First Time Riders and Chaps

A lot of riders start out with the horse’s equipment and forget about their selves. There are many places your horse goes, whether it’s trail, show, lake, or even around the pasture. These places could have rough spots where it could scrap your legs while riding. The only way to help protect your legs while riding is chaps. There are different type of chaps for different kinds of riding such as: Adult Western Show, Children's  Chap & Vest Sets, Chink Chaps, farrier's apron, Half Chaps, Rodeo Chaps, Schooling Chaps, Work Chaps, and  Motorcycle Chaps.

A little about our chaps
We make our own stocked chaps and custom chaps to fit your needs. We have different leathers and colors to fit your style of riding. You can even have custom shapes or letters.  If you need help measuring check out our Tutorial Video's on how to measure chaps or half chaps.

• Our split leather chaps are made of soft cowhide and is a feels like tough leather. Split Colors: Rust, Black, Chocolate, Fawn.

• "Pleather" is a man made material that has a soft leather look. Black only

• Smooth grain.  The colors are: chocolate, white, bone, or black.

• Ultra suede is a man made fabric that has the look of fine suede leather, but light weight along with being durable and easy to wash. Ultra Suede Leather Color: Black, Sand

Why do people choose leggings/half chaps over tall chaps for everyday riding? The answer is simple they prevent rubs and chaffing from the stirrup leathers and help provide extra grip on the saddle. These are great for schooling. Schooling chaps are not meant for the show. They are easier to put on than the taller chaps and do not ride up on the saddle.

Chinks are a style of chaps that are made slightly below the knee with hand cut fringe. These are usually for people in warm climates or for those who need upper leg protection. Also, able to move around in them leaving your lower leg free, allowing your legs to easily bend and kneel.

Farrier's apron. Our Farrier Apron is designed to protect your clothes from the hoof trimming and shoeing. This apron provides great coverage for your lower body and legs.  Some of the features are heavy chrome tanned leather with leg adjustments, heavy duty adjustable waist belt, double leather on thighs, and front pocket.

The chaps I recommend for first time riders are our western adult and child chaps. They are nice quality cowhide and come in different leathers and colors. Want to add a little flare? We can customize your chap with metallic trim. Our metallic colors are: gold, purple, red, royal blue, and silver. These are great for show and trail riding.

A little about horse care

We all like looking our best and our horses do too! We know what our horses need and there are many different horse products out there to make your horse look their best. Whatever the problem is we have it!

You have a show coming up and you don’t have the time to wash your horse, what are you going to do? Ever heard of a shower in a bottle? We have a few different shine products that work perfectly for the show. These products make your horse shine and look like they were just washed. Some of our Shapley products like “Shapley's Easy-Out No Rinse Shampoo”, “Shapley's Hi Gloss Spray”, “Shapley's Magic Sheen”, “Shapley's Show Touch Up”, plus other products effortlessly removes stains and odors. These products also enhance the natural colors of the coat, mane and tail with no discoloring, leaving a gleaming clean look which is great for an overall quick cleaning. Don’t forget to check out our other brands that work just as well: Mane and Tail, Absorbine, World Champion, Cowboy Magic, plus more.

Nobody likes annoying insects flying around their head. Your horse actually can’t tell you, “Hey, these bugs are biting me!” When they jerk their heads make sure you check to see if there are any insects around them. We have a lot of products that can help control this problem. I really like the “Crocheted horse fly veil with ears”, they’re not only protecting the ears they are also protecting the eyes. Not big on fly masks? We have traps, sprays, and roll on  Insecticide & Repellents.

  Our popular item is our No. 5973 Bug Block Easy Swipe. Bug Block® Easy Swipe® is a professional strength pest control that kills and repels flies and biting pests, even mosquitoes, including the Culex species, known to transmit the West Nile virus. Hands-free applicator for ease of use around eyes, ears, and sensitive areas  This can be used on horses, ponies and dogs.

 
I would like to stress that I am not a doctor. I do not promote any health advice as a professional, this is just friendly information I have come across and use this for my own needs. If you believe there is a problem with your horse, please first see your veterinarian.

It is important to monitor your horse’s health. Some of the things to look for is if your horse seems to have minor aches and pains or needs minor help with thrush in the hoofs. If you don’t like working through pain, why let your horse too? There are other treatments that I can go on and on about, but I will only be discussing liniments and how to help with thrush in the hoofs.

Liniments are usually a medicinal fluid rubbed into the skin to soothe pain or relieve stiffness. After a long day of riding I’m sure your horse has felt some sort pain or stiffness in the legs and other places.  Some products like “Mineral Ice”, “Cool Cast”, “Super Green”, and others help relieve pain, removes heat and swelling. These work great for the minor pains and aches.

