A Few of my Favorite Things

I see a lot of tack.

Like I'm saying...a LOT of tack.

Aaaaaand I kinda love it.

I see all kinds of tack: new, old, fancy, working, quality...and not so quality.

The big one in that list is - you guessed it - quality.

I can sell and appreciate almost anything as long as it's quality. And through the years I have been surprised in both a good and a bad way by some brands/makers on their quality of craftsmanship.

And yes - I do keep a large, mental list running of these items.

It's kind of what I do, after all.

Last night I was cleaning stalls thinking (isn't that when we all do our best, deepest thinking?) about doing some different marketing on some very high quality tack I have on consignment (wait - you don't think about that?). It got me thinking: why have I not shared some of this list I covet so deeply?!

So folks, here it is. Part 1 of some of my absolute most favorite horse tack things for you to start creating your own list.

Horse Blanket Fav: Amigo Hero

You know how I feel about horse blankets. This is a big one for me because I am a STICKLER for horse blankets.

I don't put up with that belly-shirt vibe on a horse blanket.

I don't put up with that weeney denier that rips as soon as it sees the outside world.

I DEFINITLEY don't put up with that price tag that's 3X the amount of my car payment - WHAT IS THAT. IT'S A HORSE BLANKET! IT'S GOING TO GET POOPED ON!

So.

Here we are.

I'll tell you what I do put up with: Amigo.

I found this blanket on StateLine Tack when I was shopping for my impossibly small cowhorse Nimble, because guess what - he's the only size 72 in the barn. Lucky me.

I bought a bunch of blankets that day, including: this Loveson (which is also underrated), this Saxon (no thanks).

Now, I bought this blanket because I loved the color.

HOWEVER - it actually turned out to be my absolute most favorite blanket of all time that I went and bought two more exact same blankets for my other horses (and now they all match and it's adorable).

Here's why I'm obsessed:

- The front buckles: I absolutely love the front buckle closures. These are so easy for me to unbuckle - easier than wrestling with it over my horse's head. For real.

- It's the perfect weight: 100g. Do you know how hard it is to find a 100g blanket? I have horses who stay inside at night and go out during the day, so they really don't need something that is hurricane proof, but need more than a sheet. This blanket is a perfect weight for their mix of environments.

- You can add the hood! The hood attaches to this blanket using 4 velcro loops. And yes, the hood is just as nice and well fitting as the blanket.

- Last but not least: no belly-shirt vibes. My oldest horse, Zipper, is well into retirement and his belly shows it. On other blankets, you can see his belly - but the Amigo provides him full coverage. The shoulder gussets are cut out for movement, and the sides are a bit longer making it a well-fitting blanket for the 15hh cowhorse, to the 16.2 show horse, and rounding out with the 15.1, 1300lb monster.

Cinch: Classic Equine Feather Flex

I found this cinch on accident.

I picked up a saddle from a client and she left this little gold nugget on her saddle. As soon as I touched the cinch I knew what I had found: a treasure. I promptly switched all my cinches over. Here's why:

- The easiest to clean ever in the history of any cinch. I'm not kidding. There is never any hair, grime, or sweaty mess stuck on it. All I do is take a towel and run it over my cinch, and it looks brand-freaking-new. Classic Equine boasts that it is antimicrobial and I believe it.

- It holds up! I put my cinches through WORK and these cinches are troopers. They don't tear, or ripple, or lose their shape at all. I think it's largely thanks to how clean it stays, but it's really nice to have something that lasts a long time through a lot of sweaty hours in the saddle.

- My horses love it. My horse Rico is extremely sensitive. If you have ever watched me cinch him, the dog and pony show goes like this: bang head up and down to sound the church bells AKA crossties, flap lips dozens of times, and (my favorite) the jig - the teeniest tiniest baby steps allllllll the way to the arena because ummmm...well...something is on his belly. He has done this since the day we bought him 15 years ago and the ONLY thing that has reduced any of this is the CE Feather Flex. I can't make this up.

The Hay Ball

This hay ball changed my life.

OK, it changed my horses' lives too...

When a very dear friend was telling me about this hay ball, I LOLed. I thought that was the dorkiest, nerdiest thing ever.

But here's the deal....it's totally dorky and weird but it's AWESOME!

What is not awesome is the price tag - fair warning. You will probably look at this and say, $70 for THAT? Yes. $70 for a stupid hay ball. Here's why it's worth it:

- Mental stimulation: I love anything that can keep my horses entertained and thinking. When I ride, I do a lot of variations of drills to keep them on their toes. This hay ball allows them to think and play on their own, which I love. It's easy for them to figure out (unlike this treat ball) and it keeps them entertained while they're in their stall or a dry lot.

- Slow feed goodness: I pack this hay ball with one flake of alfalfa and it acts as a perfect slow feeder for them. The holes are about 1.5" wide so their alfalfa lasts them for much longer than it normally would just freely fed. We all know slow feeding has so many benefits for horses as well!

- Natural grazing position: while the horses are eating from this ball, their heads are in a natural grazing position. It's good for their topline and overall digestion!

- Keeps them moving: this is my favorite part! Zipper is not only a very easy keeper *cough overweight cough* but he also has very advanced ringbone, so I am unable to really exercise him in any way other than encouraging him to move around on his good days. This hay ball keeps him moving throughout the day in his dry lot, which helps his overall health. On the other hand, my youngest horse will play with it like an actual soccer ball.

Long story short: you need this in your horse's life!

What's on Your List?

When buying horse tack online or trying a new brand for the first time, it can be a risk. Sometimes I have ordered well-known brands and been extremely disappointed in the quality.

The items on this list have been worth every single penny and then some! How often can you really say that when you own horses?

Although these are items that I love, recommend, and swear by...we all have our preferences.

If you buy one of my favorite items, let me know what you and your horse think about it! And if you have a favorite item that you want to tell the world about, leave a comment below - I would love to check it out and maybe feature it!

Happy Trails (and shopping),

Katie, Zipper, Rico, & Nimble