't smell horrible - a few that I've tried out over the years have not been a pleasant experience for me, never mind for my horses with their sensitive sense of smell!! The design of the spray on the bottle also plays a big part for me, especially if your horse is anything like mine where finding a gentle and quiet spray with good coverage is 100% important in order to have a calm and stressful turnout routine. Vallu is the most ridiculously sensitive creature to noisy sprays (as in if it's too noisy he won't let me anywhere near him when he spots the fly spray) so it's been fabulous to notice that he isn't getting tense at all about the Brinicombe Equine Think Fly spray being used before he gets turned out 🙌🏻

FLY OFF an alternative to fly spray - sponsored blog post

Over the summer do you get bored of having to use lots of different sprays and gels to keep the flies off your horse? I find it amazing how much spray I can get through in a few weeks and still there are tons of flies aggravating the horses. A few months ago I was contacted by a wonderful company called Fly-Off who have designed a new way of combating flies, and since then I've been testing out their product! 

Fly-Off have created a product which are leg straps that have little holding pouches for inserts. There are four different types of insets: Deet Extra, Citro Extra, Neem Extra and a standard insert. You can mix and match these inserts to effectively keep flies away 24/7, without you having to worry about the chemicals in fly sprays. Fly-Off uses repellents that have natural oils and aromas that to keep the flies away, and these specially infused inserts can be worn on the horses’ legs, fly rug, saddle or head collar. The inserts last for up to two weeks and have been proven to deter flies from anything up to 1m radius. What I really like about these straps and inserts is the they release repellent over 14 days, so for two weeks you don't have to do anything 👏🏻 They're also waterproof, and can be worn all the time so provide 24 hour protection for the horses. They've made a massive difference to Vallu who wore them inside in his stable too as he is very sensitive and easily agitated by the flies.
 

Maintaining & improving muscle condition - sponsored blog post

Hi guys! 👋🏻 For a while now I've been wanting to expand the range of topics that my blog covers, just so that you get more out of it. The equestrian trends, riding outfit ideas and dressage training topics won't go away as I still love them and enjoy writing, editing, and taking photos for them, and I'm far too opinionated to stop writing my opinion & motivational posts, but I've decided it was about time that new topics could be shared on the blog! This started last month with the interview blogpost with my good friend Tinja who shared her knowledge and experiences as an international competition groom and now carries on with this wonderfully informative post from Lauren at Feedmark.

 And so I'm very excited to be bringing you another blog post that I hope is useful for you and your horse! Although I do have some knowledge about equine nutrition and I try to keep up to date with all the latest advances in nutrition and all the different feeds and supplements, I am still no expert in this topic which is why I'm thrilled that Feedmark have worked with me to produce this blog post, and a massive thanks to Lauren for writing this and sharing her knowledge with us! 🙌🏻 Just a little bit about Lauren so that you can get to know her: Lauren Harrold joined Feedmark in 2018 as an Equine Nutritionist, following her degree in Equine Science at Oxford Brookes University. She owns 2 horses, an ex-racehorse and part-bred Newforest mare that both regularly compete in dressage, but also enjoy hacking at their home on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. 🐴❤️

Anyway, onto the actual topic... Fitness, muscle and condition ⤵️

For many horse owners, the change of seasons from winter to spring means less mud, less mucking out, and more time to ride in the lighter evenings! Many horses have the winter off exercise, or at least a reduction in their workload due to their rider’s lack of time or facilities in the cold and dark winter months. So, it is around this time of year that the horse’s workload begins to increase with  view to improve fitness and condition, and some horse owners will also be thinking about their competition season ahead.

Equilab app review

You might have seen quite a bit about an equestrian app called Equilab floating about whenever you've been on Facebook and Instagram especially now that spring is here and the hacking season has officially started, as the app is gaining more and more popularity in the UK. Created in Sweden, this app utilises artificial intelligence to help capture the movement of the rider and the horse, and whilst it tracks your hacking routes it also tracks everything from the time spent in each pace and turn distribution to the intensity of stride - great for any rider who wants the chance to be able to analyse their rides better! 🤓

I've recently been trying out the Equilab app, it's very in depth and has lots of options and fortunately it is available both on Android and iPhone. All you have to do is to simply turn on the app and put it in your pocket whilst you're out hacking or riding - although for the first few days I totally forgot to have my phone on me as I never used to have my phone with me when riding. If you're like me, it only takes a few days to remember to take your phone with you, then it becomes an automatic thing! I find it very useful to see how I'm riding - I can tell how many turns I've done, whether I'm favouring one rein over the other, as well as my rhythm and elevation.  It's great when you don't regularly have lessons but want to be able to track your rides and evaluate how your rides have been going.

