Product Review - LeMieux Snug Boots

First impressions

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They’re made with the same 3D mesh air fabric as the numnah linked above so because of that they’re designed to fit (as the name suggests) snuggly around the fetlock as emphasis of the design of the product is breathability and flexibility during work. It also has a hard but flexible layer which protects the tendon which is ideal for both schooling and jumping.

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When I first received these through the post I was instantly really excited to try them. They’re so professional! As they’re long enough to wrap under the bottom of the fetlock I was pleased to think they’d do a good job supporting the fetlock too. They’re also light weight and aren’t going to weigh down your horses legs which is obviously important in jumping as it could mean the difference between knocking a pole or not and in schooling not being able to that that proper lift and extension.

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Don’t they look smart! I’m such a stickler for turning our horses out to the very best they can look and a lot of that is having good looking equipment that is practical also. We all want to look professional when schooling, riding or competing and there is no doubt of that with these Snug Boots.

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Use

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We’ve mainly used these boots for school and hacking and have been really impressed. My big great first thought upon using them in how much easier they are to do up than Velcro straps. They’re done up by a plastic 3 holed keeper which pops over a metal rivet. So good as they can be adjusted to accommodate various bone cannon bone and fetlock sizes! They’re also a lot less likely to break than Velcro straps. We’ve used a product made of a similar material but sadly after continued use one of the Velcro straps had the stitching break and it come off. Not ideal when you’re paying £40 for a set of boots and they break as the stitching rots and doesn’t show great workmanship.

They’re also very easy to clean, with sticky mud you can just dunk them in a bucket of water or under a tap and rub off the dirt, or in the case of sandy school you can easily remove it with a brush, like we did here!

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​For jumping the 3D mesh Air material is flexible enough to allow good movement of the fetlock to allow good tucking of the hoof so unlikely to cause flexion problems and thus poles on the ground, but as the flexible plastic around the tendon area so if a horse were to over reach they’d not cut into the tendon and if hitting a pole wouldn’t cause too much pain and bruising!

 

Verdict

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I think they speak for themselves when you look online and see they’re sold out online in medium, they’ve flown out like hot cakes! We found them to be absolutely fantastic, due to the 3D mesh air technology fabric they’re absolute to be washed and dry very quickly. They also don’t rub or take hair off of the legs so they’re a real plus point as no-one wants sore patches! They also keen the legs cool and not too hot which is important in tendon care. Studies have been down on tendons getting too hot and deteriorating so this is super important in health tendons and legs in a horse.

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They’re amazing value for money at £42.50 a pair and really stand up to wear and tear, but also have good longevity so you won’t have to be buying a replacement pair anytime soon!

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For me personally protecting the tendons is extremely important and these cover both areas in keeping the area cool and not upsetting the tendons but also protecting it from strike forces such as over reaches, bangs, knocks and such. Horses have been saved by wearing boots and these will be up there in extremely popular boots for that I’d say!

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Overall, a really good buy that’s amazing value for money and will do ‘exactly what it says on the tin’ as it were.

Product Review - LeMieux 3D MEsh Air Numnah

LeMieux 3D Mesh Air Numah 

First impressions - 

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When I first opened my parcel I was really excited to try this numnah. Georgie and I have used similar numnah's before that are on the same principle; breathable and allowing the air to flow over the horses skin while in use and thus keeping them sweat free, or at least less hot. 

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When opening and examining the numnah it was really noticeable that for a large dressage square numnah, it was really quite light. I then noticed that it has a built in memory foam saddle pad, so eliminating the need to buy an addition memory foam or gel pad which is really good, not having to fork out for two things (a numnah and a pad). And I'm sure we've all been there; that you go to a competition only to realise you've bought the numnah and forgotten the additional pad. No chance of that happening here!