Another medical treatment is for thrush, the most common hoof infection of the horse. There are products out there that can help with this infection. First, before buying any type of medication, check with your veterinarian. They can tell you what the problem may be and help you with the right medication. Don’t worry though, we do have some thrush treatments that work on horses, cattle, goats and other hoofed animals. These products are: “Thursh Bomb”, “Hooflex Thrush Remedy”, “HealTox”, plus more.

As some products can help with healthy growing, not every horse needs these products and sometimes your veterinarian can help you choose which one will work the best. It is always safe to check with the vet before assuming anything. Just remember all horses are different.

Need a new belt?

Tired of the same old look? Show off your favorite jeans with a belt that is perfect for you. There are many different sizes and colors of belts. We have a wide selection for the whole family. We even make custom belts just for you! How will you determine which one is the right for you?

The first thing you must think about when purchasing a belt is finding out what size you will need. If you do not know the size, you can measure a belt you’re currently wearing. Measure from where the buckle attaches to the hole you are currently using. Do not measure the buckle, you won’t get an accurate measurement. Our belts are measured from the center hole.  So, if you get a measurement of 30” you will want to order a 30” belt.

We have a variety of American made belts. These belts are made with nice quality leather and are perfect for work or dress. Don’t see a size you need? We make our own belts and the good thing about that is we can make a belt that is small or big enough for you. Our work belts have different widths from 1”- 1 1/2”. They are made of heavy quality, 12-13 oz.  American cowhide leather with hand rubbed edges and a heavy duty buckle that snaps. These belt sizes range from 32” to 58”; ask for custom sizing.

Don’t worry ladies, we have a belt just for you too. Our new skinny metallic leather belts come in gold, red, royal blue, silver, and teal metallic leather. Built with quality stitching, smooth rolled edges, and smooth leather lining. This belt has an easy changing buckle for many purposes which may include coordinating your outfits, to suit your taste, or just for fun. Our ladies belts are sized Small- 30" Medium-34" Large- 38", and  X-Large- 42".

We also have import belts, from Ariat to Nocona to Blazin Roxx.

 I have bought a few different belts from our store and just seeing people come up to me asking, “where did you get your belt?” just makes me smile. I also have had a lot of people compliment my belt buckle. These belts are not just nice quality, the prices are great! So, why not buy a belt that you like?

Having a bit of a problem.

There are many reasons a horse is moving its head away from you, or is unresponsive. It is very important to determine what are the reasons. Your horse could be in pain or not comfortable with their bit/bridle. Make sure you never tie your horse's head into place so it cannot escape pain or discomfort. This will not solve your problem; it will only make it worse!

The first thing I recommend is check your horse’s mouth and see if there are any signs of problems, dental wise. Maybe you don’t notice anything, but to be sure, it’s a great idea to go see an equine dentist. If it appears there are no medical issues, then check and see if the equipment you are using is bothering your horse. Does the bit fit correctly? Is it pinching from being too loose or too much of a mouthful? Check to see if the curb strap isn’t too loose, this could make it rotate in the mouth and could cause pain.

There are many different bits and there are many different horses. Finding the right bit can be stressful. Every horse is different. One may like a bit, but the other may not. You just need to find the right one. A thick snaffle bit is generally easy on the mouth, but again every horse is different with each bit. Before giving your horse any bit you must teach them submission. A great idea is to let your horse wear the bit and bridle in the stall to get use to it regularly.

Alright, you now know some of the reasons why they don’t like the bit, but there still are other reasons. Maybe there are insects out that day and they are bugging your horse. Some horses toss their heads with panic from being bitten around their ears by insects. Consider using a fly mask or insect repellent. We have a large range of insect repellent and different colored  fly masks.

Other reasons that may cause your horse in pain is saddle fit, mishandling the reins, or just trying to solve the problem incorrectly. It is always important to listen to your horse. Tossing its head means it is trying to tell you something, so try to watch and see what could be the problem.

 I would like to stress that I am not a doctor or a personal trainer and I do not promote any advice as a professional, this is just friendly advice I have come across and use this for my own needs. Feel free to take this as something new to look at.

The perfect gift.

Have you ever forgotten to get someone a gift? Okay, so we've heard all of the excuses: It’s been a busy week! Everyone forgets to give a gift once in a while. Don’t worry though, we have a simple gift any horse lover will love. It also is an easy gift to get someone that you are unsure what they would want.

Our ultimate grooming kit #8000. This kit is sold in assorted colors and has different grooming supplies.

The kit contains:

1 Soft Rubber Shaped Curry
1 Plastic Sweat Scraper
1 Plastic Groom Mitt
1 Hoof Pick Brush Combination
1 Plastic Wash Curry
1 Plastic Combination Comb Hoof Pick
1 Poly Mane 4" Comb
1 Metal Mane Comb

You cannot go wrong with this gift. This can also be great on the go, show grooming kit. It fits in a small bag that can go just about anywhere you want. You haven’t even heard the best part, it’s even affordable! Don’t be the one who forgot to get a gift. Buy the Star Rider grooming kit today, it’s only  $10.98.

