Tuesday 24 April 2018

GGGear Cross Country Base Layer Set

GGGear Cross Country Base Layer Set


Get ready to stand out from the crowd on the cross country course with GGGear’s base layer cross country colour sets!

I ordered a “children’s design your own base layer, polo and hat silk” set for my soon to be 6 year old daughter Frankie. She is beginning to go out competing more and more so to inspire her further, I thought her very own bespoke cross country set was just the ticket. I did a bit of research as there are a few companies that offer this service but I really like what GGGear had to offer. They are very competitively priced and a family business, which I liked, so I opted to order from them.
They have all sorts of options available with cross country colour; set that are pre-chosen for you, sets that include matching accessories for both rider and horse to co-ordinate and much, much more.

Website

I found the website very easy to use when ordering the bespoke option, with drop down boxes for each item, size, colour options, pompom options and patterns to go on the base layer, polo shirt and hat silk. There is a box where you tell GGGear what to print and where and what colour you want it too making sure you can relay exactly what you want and where the prints are to go. This is a real selling point for us, so you can customise your silks exactly to how you imagined them in your head. The print options they have for patterns is endless: stars, spots, paint splats, apples, you name it. If you have an idea they can probably print it for you!

Because Francesca is going to be 6 (and a tall one at that!) I ordered her the Small/Medium youth. I chose royal blue base layer and hat silk with bright pink stars and then a contrasting bright pink polo shirt printed with royal blue stars. I had picked this option because from the very beginning Frankie has worn her trusty royal blue with pink spots hat silk and loves it, so I wanted something along those colour schemes but not totally the same.

With the order placed and paid for it wasn’t long until it arrived just a few days later by Royal Mail Tracked service. I was delighted when opening the package to see what I had ordered was absolutely spot on and looked even better than what I expected!
I don’t know about you, but children can be hard to please sometimes; even when you think they are
going to like something they surprise you and don’t. However, when I presented Francesca with her
birthday present (albeit a bit early as she was going to a Hunter Trail) the response from her was
sheer delight at her new base layer, polo shirt and hat silk set and it had to be tried on immediately!

It fitted her great, with a bit of growing room so it can be enjoyed and worn plenty of times without
her growing out of it too quickly……hopefully. All she seems to be doing at the moment is growing
out of her clothes!


Look and Quality

As you can see from the pictures she looked so smart in her co-ordinating base layer set and she felt very special in it too as it was made especially for her. She opted on the competition day to wear the base layer on its own as it was a hot 24 degrees.  It was great to have the option of the polo shirt to layer over the top or to change into the polo shirt afterwards.

The quality of all the items is very good and the printed stars are sharp and stand out on the clothing. I was pleasantly surprised when I got asked a few times by various competitors and mothers where the cross country colours were from as they looked brilliant on. With mummy points earned for getting such an amazing birthday present in the eyes of a pony mad child’s as well as running round 24 jumps over a distance of nearly a mile at the hunter trial, this mummy hopes she will be lucky enough for someone to get her her very own bespoke base layer cross country set.





Monday 9 April 2018

Product Review - GroomerPluss Hair Removal Tool Review

GroomerPluss Hair Removal Tool Review



Summer is now very much in full swing and it's been getting really very hot in the UK so after a long and wet winter I was desperate to try this hair removal tool all the way from the lovely Canada! Hand made by Groomer Pluss inventor John R Dean in Ontario Canada!
Ronnie still hasn't lost all his coat but with it coming out in handfuls it cannot be far away and Frankie has been using this useful tool a lot to help get rid of it all.
Made with Canadian hardwood Poplar it's very sturdy and it's been nicely varnished to stop it gathering dirt and grease. Plus as it's not coloured it keeps it's beautiful wood finish which I absolutely love!
The blade is Germany steel and so far hasn't shown a sign of rust or blemish. I do however keep it clean as don't let dust and grease build up in it. 
Another big plus point for me is that it's ergonomic, meaning it's designed for efficiency and comfort in the hand. As those of you who have horses and ponies who get very thick coats each winter will know, it's often back breaking work getting the hair from these horses and get make hands very stiff and sore, so the fact it has a ridge filed in to the wood block so you can easily fit your fingers in and stop it slipping is wonderful and well designed.
As I mentioned above, Francesca has been using this tool to groom her pony and even for little hands of a 6 year old haven't been a problem. She does have to hold it in 2 hands to get a really good grip and the level of strength needed to get the hair out but doesn't once complain.


They also come in various sizes; 3 inches which can be used on small dogs, cats, rabbits etc, a 5.25 inch which can be used on larger dogs, smaller horses etc and the 8 inches which can ideal for horses, cattle, donkeys etc. 
We have the 8 inch and while we have used this also on B who is a thoroughbred it's also worked well on Ronnie who is a welsh section A.
Talking of thoroughbreds, they're notorious for having thin sensitive skin and not once has B objected to being brushed with the Groomer pluss. As the blade teeth are small enough to glide over the hair and grasp and longer winter coat while leaving the summer coat intact it doesn't pinch or pull the hair follicles.
I have used the Groomer Pluss to removal hair from my saddle pads and boots as it grasps the hair without snagging and makes light work of a very hairy numnah.
Do purchase one of these lovely grooming tools please email John at groomerpluss@gmail.com 
You won't be disappointed!