Unlike other numnah's we've tried before the fabric had smaller holes in the mesh, and was lined on the inside with a soft velvety type cloth underlining which reading up on the product I realised is one of the new technological advances, bamboo soft lining. Why is that important to us and something we focused on you ask? Well previously these breathable type numnah's have had large breathable mesh holes, which did the job they were designed to do, which is let the air flow, but the downside was that Beanie's fur on his back got pulled and pinched by this mesh fabric and meant he was uncomfortable and put his back up. Not what you want when you're trying to exercise or compete your horse and they're not listening to you. So for the mesh to still be incorporated but lined with a breathable soft fabric was really exciting to us!

Another first impression was just how smart this numnah looks. It's seriously professional and the craftmanship put into these numnah's really sets it apart from other companies. The girth area where the buckles and elastic come in contact with the horse has a durable but hard wearing fabric covering that area so firstly the horses side doesn't get rubbed but the buckles and elastic won't get rubbed and worn through. For me, little bits like this really set the brand apart from their competitors.

Verdict - 

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A lot of thought has been put into the design and technology of the Le Mieux ProSport 3D Mesh Air numnah, that was noticeable from the onset but really putting the numnah through it's paces with various riding and schooling scenario's really helped. Beanie at no point got too hot and sweaty, his back a little damp but nowhere near as much as it usually would have. 

A lot of small, but very important details have been thought out through the design and for me that is it's something I regard highly when it comes to buying and using equipment in riding. I have a pet hate about numnah's bunching up and moving and this diddn't happen with this numnah. The look is also very important, we all want our horses to look their best when being ridden don't we? This numnah is super smart both during and after use.

It washes easily and dried in no time at all, which I'm sure is down to the Mesh Air technology allowing air to flow through it. And because it allows air flow, the horse doesn't get so hot when schooling it doesn't need washing every time after use. Ideal when you're riding daily and don't have time for it to dry. Win win!

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For the price of £47.50 it isn't breaking the bank and you would likely pay that much if not more for cotton numnah (that needs constant washing and causes your horse to get hot) and a gel pad which this is a numnah and pad all in one! Plus you can use it every day for all equine activities like schooling or hacking meaning one numnah does it all.

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I'd definitely highly recommend the Le Mieux ProSport 3D Mesh Air numnah and will continue to use it a lot! If you'd like to buy one yourself click on the button below. #LoveLeMieux

Product Review - Storm Chase wrist & Hand Warmers

Keeping the cold away with Storm Chase wrist & hand warmers

Sophie and I love supporting and finding out more about local businesses, especially those based where we live in and around the Newmarket area and with a recent ski trip and cold snap I have been able to put the Storm Chase wrist and hand warmers through their paces. This British made and designed product allows you to have complete use of your fingers whilst keeping them warm which is essential when out on the yard or while riding. They are cleverly designed with the cuffs being made of a thicker soft shell technical material which has a warm and soft feel against the skin, whilst around the hand is made of a more light weight and stretchy material. This fancy material is call Supplex and it has high water and wind resistant properties.

Anyone who works with horses during the winter months knows how cold your hands and fingers get from the elements and wearing normal gloves can be frustrating as you have to keep taking them off to do rug buckles, straps, tacking horses up and having to take them off to avoid getting them wet while filling water buckets etc; It’s a case of on off, on off. Not so with Storm Chase wrist and hand warmers and I think there is no better fingerless gloves than these. They are close fitting so you hardly know you’re wearing them and remain comfortable all day long. I had full use of my fingers all of the time, so I wasn’t wasting time taking gloves off and when it came to doing wet jobs I was able to simply role the black hand part back by slipping my thumb out and the wrist area is water repellent so any splashes just rolled off the material.