Fitness for Equestrians

I have come up with a few tips on how to become a better rider. As we know horseback riding is a fun, exciting sport it can also be a hard sport. If you are not physically fit for riding, you may get tired easily and that could be dangerous in many events. There are different exercises for all sports. In riding we want to focus on many muscle groups in the legs, abdominals, lower back, upper back and shoulders, chest, buttocks and arms. Having balance and body control while on a moving object will also help you become a better rider.

With any physical activity, you should always warm up before and after riding. Some studies recommend that you warm up using dynamic stretches. An example of a dynamic stretch is moving while you stretch, such as a lunge. These exercises are important, but they’re not the most important way to train. Just riding regularly on your horse will also improve your riding.

As most of us riders we do not have the time to ride every day. You should at least exercise 3-4 times a week to stay fit, since riding is limited. If we aren’t fit, we either cannot get into the stance we need to be or we can’t maintain it. So, strength and endurance are our main focus. We use strength to make one movement and endurance being able make several repetitions of that movement.

To get your strength you’re going to want to have dumbbells up to 30 lbs. Don’t have any weights? Push ups, planks, sit ups, and pull ups are a shortcut. There are many different exercises that you can do to get your strength. Squats and lunges help strengthen your legs. To work your lower back try doing deadlifts. From a squat position, lean forward with a weight bar or dumbbells and then lift from the lower back. These are only a few exercises that can help you perform better.

It is also important to have some sort of Cardio workout that are 20-30 minutes long. You can choose from a variety of workouts like Horseback riding, Running, Kickboxing, Brisk walking, Elliptical trainer, Cycling, or Swimming. As this is great advice, I would like to stress that I am not a doctor or a personal trainer and I do not promote any fitness as a professional, this is just friendly advice I have come across and use this for my own needs. Feel free to take this as something new to look at and don’t hesitate to comment with your favorite ideas on how to ride better. We all like new ways to learn.

Horsing around.

Some of our friends have given us some really cool ones.

- A small indent in a horses skin (usually on the neck or shoulder) is called a prophet’s mark and is considered good luck.
 -Horses can't breathe through their mouth
- the Arabian has 17 ribs instead of 18 like most horses.
-The intestines of a full grown horse are 89 feet long on average!
- A horse heart weighs 10 pounds
- The oldest horse was named Old Billy. He was a cross breed, he was born in 1760 and lived to 62.
-The oldest pony ever recorded was named Teddy E. Bear. He lived to be 55 and was owned by Kathy Pennington of Virginia Beach, VA. He was still alive in 1998.
-horses can't throw up or burp.
- To get an official measurement of a horses height, they must be measured without shoes.
-You can tell if a horse is cold by feeling behind their ears. If that area is cold, so is the horse.
- There are over 350 different breeds of horses and ponies.
- A horse has 16 different muscles in each ear, allowing for 180 degrees of rotation.

Those were a few from people. Who knows if they’re true or not, makes me wonder.

Can you guys name any?

Boot 101

Have you ever thought about which boot is for you? We have a variety of boots on our website and in our store. We carry Justin’s Boots, Old West, Smoky Mountain, Red Wing, Nocona, and more. Our beautiful boots come in many sizes: Ladies, Men, Child, Youth, and Toddler. How will you determine the perfect fit, boot technology, or style of boot you will need?

First time boot buyer? Don’t worry, there are three things you need to consider when buying western boots: instep, ball, and heel. The instep (vamp) of the boot should fit snugly over the top of the arch of your foot. The ball of your foot should sit at the widest part of the sole of the boot; (unlike tennis shoes). The proper location of the ball of your foot in the boot will ensure a good fit. If the ball of your foot sits too far forward in the boot, your toes will feel uncomfortable. With your new fitted boot, the sole is stiff.  As you begin wearing your boots the heel leather will soften and the slippage will disappear!

Most of our Justin’s boots have a “J-Flex Flexible Comfort System”. These boots have an insole cushion and triple density insole board that you wouldn’t believe the comfort in them. In fact, I own a pair. I just love how they feel on my feet and you could never go wrong with these types of boots. Don’t stop there though; we have a lot of different brands that are just as comfortable.

You now know how to fit a boot; let’s think about what you need your boots for? Are you looking for riding boots, work boots, or just an everyday boot? These are some things to think about when buying boots. With a large variety of riding boots to our stylish everyday boots, I can see how it may be difficult to choose from.  Most of our boots have a 12” to 8” shaft. Whether, the size or style of the boot, the right pair of cowboy boots will shout out to you from the stand.

Cowboy boots are becoming more popular nationwide and around the world, that these boots are more used for fashion than for work. Don’t forget though, we still have our Red Wing Irish Setter brand work boots for your needs. You can never have enough boots.