August 20, 2013

Five Under $50

Due to having an unemployed husband, I have dutifully avoided even taking a peek at Smartpak and Dover all summer long.  I've even deleted their "Sale!" emails without opening them.  But this "Favorite Things Under $50" contest of Nicku's saw me clicking those buried bookmarks in order to find photos of my favorite things.  Must...exhibit...self-control...

(Go enter Nicku's contest yourself here!)

CobJockey's Five Things Under $50 
(Ordered from "most able to live without" to "least able to live without")

#5: Toklat Pony Bareback Pad

It's "just" a bareback pad, but I love the 1970's-style plaid that looks like it belongs on a couch in a room with dark wood paneling.

#4: Winner's Circle Stiff Brush
I got this brush probably a decade ago, when my mom's childhood friend took us to Saddler's Row in Palatine, IL (my first and only trip there!).  I used it daily on Venice for a year, and now have used it daily on Connor for two years, but I wouldn't use this on your thin-skinned Thoroughbred!  It's a super-stiff mud-busting machine that still looks brand new, despite often being used in place of a curry comb.  My mom's friend swore by it and bought one for each of us, telling us it was almost the only thing we'd ever need.

#3: SSG 10 Belows

These gloves are the only reason my Reynauds-afflicted self can make it through 8 hours of stalls per week during an Indiana winter.  I think that says everything.

#2: Tailored Sportsman lambskin-palm crochet-back gloves (actual model name is "Ladies A Rated Hunter")


Can you tell I like gloves?  I've written about these before.  I love them, and have schooled in nothing else for years.  But now they're really and truly discontinued, so I'm going to have to move on when this pair bites it, probably to something synthetic.

#1: Fleck Superflex Dressage Whip


I have actually bought two of these, because I left the first one at the Hoosier Horse Fair and felt
lost without it.  It's wonderful.  It's light and balanced, super whippy so that I barely need to flick it to get a response from Connor, and the golf-grip handle is easy to hold, even in my small hands.  Bonus, it comes in my preferred laughably short 100cm length (including lash), which means it will never grow legs and walk away, since nobody else in my barn likes them that short.

What product can you not live without?

11 comments:

  1. Cotton web lunge line without the chain
    It is essential house gear in my opinion.
    I love lambskin gloves too. Anything else gives me blisters.

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  2. We have sets of Winning Circle brushes, love them.
    I need to go dressage whip shopping because both our long whip (for Dottie) and our short whip have broken spots. It is so hard to find balanced whips, I almost cried when these broke.
    My essential item: a Muck bucket. It can have multi purposes for horse and rider.

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  3. Sad those TS gloves are discontinued! They look beautiful.

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  4. Oh I love finding a good glove!

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  5. Lambskin gloves sound amazing! Need to be on the look out for those.

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  6. Hey, this is totally unrelated but I had an idea for HorseNation that I was wondering if you would be interested in helping with. You've mentioned that you majored in equine studies, and since it's back-to-school season I was wondering if you'd be willing to do an email interview so people can learn about what that entails--what kind of classes you had to take, what your typical day was like, what you liked/disliked,etc.

    If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, of course I'd be happy to plug your blog, Connor, Welsh cobs, etc.in the article. Email me at collegialequestrian[at]gmail[dot]com if you'd like to see the interview questions.

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  7. Your lambskin gloves are superior to my crochet back leather palm gloves, but those might be a substitute after yours finally die. Or, you could try calling the mobile tack shop that stops at the horse park and see what their supply looks like. They always have such a random collection.

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  8. Those are all awesome under $50 finds! Thanks for blogging about the contest :)

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  9. I have those winter gloves! They are the bomb! My feet are afflicted by Reynauds. I'm still looking for the right combination to make it through winter without my toes reacting...

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    Replies
    1. Nice to meet you! I have had good success with Wigwam ski socks and whole-foot disposable foot warmers inside insulated tall boots (mine are TuffRider, $99 from SP). Gotta be the whole foot kind though, the toe-only ones are worthless!

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  10. You know, I have looked at exactly those boots, and they seem to get mixed reviews. The price is right, so I'll be trying them this winter! They look good, too!
    I am a sucker for wool socks. I constantly scope REI waiting for them to go on sale!

    On an unrelated note: Go pony riders! ;)

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