I can even report that my hands remained warm whist out hacking in less than ideal conditions, which for me is a must, as I find that my hands are the first thing to get cold and I didn't want to wear large thick gloves which would be bulky and make it hard to get a good feel on the reins (which is essential to make sure you are communicating correctly with your horse). I have also just come back from a skiing trip to France where I was the envy of all my friends with the Storm Chase warmers! I slipped them on in the morning before getting all my ski equipment on and since they are so slim line I was easily able to put by ski gloves over the top without having extra bulk in the palms. I love capturing my skiing adventures with a GoPro so I was removing my gloves to switch the camera on/off a lot but this was not a problem even in blizzard conditions as my hands remained toasty with the warmers acting as a barrier from the biting wind. Handling your phone is simple and quick as your finger tips are ready for action too straight away.

=I would highly recommend the Storm Chase Warmers if you spend lots if time outdoors working or doing outside pursuits. Having cold hands is unpleasant, sometimes even painful and wearing gloves is not always possible which is where this product can make a huge difference to you.  If you shoot, fish, ride, run, dog walk, ski, cycle to name but a few sports, I believe these would be an excellent investment to you.  Priced at £23.95 these are great value for money. They are well made and wash up like new again. Mother’s day is also round the corner and these would make a very practical and thoughtful alternative to the usual flowers or chocolates gift.

There is a horsiness promo code for readers which is SC16 which will give you 10% off! Buy them from here 

How To Guide - Polo Tail Knot

I learnt this quick and easy knot from a friend at my local polo club just outside of Newmarket and have found I've used it not just for getting the ponies ready for a match but also used it lot's this winter with keeping our horses tails clean and out of the mud when turning them out in the field and when taking them out on rides.

It's great due to the fact you don't need any bands or tape to keep it up and out the way, and it's super quick to take out. It can take a little time to master and therefore get it neat and tidy but once you've got it you've got it!

Have a watch of the video below to learn how to tie a polo tail knot and get tying!

1 - Brush the tail through to get ride of knots and tangles. Then take a small section of tail from the end of the dock. Keep that seperate and out of the way for now.

2- From the bottom of the dock start plaiting the rest of the tail like you would any normal plait. Do this until you get to about 15cm from the end. Combine all 3 plaiting strandes together and then resplit it back into 2 sections, 

3 - Fold the plaited tail up to the middle of the dock and take the 2 sections of hair on the left and right sides and cross them over on the underside of the dock and bring them back onto the topside of the dock.

4 - Now start twisting them together so they create one twisted strand and twist it until it curls up on itself greating a knob. 

5 - Get your strade of tail that you've kept seperate and take the very bottom of it and hold it in the same hand as the hair knob and with your other hand start wrapping that spare strand round and round. It will be wrapping the main part of the tail up like string.

6 - Once you've reached the end of the securing strand make sure it is tightly wrapped and tucked together, therefore securing and locking the whole thing in place.

It should look like this when you've finished

Rotational Reflection

It's been just over a week since my unfortunate rotational fall while drag hunting at Milton Park with the Cambridge Uni drag hounds. It was on Scully the coloured cob, and it was one hell of a splat! 

The pace wasn't too fast at Milton but with a horse who basically thinks he's a mix of a land rover defender with the speed of a race horse it's fairly difficult to keep in control and stop when you need to. Talking of not being able to stop...

 

The situation was that 3 of us were lined up for a fence, all in a staggered position so not to jump onto each others heels. The thing was that the first horse stopped, which in turn caused the second and middle horse to stop also.. and with me about 3 strides out I instantly tried pulling up but Scully was having none of it and figured he could fit through the small gap left to jump. Unfortunately half a stride out changed his mind (I had been trying to tell him by pulling as hard as I could to stop) but by then it was too late; his momentum was still carrying him and I too fast into the fence. In a last ditch attempt to help himself and I scully got his left leg over and with that I was flying over his head, over the fence and onto the ground on the other side. Luckily and quite scarily time seemed to slow down and I saw the ground coming up rather fast. Luckily I was able to put my heads out and save myself from diving head first into the ground. In that split second from landing on the floor and turned to see Scully flipping in a rotational fall over the fence and towards me. But in that split second there was just not enough time to move out the way and Scully landed on my legs and pelvis. 

