holiday shopping for horsewomen, day 3, with Snoopy

These are a few of the things that have been on my "we need this" list this year, and although not local, artsy items, they are creative in that they solve some very specific problems for those of us who ride and live with horses.

First, my Ariat paddock boots are still going strong. With half chaps or without they are probably my favorite pair of boots ever. The one thing wearing out a bit is the Cobalt footbed inside the boot. It's just not as cushy as it once was. Imagine my delight when I found these:

Here's ONE PLACE you can buy them.  I found them locally and purchased them there. Our most local tack shop went out of business last month, after five years, so I'm trying to support those remaining as much as possible. It's so nice to be able to see and try things before ordering, and to get something NOW when you really need it.

A great stocking stuffer, imo!


My daughter developed a nasty rub on one leg a few months back - inside calf where the stirrup leathers are. This happened through leather half chaps, breeches, and socks, and I still don't know exactly how it managed to form through all that, but the worst part has been keeping it from re-opening since she continues to ride. She's been wrapping the area with various combinations of gauze and bandaging and that has worked, but it's messy and I kept thinking there had to be an elegant solution.  There is:

Equifit Gel Bands. I couldn't find these locally so got a pair that are exactly like this but do not have the medicated gel part. I figured we could add our own ointment to the site, but if they don't fit the bill for us, I'll GO HERE and try these.  Again, a nice stocking stuffer for someone who rides a lot and might need them at some point. This is the kind of thing you want to have on hand when you need it!

While researching these, I also discovered that a lot of riders keep moleskin patches on hand to use for similar issues.  I haven't found these locally yet but HERE'S ONE PLACE you can get a bulk pack online.

I was browsing a local consignment shop yesterday and came upon something that made me stop and literally gasp in pleasure. It wasn't on the list of things I was looking for, but it is something all of us who ride might well need and use if we had it. An oilskin riding slicker!

Unfortunately for me, the one I found was not in my size. Fortunately for my daughter, it is in HER size, so I might make a return trek to get it if she thinks she might use it. The one I found is from Ireland and it is possibly the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. Beautiful, well-made, and one of those items that while not used on a daily basis is perfect when the conditions are right.

I found THIS PAGE online that shows several options for riding slickers and links to places you can buy them.

Finally, continuing my theme of music from day 2, I found this:

Lantern, you ask?  Well, not exactly - it's an outdoor speaker! It's wireless and connects to your iPod and the lantern speaker itself can be mounted on arena posts at all four corners or anywhere you like so you can do musical freestyles. Or just have some music while you ride. Or play Jane Savoie's audio CDs from her Happy Horse collection. I've looked and looked to find just the right thing for our arena, and I think this might be it. At around $110. per speaker, I can buy one to try and then add the others as needed. You can find them HERE.

Guess who the first musical freestyle guinea pig is going to be?

And guess what song?



Listen to the lyrics and imagine the Little Man doing his big extended trot across the diagonal to this part... someday I'll fly... someday I'll soar... cause I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for...