Unique Equine Blog

Just like we are told to replace our smoke alarm batteries with the change of the clocks, springtime should prompt us to check the safety of all our equipment in preparation for the riding season ahead. One of the most important things to ensure is the safety of your riding helmet.

Helmets have an approximate lifespan of 5 years (unless you have had a fall that may have compromised your helmet, then you need to replace it immediately). Over time, the plastics, foams and cushioning that make up our helmet will break down from heat, cold, sweat and normal knocks and drops. The padding will also compress and may make your helmet feel looser. A proper fitting helmet is important to get the most protection.

If you have had a serious fall that may have compromised the safety of your helmet, you should replace it immediately. Sometimes dropping a helmet on the ground can also crack or compromise it’s strength.

Up-and-Comer - LAS Helmets

We have been very impressed with LAS helmets. LAS is an Italian manufacturer whose acronym stands for ‘Love All Sports.’ LAS formerly manufactured the GPA helmet and the LAS brand helmets have similar styling to the GPAs at a fraction of the price. (GPA helmets start at nearly $500 and the LAS Fuego is $149.95).

Our favorites are the Fuego and the Basic. The Fuego (shown at top) fits much like a GPA but feels a lot lighter weight when on. It fits oval heads nicely. The Basic (at left) has nice styling and a comfy harness that criss crosses in the back for a snug fit. This helmet fits round heads a bit better.

If you have any questions about helmet fitting, replacement or purchasing, please contact us.

There is a hole in the wall of they shop but we’re not concerned because it means Unique Equine is expanding!! We will be increasing our square footage and our product line as well as accepting consignment items. Check-in for the progress of construction, details about consignment and the grand re-opening in March!

The Himalayan Salt Lick is getting a lot of attention these days. These salt licks are hard rocks of salt with minerals. Mined from the river beds at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains, they provide a great source of not only salt but also important minerals that your horses need.

We all know the benefits of salt as a natural electrolyte to help horses drink more and retain water. Even though it is winter, salt is still important to get your horse to drink. Many horses don’t like to drink cold water, so providing a salt lick can make them thirsty and they will want to drink more.

These salt licks are great because they are hard and cannot break apart like the salt bricks. We know how frustrating it is to put a brand new brick in your horse’s stall or feed bucket to find it broken to pieces and covered in shavings the next morning. Your horse will slowly lick this salt rock and it will last for months.

Most people will try the 2.2lb lick first to see if their horse likes it. We often find that with the first one, horses will attack and lick like they’ve never tasted salt before! Owners will often get a larger size for their second lick and it takes quite a bit longer for the horse to finish it, not only because it is larger, but because the horse has adjusted their salt needs. These licks can even be placed outside and will not dissolve in the rain!

Try one today and see how your horse likes it!

It’s snowing here right now, and to be honest, I’d love to go for a ride. Sometimes a snowy day trail ride can be so peaceful. I am, however, a cold weather wimp so I thought I would share some of my secrets to staying warm in the saddle. If you dress accordingly, it’s really not too bad.

6. A sheepskin seat saver. Fleeceworks makes a fabulous seat saver for your saddle. It is comfy and eliminates the cold seat problem.

5. Headwear. I always wear a helmet and I have long hair so I can cover my ears to some degree, but when it’s really cold or windy, I need more protection. The Cozy Cover will cover your entire helmet and wrap around your chin to keep your cheeks and ears warm. You can also try the Trailheads Goodbye Girl Ponytail hat or headband under your helmet. These are thin enough to fit under most helmets, especially ones that will adjust. Also try the neck up to keep your neck and chin warm.

4. Hand and Toe Warmers. Probably one of the greatest winter-time inventions. Put these little packets in your gloves and boots so your toes and fingers will stay toasty.

3. Gloves. Finding a good winter glove that will keep your fingers warm without the bulk has been a challenge. #4 takes care of most of that problem, but there are two gloves that I love. The SSG Winter Riding Mitten and the Extreme Weather Glove by Heritage. I give them both two thumbs up!

2. Winter breeches. I got a pair of winter breeches this season and don’t know how I ever survived without them. The Tuff Rider Unifleece breeches are so comfy and warm. I wear them to the barn even if I don’t plan on riding because they are simply the warmest pant I own. For snowy or wet conditions, I’ll use the Tuff Rider soft shell breech which is wind and water resistant. I might need a silk base layer under these depending on the cold.

1. Layers. I am the queen of layering, and I’ve been known to have up to 7 layers on my upper body. Did I mention that I hate to be cold? For really cold days, I start with a silk base layer, sometimes layering that with a light moisture-wicking top. Then, I put on my turtleneck. I top that with either a fleece vest or fleece full zip, sometimes opting for a down vest instead, or, in addition. Then I put on my coat which is always a 3-in-1 type combination that includes a fleece or quilted liner along with a waterproof, windproof, breathable outer shell. That’s a lot of layers, but when and if I get hot, I can take one off as needed to adjust accordingly.

On an aside, I would rate a down fill vest or jacket as the #1 must have item to stay warm in the winter.

With those tips, I challenge you to go for a ride in the snow. And, if you are lucky enough to live in a climate where you don’t get snow, can I visit?

This holiday season shoppers are trying to get more bang out of their bucks. Most shoppers are focusing on value, looking for the best quality for the price, and finding that ’something special’ that will be remembered and cherished.