Now on top of me and on his back I could see and feel Scully on his back on me trying to right himself (Think a tortouise on it's back legs flailling, cause that it was it looked like). Quickly I put my hands on his belly and tried to roll him away from my torso and face, but he was too far gone towards me and was too heavy for me to push away so I had to let go and let him roll towards me so his tummy was now on my legs, pelvis and bottom of my torso. He lay there a bit shocked for a bit while I remember shouting "He's on top of me! He's on top of me!".

 

In those seconds that the fall and being to where we were now Sam, Clare and Tara had cantered over to me to help. I remember Sam shouting to me "Yes he is on top of you, can you pull yourself out?" 

With Scully a little bit more aware of himself now, put his front legs down and pushed the front part of his body up. Unfortunately my legs were still well and truely stuck under his bottom and back legs so there was no way I could pull myself out. I did try but couldn't do it.

He's not a little chap so I'd lost basically all of the feeling in my legs at this time so just had to wait until he was off me.

I remember telling Sam I could get my legs out and was instructed to just wait until he gets up! I remember pushing him and having to encourage Scully to get up. I think he was a bit worried about squashing me further but when he made moves to get up I basically then just covered my chest, head and neck with my arms and curled up as best I could and hoped he wouldn't stand on me. And to his credit he didn't, he missed standing on me completely so I was able to get up after that.

In the probably 30 seconds or more he was on top of me my legs had gone very numb and we're hurting so I hobbled over to the fence and propped myself up while Sam held Scully and her horse. 

Now that I was standing and away from danger and further injury shock kicked in very quickly. I remember standing holding the fence trying to speak and answer questions when I could feel my wind pipe starting to tighten up and close.. I spoke out and said "Honestly Im actaully ok but I'm now finding it hard to breath. Wind pipe tight" and trying to suck air in. 

Sam, bless her, was super good and asked me if my stock was too tight but it was sheer shock. I repeated I'm ok, im fine just...breathing. I was a very weird experience cause in my head I wasn't freaking out and panicing, I was perfectly calm but my brain was telling me to panic. Sam instructed me to breath in through my nose and out through my mouth, which I did of course bit still my airway got tighter and tighter. It wasn't long before I could feel myself getting light headed so I called out and said I had to sit down before I fainted. And being absolutely covered in mud already, what was the hurt sitting down in more mud? None, so I sat down and a bit undignified I swung my legs up in the air and put them on the fence. I've fainted and helped enough people while fainting in my time as a first aider to know that in shock your body automatically sends all the blood to vital organs and you faint from lack of oxygen rich blood in your brain. So by sticking my legs up I could get the blood from my legs back to my head and avoid passing out. I laid there trying to breathe and not pass out, I was mortified enough without doing that. Luckily after a minute or two my air ways relaxed, I didn't feel faint any more so I stood back up. Clare beckoned over a car to come and pick me up because at first I thought I couldn't get back on, but with not banging my head and not really having any pain anywhere in my legs, back, neck or shoulders I figured "F it, I'm going to ride back to the pack and see how I feel". Therefore we cantered back to the boxes which is where the second line had ended and people and horses were getting their breaths back. 

 

I decided that actually nothing really hurt and I was a bit muddy, Scully was actually fine and wasn't hurt (I must make a good squishy landing mat)  but both of us were ok considering, so we carried on, although not jumping any more.

 

 

 

  

So, now that i've explained all that happened I wanted to talk about how I feel now, a week later and should I have done things different etc.

First of all, I was in fact really quite alright in the days after. I was absolutely stiff as a board, but nothing broken. I was a bit worried about my left shin as that was really rather painful and even more so when touched that night, but after a sleep it felt better and not so agonising so I figured it wasn't broken and to just take normal pain meds and not go to the hospital. 

