Blog

This time of the year flies are the bane of many horses lives. Annoying little buggers! I have been using a homemade remedy for years that I have found quite effective for my horses. I’ve seen different variations of a similar thing around but this is what works for me.

Wash saddle pads the easy way AND save your washing machine. Washing saddle pads without wrecking the washing machine or filling it with hair that then ends up on your clothes is the bane of the horse riders life! Not everyone has access to a separate machine to use for horse stuff. If this is you, read on!

Did you know saddle soap shouldn’t be used to clean gear? *mind blown*. Why not I hear you ask and just how should you clean your gear? Read on

Horses have natural oils on their skin that you don’t want to disrupt. Just like us, horses secrete an oily substance called sebum, which helps protect their mane and maintain healthy skin. This is key to maintaining a healthy, glowing coat. The wrong shampoo can strip these oils and cause more harm than good. This is why it’s important to take the time to sort through the deciding factors and choose the right shampoo for your horse

No matter which brushes you choose to use on your horse, looking after them so they last a long time and do their job is important. Brushes are designed to clean your horse. Brushing your horse with a dirty brush means you are transferring that dust, sweat and dirt back to your horse’s coat which defeats the purpose! Ideally you are using a curry to clean the brush after every few strokes which removes the dust and sweat from the brush but over time, the grime will build up in your brush. If you neglect them long enough, dirty brush bristles will begin to clump together, becoming even less effective for cleaning your horse. Keeping your brushes clean not only means they do their job properly and last longer, it also means you are reducing the build-up of bacteria.

How should you thank your sponsors? There are a number of ways. You DON’T need to be a winner or prize getting to say thank you. You should be doing it regardless. Don’t forget, along with thanking the sponsor of your class(es), thank the naming rights sponsor of the show if there is one.

Wondering how to approach a business for sponsorship as a rider and you’re not sure how? Read on! I get approached on a regular basis by riders looking for sponsorship. These are some of the things I look for.

My horse is half Connemara so can grow hair like nobody’s business. Not only does he have a wide crest, but he also has copious amounts of really coarse mane hair. I have learnt over the years through trial and error how to deal with it. Mine won't tolerate it being pulled and I don't blame him! I need to pull half it out to get it to more of a normal thickness. These are my tips and learnings.

Reviews can make or break a business, especially a small business. How many times have you seen someone have a less than ideal experience with a business, share that experience on social media and the next thing you know, everyone is jumping on the band wagon, heading to that business’s Facebook page and writing scathing reviews, whether they’ve had anything to do with the business or not? I’ve seen it more times that I care to recall.

This time of the year, summer/Autumn, I am seeing a lot of posts on social media about mud fever and asking how to fix it. This time of the year, what people are describing as mud fever is unlikely to be mud fever and more likely to be photosensitivity. They both present with similar symptoms but are different conditions. They both need to be fixed from the inside out to prevent it from coming back.