At Unique Equine value and personalization often go hand in hand. Unique Equine offers a wonderful selection of custom and personalize-able products for the horse and rider who have everything. We offer custom products at lower prices because we keep our overhead low and pass the savings onto you. Compare our top quality custom Polartec LLC coolers at $99.99 with other brands at $150 plus! You can certainly get fleece coolers for less, but not the same quality that Polartec fleece provides. Customers notice the difference.

And, of course we offer monogramming and embroidery so you can give the horse lover in your life something to remember time and again. Consider an embroidered saddle pad or thermo manager pad, monogrammed polo wraps or barn towel and much more! See our personalization section for ideas.

In addition to our custom products. We have also searched for great value brands such as Tuff Rider, Equine Couture, Outback Trading Company, Intec/Flex Rider and Goode Rider to name a few. These manufacturers offer wonderful products with quality of workmanship and durability at a great price.

Whatever you decide to surprise that special someone with, we hope that you have a wonderful holiday!!

Special thanks to Liz and Paula, friends at Willowdale Farm in Topsfield, MA for helping with our fall fashion photo shoot. We lucked out with a glorious fall day - the leaves are just starting to turn but the days are still warm. Also perfect riding weather. Below at left they show off their Barbour Liddesdale Quilted Jacket and Utility 2 Jacket while visiting with “Cure” in the paddock. At right, they hang out in their Goode Rider faux fur vest with Goode Rider Jean and the Tech Jacket with Low Rider Breech in Denim Stripe . Dublin looks on from behind.

What did you do on your summer vacation? We updated our website!!

We are so excited - we finally have our new updated website running! Websites are always more work than anticipated, but this is so worth it! We have added MORE products than before to reflect as much as possible all that we carry in the store - and there is more to come! The site also has some extra special features…

WISHLIST - You can now create a wishlist that you can send to friends so that they know what to get you.This will come in handy this holiday season or for birthdays.

PRODUCT REVIEWS - Write a review on a product that you liked… or didn’t. We want to know what you think!

TELL A FRIEND - send an email to your friends if you see a neat product they would like.

SHOPPING CART UPGRADES - You will notice that you have to create a login to checkout. Don’t be afraid, this is more help than harm. Your cart will be saved if you can’t complete your order right away, and you won’t have to fill in those tedious ’shipping’ details every time you come back.

PRODUCT ORGANIZATION - We have expanded our product categories and added more stuff! You can also sort products by name, price, or manufacturer.

Take a tour of the new site HERE.

We hope you like it as much as we do. Please note we are still updating some things, so just let us know if you have any problems or information is missing.

Enjoy and happy riding!

Ok, it took me forever, but I finally took the free trial ride in the MDC Ultimate Stirrups. THEY ARE AWESOME! The only way I can explain it is that my horse instantly turned into a Cadillac. My ride felt gentler, with more cushioning and better handling. My knees, back and ankle didn’t hurt during or after my ride, either. And I think Jimmie felt it too because he was softer and more supple. Probably because I felt better, I was able to relax more and wasn’t tensing up to brace myself against the little twinges of discomfort.

If you’re not familiar with these stirrups, they are flexible irons with a twisty thing at the top so that you can position your stirrups at an angle that best suits you. I was getting tired of the shin burns that my old stirrup leathers were causing and I swear I was getting shin splints as well (which I’m prone to from a long ago track career). I positioned them so that the top was perpendicular to the stirrup which allowed my leathers to lie flat and the iron to be positioned the way my foot would naturally fit inside. This also made picking up my irons A LOT easier - no more twisting the ankle to find it!

If you haven’t tried them, you should. Unique Equine offers a free test ride in these stirrups. We know that if you try them you will love them. All you need to do is call, email or come into the shop. You can try them out for two weeks and if you don’t like them, just bring them back. We will just need a valid credit card and contact info as insurance that you will return them or buy them - you will only be charged if you decide to purchase them.

For more information about these stirrups you can go to their website.

To order, visit Unique Equine

MDC Stirrups are a bit of an investment at $189.99. However, they are less expensive that the HS brand (over $200) and no other brand has the adjustable top.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women today. New statistics project that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. While statistics also say incidence is on the decline, it is still important to continue to research and provide support to organizations that are helping to improve our lives. That’s why it is so special that the Potomac Valley Dressage Association has put together the PVDA Ride for Life, a fundraiser benefiting the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center.

Unique Equine is extremely honored to have been asked to make special quarter sheets for the Ride for Life to be held this weekend in Maryland. quarter sheets were requested for a ceremony to honor four equestrians who lost their lives to breast cancer. The symbolism of these quarter sheets hit hard as they were being assembled - sadness that these women, and so many others, have lost their lives to breast cancer, but empowerment that others are taking steps to help the cause and remember these riders for their fight.

We were inspired to do more to help. Unique Equine is now offering pink ribbon polos for sale on our website. 10% of total sales (not just proceeds) will go to the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Center.

Visit Unique Equine’s Pink Ribbon Shop for more info. More UE Pink Ribbon products will be introduced this summer. You can also check out SSG’s pink ribbon Gloves for Hope and Wahl’s pink ribbon clippers (with free pink ribbon hat). Each manufacturer donates a portion of sales to breast cancer research. Whether you have been affected by breast cancer or you know someone who has, we can all do more to help.

Unique Equine spent some time at the USPC games rally in Topsfield, MA this weekend. We helped to outfit the Funky Frogs with Lime Hologram helmet covers from EQ Rider and Apple Green saddle pads from Tuff Rider. Some of the riders also found our ‘games reins,’ in plaited leather or colored rubber grip, to come in handy. Here is a pic from the day! Congrats Funky Frogs on a great showing!