 

Two days after the fall I thought I really should get back on a horse and well 'Get back on the horse' as they say so I went for a ride out with Georgie and what I figured would just be a walk. I bridged my reins and basically rode holding them in my right hand, leaving my left arm and shoulder to rest. Alas Georgie had different ideas and actually wanted to canter and I couldn't exactly not do it cause the horse I was on would have gone mental. So I gritted my teeth and had a short canter. I do think the ride in general helped ease off the stiff and tenseness in my muscles and I felt fine about rding still.

While on this ride I got a rather big telling off from Georgie about not wearing a back protector or air jacket but I honestly think an air jacket would have been detromental in that situation. Don't get me wrong, I am a avid fan of air jackets but rather than just being landed on and horse getting up I was laid on for quick some time, but a horse that probbaly weighs about half a tonne. What I realise though that actually if I had an air jacket on I would have been laid there basically immobile like some giant inflatable tyre. I would have struggled to put my arms out to roll Scully away from my head and torso and I think he would have struggled to get up and may well have actually trodden on me if I had a big bulky air jacket on. Same perhaps with a back protector but i'll obviously never know in this situation and a rotational fall is something I never want to have happen to me again.

On wednesday I met a man who's wife is an eventer and we chatted and I mentioned why I was stiff and hobbling abit and mentioned the rotational fall, he said his wife had a rotational fall and ruptured organs and was in hospital for 5 weeks. So it really did make me think about how lucky I had. Granted, she was competing in a BE 2 star where the fences were much bigger, but still.

The thing that actually has taken the longest to heel is my left shoulder and arm; I figured that that was the first limb to hit the ground and therefore take all of the impact. I landed on the shoulder rather hard I think. That really took about a full 6/7 days to feel good. I got the yesterdays meet at Trumpington with it still a little sore and stiff but actually feeling like it had strength in it.

 

Another thing I noticed was yesterday getting back on and standing in field mastering I realised that not only did I have to jump, but i'd be leading and all eyes would be on me! No mistakes could be made and I had to make sure to not fall off. I had had my confidence knocked by the whole experience really. On the ground I had told myself that I was fine and i'd be alright jumping but actually jumping and doing it well was another matter. 

Luckily Monkey is so scopey and jumped so cleanly and rather than getting in tight to a fence he could take a big one. I'd rather a horse take a stride out then put an extra one in personally.

 

I do feel I was rusty jumping yesterday and was absolutely not at my best. Looking at some of the photos proves that to me, I was not forward and up in the saddle really for jumping and I think that is my subconcious fear of flying over the horses head again. With time I'm sure I'm sure I'll get that confidence back and will jump much more fluidly and without depending on the horse so much. Seeing this photo makes me sad! I 100% used Monkey to get me over that fence, not the other way round and I feel embarassed about that. I never ever like holding onto a horses mouth and to Monkey I apologise! 

 

 This makes me sad, i'm sorry Monkey!

 

This photo may just be a one off as the rest of the photos aren't as bad, and I know that once I got back into the swing of things I ws jumping well, wasn't relying on Monkey and did a decent job. I had great wing (wo)men in Hugh and Emma who gave Monkey and I leads and confidence while up front! I really do appreciate it. Plus I did have a wonderful day 

 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, hats off to jockeys! They have some bloody awful fall and they get back on and ride the next horse. That really does take ball!

 

I guess where to go from here... I'm working weekends now for the foreseeable future so I'm not sure when I will be hunting or jumping again but I hope that yesterday helped me get mentally positive about jumping going forward and that I can conciously and subconciously move on from that fall and that as time goes on i'll forget it and will be back in my stride again.

 

I big thank you to Sam, Tara and Clare for being so quick to come to my aid during and after the fall, it helped massively in not freaking out! As always to Henry and the drag hunt for letting me ride and lending me horses! To Sophie also for allowing me to ride Monkey and for asking me to field master. I've ticked off a line on my bucket list!

 

Keep on riding, head up, shoulders back, brain in gear and never give up!