Written by founder Johanna Jessen A growing company, S.U.D.S. sells solely homemade shampoo bars suitable for dogs, humans, and horses. Run from Ontario, Canada, Springfield’s Ultimate Derma Soap’s have the loveliest scent of lavender. I knew as soon as I picked the box up that it must have been from SUDS, because the smell was so strong. Because I was showing my horse at the time, I didn’t want to bathe him with any lavender. However, luckily enough, my dog played in mud the same day and needed a bath. Usually, we use a medicated shampoo just to further help prevent fleas. The SUDS shampoo, while not medicated, smells SO much better and lathers up really quickly. Even though my dog is a lab, she doesn’t like water at all. But using this soap with the relaxing lavender scent, she was loving it. I am planning to soon use it on my horse and see how much it affects his fungus. As previously stated, SUDS sells soaps for dogs, horses, and humans. For the humans, they offer a beard and shave soap for men. They also have a “home” section offering dryer balls, stain remover, wax melts, oil diffusers, and my personal favorite the AROMA (oil diffused through reeds).
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Written by founder Johanna Jessen
K. Marie Equestrian is a company that I have loved from the moment it opened. Their products were absolutely adorable and perfect for holding little riding things like gloves or hairnets, as well as for pencils and pens for school. My very first impression when I saw the package was how cute the duct tape was. It had tons of little unicorns covering the package. I opened to find my bag with the “I like them tall, dark, and handsome” with a grey diamond background. I began by using it for school and kept it in my backpack. It made it super easy to carry it if all I needed was my laptop, notebook, and pens. I waited to switch it for riding use until I was able to buy a new pair of gloves (because mine did not have a nice smell). Once I got my new gloves it made my ring-side backpack feel completed. It holds my gloves, hairnets, bobby pens, safety pens, and a small perfume bottle. While I do take very good care of my things, I’m not always the most careful with my backpack after my rides. However, this bag has held up wonderfully and I am so pleased it. The designs on the website are always changing, so if you see a style you like don’t wait too long to buy! Although there is always the custom bag option on their website to get any design you want. In addition, K. Marie sells regular totes, wristlets, and a lovely selection of apparel. Written by founder Johanna Jessen In April of 2016, equestrians saw a change in a very consistent piece of tack – stirrup leathers. Providing a more comfortable ride with sturdier leathers, Millbrook Stirrup Leathers became very popular, very quickly. This product is the mostly known for its aid in keeping your leg still. However, these leathers do take a while to adjust to for two reasons. First, they are a completely different feel, being a wider piece, and second (the obvious for any leather), they need some break in time. I began riding in mine the day they came in the mail, and after every ride I cleaned and oiled them generously. At the time, I had my horse as well as a pony I was leasing for Pony Finals, so I had the chance to ride with these on a few different rides. On both horses, the Millbrook leathers made a visible difference in my position. The pony, Penny was a very different feel from my horse, so it was really cool to feel my position change, and how it helped our ride. Another big plus was that these helped my knees and ankles. I have quite a few issues when I ride regarding my ankle and knee joints. I’ve been riding in Herm Sprenger stirrups for about two years now, and while they do help, my joints still bother me on some days. I was so pleased to find that with these leathers, my pain would only come up a time or two a week (compared to around 5 without). Although the price may seem steep at first glance, they are most definitely priced well. The leathers are made with imported leather and show a real difference in your rides. Plus, Millbrook does TONS of giveaways and contests. Although I haven’t had a chance to try them, Millbrook has also started to make custom half chaps. Both products, beneficial to just about any discipline, can be found and ordered on their website. Written by founder Johanna Jessen
Southern Equestrian, founded by Nicci Kirby, is the current leading producer of “preppy apparel” for riders. While they do sell stickers, hats, and hoodies, their main draw is their wonderful shirts. These soft shirts are extremely well made and are the perfect piece for a casual outfit. I was sent a few long sleeved shirts. The Crest, Pursuit of Peppermints, and the Class & Pride. All three of these shirts were a big hit at my barn. However, I wore them out and about to run errands as well. During the colder but still somehow muggy Louisiana weather, these shirts kept me comfortable. I was also sent a green and pink (or as I call it, watermelon) spirit jersey. This was my favorite item. I first only wore it to sleep, as I felt that it fit my body a little funny. Then I decided to go out of my comfort zone and wore it to the barn or a cold rainy day, and it was so awesome. It was roughly 50° F, and this shirt kept me completely warm. Although I only got a small taste of this company’s products, they have a design to spike anyone’s interest. They are very responsive to customer service, and super helpful! When you visit their website, their featured products will be visible. The summer’s feature is the “Summer Fox”. Just before Pony Finals, Southern Equestrian will be revealing two new designs that are guaranteed to be a new favorite. In addition to this exciting news, they're are beginning to offer free shipping on orders over $76...who doesn't love that?! Written by founder Johanna Jessen
