REVIEW; Bentley Brushes Plaiting Belt

The Bentley Brushes Plaiting Belt comes in pink and blue. The belt is adjustable and will fit most sizes.


The belt has 4 pockets, 3 on the front (see picture) and one big pocket on the back/ inside. This belt is very handy I use it to take the things I need with me to the collecting ring such as spare plaiting bands, mane comb, polos etc and I took a cloth under the waist belt.


It comes in very useful for plaiting but it would be better if it had a slot for a mane comb. It comes with a clear pouch on the front which has a card in to write your name and other details on, I have thrown this out as it seems kind of pointless, instead I have cut out the plastic front and put a thin piece of sponge in there which I use to put my plaiting needles in.


Price
This belt cost £6.00 which I think is amazing value, I had been looking for something like this for a while and did expect to pay maybe double this price. If you plait allot or just need something to carry your small item about in at shows I would defiantly recommend this product.

The Bentley Brushes Plaiting Belt gets 4 stars ****

Review; Horseware Ireland Turnout Rugs

These rugs come in various different weights and designs, there are light, medium and heavy weight designs.

The medium and heavy weight rugs also have the option for a neck cover. You can also buy the neck cover separately so they can be removed when you don't need them. When buying medium and heavy weight rugs I aways go for the ones with neck covers if available, they keep the horse much warmer and cleaner, some neck covers can be very thin and flimsy but on the Amigo rugs they are made from the same material as the rest of the rug, they are nice and thick and don't' slip down the neck. I don't like the detachable neck covers, (not just on amigo rugs but on any rug) They are a pain to get on and off, they can blow up and leave a gap on the withers in the wind and they are expensive. I would recommend buying rugs with built in neck covers and just folding them back over the horses withers when they are not needed.

The light weight Amigo rugs are great for spring and autumn showers, I also use mine for covering the horses up at outdoor shows when is raining, they are light enough to carry about and keep the horses warm and the tack dry. I have also used the light weight rugs in the winter as an extra layer under a medium weight rug.

I really like these rugs, in my opinion Horseware Ireland make some of the best rugs on the market, there are to many different designs to talk about each one individually but they also do;

• Stable rugs
• Summer Sheets
• Fly sheets (Review coming soon)
  
• Coolers
• Exercise Sheets

I would recommend taking a look at their website, http://www.horseware.com/products.asp

I have a Horseware Ireland Rambo Rug which came with my horse Tazz when I bought her 11 years ago and it is still going strong.

Prices
Prices vary depending on each different design. The heavy weight rugs are obviously more expensive than the light weight ones but in my opinion they are totally worth the money. I have used more expensive rugs in the past which have not been anywhere near as good as these.

REVIEW; Charles Owen Pro II

I bought this hat at the beginning of the summer as I didn't want to keep using my GPA hat for work, the GPA is an expensive hat (around £260) so I didn't want to use it for everyday use, especially as I fall off so much at work! When I was looking for a new hat I think this one stood out because of the colour, I have the gold one but it also comes in pink, silver and black. I decided to try one on, the first thing that I noticed was how light it was, the fit was good and it felt very comfortable. I will always favour the GPA for shows and hunting as it looks allot smarter but I really do prefer the Charles Owen Pro II for everyday use.

This hat comes with a free skill, the Charles Owen skills are made very small so that they don't cover the whole of the hat (see picture), I like that way this looks especially on the gold, the silk has a Velcro patch on each side to stick it to the hat so that it doesn't blow off in the wind although, it has blown of mine once but to be fair it was quite windy and I was galloping.

The harness and chinstrap are very comfortable, the harness is padded around the ears and neck and the chin strap is easy to adjust, fasten and undo

The Charles Owen Pro II has Ventilation holes at the front and rear. I have ridden in this hat all summer, when the weather has been really warm or when I have been working hard my head has got a bit hot and sweaty (attractive!) but for general everyday riding these vents do work.

Fit
I had my head measured by a qualified hat fitter, I measure a size 1.5 but when I tried that size hat on it felt way to small so I got a size 2. After riding it in for a few days I had to take it back and get more padding put in as it was to big...should of listened to the professional! I suggest that you always get your head measured by a pro before you buy a new hat.

Price
The Charles Owen Pro II costs between £89 and £98 depending on where you get it from. I think this is brilliant value for money. My GPA cost me about £260 and I can honestly say that I prefer the Pro II to the GPA for everyday use.

Features

• Ventilation holes front and rear
• Embedded high tech silver ions for antibacterial protection
• Revolutionary Sux technology for unrivalled fit
• Heat reflective paint finish
• Includes Free Airflow cover

Specifications

• Conforms to safety standards PAS015 and BSEN1384
• Carries BSI Kitemark

Overall view
I love this hat!! I would recommend it to anybody, if you are looking for something stylish to ride in everyday that won't break the bank this is the hat for you. It is so comfortable and light, I love mine and if I lost it today I would buy another one tomorrow without giving it a second thought.


The Charles Owen Pro II gets 5 Stars *****

Daily routine whilst in Somerset

720am Alarm goes off

730am Out on the yard. Feed, hay, water, change rugs, pick out feet and turn out. Muck out

10am brew break

1015am back on yard, make pm feeds, fill hay nets

1030am Bring in horses from the fields, groom

11am ride 2 horses, skip out

1 pm Lunch (includes power snooze!)

2 pm Back on yard, skip out, water, ride 2 or 3 horses

430 pm Skip out, hay, water, groom, change rugs, clean tack.

530pm Feed, make breakfasts, fill haynets, tidy up.

630pm check horses, lock yard and finish