Dressed to the nines

by Samantha  Wright

Tack shops can be more dangerous to horse enthusiasts than drug addicts given unlimited access to a hospital pharmacy. Riding equipment continues to make strides in innovation, design and quality. SA Horseman gives you a glimpse into some of the latest developments.

Enter the Rambo bridle
In 2008, this nifty bridle won big at the BETA International Innovation Awards. William Micklem designed a bridle that didn’t only fit the horse’s head, but was designed according to the shape of the horse’s skull. Micklem researched the skull of the horse to design a bridle that would offer comfort to your horse, while allowing you to communicate effectively with it.

The new Point2Air jackets inflate, much like airbags, when you fall off a horse. For more information on any products mentioned in this article, e-mail Sam at sam@horsejunction.co.za.

The great thing about the Rambo bridle is that it is designed to avoid placing pressure on the facial nerves, cheekbones and molar teeth in the upper jaw. Many ‘heady’ horses can benefit from the Rambo. Take pressure out of the equation and you will find that your horse is much happier to work in the correct frame and doesn’t resist the bridle as much. The poll piece of this bridle is also made from a wide padded piece of leather, which is cut to shape around the horse’s ears. This means the weight of the bridle is better dispersed.

Rambo bridles are allowed in dressage and make a fantastic bitless bridle, varying from a mild to a strong bridle. It is simply a matter of attaching or removing pieces of the bridle!

The jury is still out on the Rambo bridle’s effectiveness. SA Horseman spoke to a handful of riders currently using the bridle. Many said they felt a complete change in their horse’s performance and head carriage, while others said they could not feel much of a diff erence, but chose to carry on the using the Rambo because it was said to exert less pressure and be more ‘horse friendly’. Light and funky Pink, green, red, blue, black, gold... name the colour and these funky irons are available in it. While they might look like a fashion accessory, there is a reason why so many riders are switching to them. First, the irons are made from lighter materials such as aluminium. This means they are less clunky. The new shapes and design also mean they are slightly more aerodynamic.

When it comes down to point four of a second in a jump-off , every bit helps. The stirrup tread is also considerably wider than older irons – off ering more support. Before you had to replace worn down and disintegrated pieces of rubber once every few months. The new stirrup irons off er stability with wide antislip foot beds. For those who shudder at the thought of brightly coloured irons fl apping anywhere near their horses, do not despair: they come in good old-fashioned silver as well. Open show jumper, Brendan McNiven, rides in a pair of silver Wildkart irons. He chose these stirrups because they were lightweight and off ered a big surface area for the foot. Airbags come standard Whether you are a three-star eventer or prefer a quiet hack on the farm – every time you get on a horse you are at risk. Sound overdramatic? Well, 70% of riding accidents occur while out hacking and schooling. Riding equipment is constantly being improved, as the horse’s safety and well-being is paramount. Now the rider’s safety is also priority. Body protectors have been around for a while and off er extra shock absorption when you take a fall.

The new Point2Air jackets take a jump forward, they infl ate, much like airbags, when you fall off a horse. They’re a pretty nifty piece of equipment. A lanyard attaches to an activation key in the jacket and saddle. When you come off , the lanyard pulls the activation key out of the jacket causing it to infl ate. It takes 0,1 of a second for the jacket to be fully infl ated. The jacket is reusable and you only need to replace the CO2 cylinder, which infl ates it. This is a bit pricey because the cylinders are specially made for the jacket, but the protection the Point2Air could potentially off er is worth the price. There are a few pitfalls to the jacket though.

It needs to be worn under loose fi tting clothing to give it room if it infl ates. In an eventing competition, riders need to wear a fabric number over their body protectors. Many have found these fabric numbers do not off er enough room when the jacket infl ates. Furthermore, the jacket ways plus minus 900 grams, so your horse will be carrying roughly an extra kilogram. The manufacturers also recommend that the jacket be worn with a fl exible and soft body protector to ensure optimum protection. Bring on the bling All that glitter is defi nitely gold – for tack shops anyway! The new craze is to have diamante embellishments on all forms of riding gear. Gloves, crops, gaiters and hard hats all have had a few decorations added to them, from subtle and understated to really over-the-top designs.

Swarovski crystals are now used on brow bands, nosebands and numnahs. You don’t need to break the bank to have your horse or pony light up like a Christmas tree when the sun hits him or her. Bridget Haddath who owns and shows Boerperd Vasvat Geduld, shared her views on bling with us. Together, Vasvat and Bridget have won the Gauteng Horse Society’s Swanebourne Lake Trophy for the most promising adult show horse for 2010 as well as the 2010 SA Boerperd universal ridden horse champion in Parys. Vasvat was the fi rst gelding to win this title and took home champion dressage horse and champion gelding in hand. Together the pair also do jumping and dressage.

Looking good Bridget says the only bling item she owns is a brow band, because in showing and dressage, too much bling can take away from the horse. She says it is completely up to the individual on how they choose to bling their horse out. However, she does think less is always more. Bridget says certain horses suit bling, while others don’t need to stand out because they hold their own. It always makes one feel better if they are looking good in the ring and for many riders that latest bedazzling craze is all the rage. The next time you have a chance, pop in to your local tack store and browse around. There are so many great new products on the market and many times, if you look hard enough, you will fi nd well-priced options on all sorts of new horsey goodies.