I am a huge candle lover, so I was super excited to review this product. My first impression of a candle is what it comes in. I opened the box on Easter morning to see a medium sized jar and was instantly pleased. The name was the next thing I saw, “Early Morning Hack”. This tied together so nicely. I began picturing where I could put it in my room, and even my future barn! The look of the candle would fit perfectly inside a fancy house or a casual barn. The smell was sweet and warm. I put it on my bedside table, among my many other candles, and lit it while I did my house chores. Within 30 minutes my room was filled with the feeling of a cool morning ride. I loved it. The wick didn’t fall apart after I blew it out, and the wax fell back into place quite nicely. This was a nice surprise, as very often, my candles don’t look nice at all after one use. Lastly, my favorite thing about this product is that it’s handmade in America. Being something that emits a fume of sorts into my home, I’m very comforted knowing that this was handmade and 100% soy. I personally love to see the equine twist being put into more and more things. If you’re looking for a candle that doubles as air freshener and décor, all while staying natural, Grey Horse Candle Company is your ticket! Written by founder Johanna Jessen
Bascule Bonnets is a smaller business selling top notch bonnets. They have just as many options as most other companies, as far as colors and styles. My bonnet came with the “round front” style, with two trims and one cord. Everything looked to be very well stitched and felt of high quality. I recently finished showing at Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, and used the bonnet in my horse’s jumper class. Although I didn’t have a tie on the bonnet, it stayed perfectly in place on his head. In addition, the bonnet fit perfectly. This is a big deal for me, because my horse is a cob/horse – that super weird size just in the middle. The people with Bascule knew exactly what size to make for him, and it worked wonderfully. I also was able to use it on my pony jumper the following weekend, and it fit just as amazingly on him! My jumper has more of a round head, while the pony has a slim head. The bonnet looked different but in the best way on the two of them! Being in the south, I deal with the blazing heat a lot. This bonnet aired out super easily and was ready to go for the next wear. I had no issues putting the bonnet on or taking it off, and had no concerns that I was stretching it out (like I’ve had with past bonnets). For being such amazing quality, these bonnets come at an even better price. Their shop can be found by searching “Bascule Bonnets” on Etsy or Facebook. I will most definitely be recommending this company to anyone looking to save money without sacrificing quality. "Like" Bascule Bonnets on Facebook to stay up to date! Photo by Audrey Jezek Written by founder Johanna Jessen
R.J. Classics is one of the top brands for show clothes. Lucky for us riders, they sell one of the most desired items to own...the soft shell show coat. This technology of coat has no lining, which allows the rider to have complete freedom in movement. You only have to see to believe how amazing this coat is made...as I walked around the grounds, I received compliment after compliment! I rode in their "Washington" style coat in Navy Stripe Soft Shell this past November for three weekends of showing. We experienced just about all weather...boiling heat, nippy cold, howling wind, and monsoon-level rain. This coat withstood it ALL. In the heat, the lightweight fabric made it easy for me to go out into my medal class in comfort. Although the cold was a little tough to fight off, the rain barely hurt us as the coat dried up before I got on for my jumper class. This Xtreme coat comes with a zipper underneath the buttons to help you stay looking put together. This sure made a difference in the wind! The thing that really draws people to this coat (mom's especially!) is that it is wrinkle free, and goes in the wash! Plus, minimal dry time. This helped me out this past November as well. With the rain, the footing in the rings splashed everywhere - mostly on me. The coat let go of the dirt quite easily, however it had a few light spots from the lime in the footing. We stuck it in the hotel wash, and it was ready to win the next morning! This show coat is now an essential to have on my show list. I highly recommend it to any rider that is looking for comfort in the show ring. R.J. Classics also sells shad bellies as well as other style coats in the soft shell material. Next month, look for our review on their amazing shirts!
Written by founder Johanna Jessen
Pony Up treats made a wonderful impression on me during my phone call with the owner, Lucio. He was very open to helping us out as well, and we had a lovely conversation! I received my bag of treats not even a week later in the mail. The bag itself is an easy re-seal type of package, like a zip lock. I was comfortable knowing that the package hadn't been damaged in the mail! The treats themselves are a good size. They look very appetizing, though are a bit too sweet for my taste buds! My horse, however, loves them. As soon as he smells the cane sugar, he is everything but trampling me to find his treat! This company has obviously gone above and beyond to put themselves on the outside of normal treat companies. I did not know what exactly to expect when I opened my box, but I was pleasantly surprised! If you are looking for a sweet treat for your team mate, Pony Up treats has my recommendation! Written by founder Johanna Jessen Foolproof customs specializes in monograms and decals. I was very lucky to get one with our brand logo on it. It came out wonderfully and is a great start to see how our logo would look on different surfaces. I put mine on the back of my computer and it shows up wonderfully! They come with easy application, as well as a link to instructions for help! The customer service is wonderful and the business takes pride in helping each customer. Although there are quite a few decal companies out there, Foolproof is very high on my list as they were fast, helpful, and very eager to make your decal special for you. I absolutely love my P&P decal and have gotten countless questions about our blog from it! |
AuthorJohanna Jessen is an 18 year old hunter/jumper rider from Louisiana. Archives
January 2017
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