On the app itself you can set up your own profile as well as your horses' profiles, with the horse profiles being a little more in depth than the rider's. You are able to add a photo, the horse's name and nickname, the main discipline they do, their breed, weight and date of birth, as well as add multiple riders to each horse - so if two of you are sharing a horse it doesn't matter as Equilab has you sorted! I think this is a great feature that has been really well thought out, as not every horse has just one rider. I know several people who horse share and this app would be perfect for them as you can just open the app and see what they've been up to on the days that you've not been riding.

Rydale Wansford II hooded gilet review

Having purchased several knitted jumpers from Rydale for myself this autumn and then several others as Christmas presents for family members this year, I was over the moon to receive an email from the guys at Rydale about teaming up to feature their products in the form of a product review on my blog. It's amazing to think that companies are wanting me to highlight their beautiful products ⭐️

But back to the product itself! The Wansford II hooded gilet is warm and padded with panel stitching, it is suitable for all seasons. It's stylish, offering a flattering shape and with it's generous padding you are guaranteed to stay warm - I have worn it most days since receiving it and my goodness do I love it ❣️BTW, the hood is detachable so if you're like me and hate the hood bouncing whilst you ride, you're able to take it off. Surprisingly when riding in this gilet I've honestly not noticed the hood because of the padding in the hood keeping it pretty much totally still! Unlike other brands who save pennies by not putting any padding in the hood itself, it feels like Rydale have put in the same amount of padding in the hood as in the rest of the gilet 👏🏻 And when lunging in the rain, the hood has been cut so well so that it is big enough to keep you dry!

Each gilet has been carefully designed with contrasting trims with really lovely metallic detailing and embroidery. It honestly looks and feels like a product from those very high end and expensive equestrian companies where half of the price tag comes just from branding. But Rydale has kept it's pricing very reasonable, so that this gilet is just £50, and they have others in the sale for just £20 (my mum has just bought one and more jumpers for us!)

Walker & Hawkes ladies pink stripe tweed coat - Equestrian Co.

I was contacted by a company called Equestrian Co. back in the spring and asked if I would be interested in reviewing a product from their site, and after having a look at their website we agreed to do a collaboration once I'd moved back to the UK 🇬🇧 Since having moved to the countryside in the most beautiful part of Wiltshire, I have totally fallen in love with country clothing, but with being busy with the horses and trying to get the house and stables sorted out, to find an online store that sells everything I could want in this style is such a bonus!

I ended up choosing the Walker & Hawkes ladies pink stripe tweed shooting coat simply because from the moment I saw it it on the website, it looked like it was "mine". 💞 The Walker and Hawkes coat is £69.95 from Equestrian Co. and no surprise, it is one of their best sellers. I can’t believe I had never thought about investing in a thick winter coat that you can wear both at the yard and going out, because this coat is very practical but also stylish at the same time. I know I will be very warm now in winter when that bitterly cold wind, rain and maybe even snow returns!! Being made from from a combination of the best quality wool (60%) polyester (25%) and acrylic (11%), there's a reason why this coat is SO WARM. When I tried the coat when it arrived during the middle of the day when it was +25C and thought I was going to melt - which guarantees that when we are facing winter temperatures again, I will be nice and toasty! I've been wearing it this autumn, and can highly recommend that if you often cold, then this is the coat for you!

With it's heavy-duty brass zipper together with the woollen cuffs inside the jacket this coat will keep you warm even in the worst possible weather, like today when the wind is bitterly cold, I was incredibly warm. So, if you're looking for a thin transition coat from summer to autumn then this coat will simply be too warm for you. But, if you're looking for the perfect autumn and winter coat then this is it! 🙌🏻 I am genuinely looking forward to going on long walks and spending time outside in winter for the first time in many many years thanks to this coat. One the best features of this coat is the fact that there are FIVE pockets - two hand warmer pockets (best thing ever!!) , two front pockets (treats for the dogs 🐶) and an extra inside pocket where you can keep your phone dry and your keys safe!

HV Polo matchy set from Fur Feather Meds

How gorgeous is this?! I'm so lucky to have been sent this HV Polo saddle pad and bandages set from Lili at Fur Feather Meds to show you guys how nice the new autumn/winter collection from HV Polo is!

First up, the HV Polo Flinn saddle pad - quite possibly the prettiest pad that I have! Most of you know how much of a love/hate relationship I have had with HV Polo over the years... I love their designs but sometimes their  'full size' saddle pads have been made for cobs. This Flinn style pad is at last a really nice size and doesn't look ridiculously small on a ginormous horse like Vallu. I also really like the thickness of the pad (it's more like Eskadron cotton thickness) and it does not move at all! Like at all! My Eskadron duras do not stay in place most of the time and whilst my Eskadron big squares are better they still sometimes move... But this has not budged out of place a single time that I have ridden in it!! #success