Product Review: HandsOn Grooming Gloves

February 6, 2018

A friend gifted me a pair of HandsOn grooming gloves this weekend that she picked up at the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo. I immediately gave them a try on my dog Daisy, who enjoyed the massaging effect, and I enjoyed the shedding out it did. But I was very excited to get a chance to try them out on my ponies when I got back home.

Today I gave them a go on Poe, who is just barely starting to shed ever so lightly. My husband just happened to be walking by right as I pulled Poe’s blanket off, giving me the perfect opportunity to snag him as a video operator!

I had used the right hand glove on Daisy at the expo, the left hand glove was fresh and unused. I have to say, the gloves pull the hair right off effortlessly. The little bumps pull the hair off the pony, but also let go of the hair so it doesn’t stay stuck to the glove.

I also tried them on Simon, who has not started to shed at all, and it did not pull hair, since non was shedding. But he did have a little dirt on his legs that the gloves pulled off very easily. I really liked how easy this was. The little leg grooves that some dirt was fitted into were so easy to clean by just running my hand over them. And his face. Simon always wants his face rubbed. He loves his face rubbed with the HandsOn gloves.

I was skeptical, and thought of these as sort of a gimmick. But I am impressed with these gloves. It’s sort of neat to just run your hands over the dirty and or hair areas and get them clean and pull off the hair, just with your hands. Both ponies and Daisy all seemed to really enjoy the massaging effect as well, which was just accomplished by petting.

I am excited to try them for bathing, which is one of the advertised uses. It’s a bit early in the season to bath the ponies but Daisy is a little in need of a bath…

A quick shot of the gloves after use on both ponies.

Thank you friend for the gift! You know who you are. They are much cooler than I expected. I can’t wait for full blown shedding to start.

Product Review: Enell Sports Bra 

March 8, 2017 

When I went to the PA Horse World Expo last weekend my friend Chrissy and I found a bra vendor.  I assumed these bras were some new, up and coming, high impact bras.  I was half correct, they are high impact, but they are not a new brand.  The bra is Enell brand and is readily available.  

But just because it is not a new design doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth checking out.  So I had the sales rep, Meghan fit me and strapped one over my t-shirt.  I did a horseless sitting trot, some flag reaches, dunks, and some leans, and felt pretty comfortable.  

Chrissy and I laughed.  I bought one.

The next day I strapped in (this time under my shirt) and headed for practice to give the bra a test.  

Now before I go into full out review, let me give you some overly personal stats and background; I am a well endowed lady.  I hang around the 40dd range, a 3 in the Enell, and have experience in high impact bras.  My current top high impact serious bras are from Moving Comfort, and I also have an original and a Gen2 Shefit (“as seen on Sharktank”).  I consider these bras the only real high impact bras I have tried that are worth a damn. 

I have surpisingly high standards for high impact bras.  My ladies need to be held in place and not move around.  Easy.   Or not.  I am always taken back by how many other women with large ladies resort to wearing multiple layers of crap Champion brand spandex “sports bras”. Note the quotation marks around sports bras.   If you have to wear three of them at the same time and your boobs still nearly knock you out if you move too fast, the whole high impact thing becomes an alternative fact.   

Ok so now what did I think of the Enell sports bra?  I love it.  Unlike a lot of other bras, that are basically triangles with straps attached, the Enell is more of a vest.  The back is solid, with supportive criss crossy seams to help distribute the tension, no back boob, no side boob, no underarm boob, none of the boobs squishing out another end. Ugly but efficient and it works.  

Another massive bonus to this vest design, is the straps over the shoulder are super wide.   And the pressure is divided out all over the back.   Often a bra will give me shoulder aches, neck aches, back aches and even head aches from the strain of the shoulder straps.  Even really wide straps like many Moving Comfort and the Shefit brands have.  I did not have any strain or ache when wearing the Enell.  

The bra fastens up the front with hook and loop fixtures, and completely covers the ladies, no cleavage.  Remember I said, no top boob.  Although it’s easy to have a loop unhook as you do up the next and it takes like 5 seconds to fasten it up.  It is in the front, so you can at least see what you’re doing.  I do like a zipper and I think it would work with this design. Although, I have had issues with bras unzipping mid ride (hello Shefit original) – boom, boobs everywhere.  

This design means the fit is a lot less forgiving.  Which is also a common error by bra shoppers.  For high impact you need to make sure the under-boob-band fits snugly.  If it’s too loose it doesn’t mater how awesome the rest of it is, if it doesn’t fit properly, it won’t be able to do it’s job.  

One of the biggest bonuses to this bra, no under boob rubs.  Yeah.  Even a decent bra seems to leave me with underboob rubs after a long sweaty ride.  Now it is March, and I was not working up a summer time style sweat, but I do normally get some minor redness after these practice sessions.  In the Enell I did not. Complete score.  

I did the sitting trot test, you know, doing a sitting trot and seeing how much the girls bounce, and I ride a choppy pony!  There was some bounce but it was minimum.  although the Moving Comfort and Shefit score better on this test, not having the neck, back, should strain, head aches and underboob rubs was worth the small bounce.  I feel like maybe the shoulder could be a tiny bit shorter and it would help with the bounce.  I may try shortening them just a tad.  

End of ride – 4 1/2 stars = happy rider.  

I rode in it again on Tuesday, a lighter impact ride at home doing some flat work, no strain, no red, happy rider.  

And I am about to head out for a conditioning trail ride with it on.  

As of this moment I am sold on this bra 100% and will be buying another.  The $60-70 price point is affordable, especially for high impact, large chest bras.  Not exactly sexy, but boobs knocking you out sucks too. 

I will save your vision and my modesty and not include any self portraits in this post.  So here is a stock photo! 

Saddle repairs – Martins Harness Shop 

November 23, 2016

This past weekend I went to tack up Poe and found some damage to his saddle. It’s a well used older Stubben and repair work tends to be a necessity every so often.  Luckily I live near one of the best saddle repair places around.  

About a year ago he replaced the billits on this saddle. A few years ago he custom made me an Australian girth with elastic on it.  He has stitched up an array of straps and I have even brought him friends much loved tack for work.  

This time I needed a patch put on the underside of one knee roll and a stirrup leather keeper replaced.  


I dropped my saddle off on Monday and Tuesday morning I got a call that it was ready for pick up. 


Bravo Martins Harness Shop in Dayton.  Excellent work, great customer service, reasonable prices, and quick turn around.  

Ogilvy Love

August 9, 2016

My teammate and friend, Averi gave me the bestest bday present at MA4.  She gave me an Ogilvy half pad for Poe, complete in team colors.  I freaking love it.  She knew I had been wanting one for quite a long time and she knew that I had been having a bumpy summer.   And she knew I would love it. What an amazing friend I have.  Seriously. Love that girl. 

May I also mention it was wrapped expertly in bacon and strawberry wrapping paper?  Lol 

Look how hot Poe looks in it. 

Mad Tack Solved my Saddle Situation – 2015

July 4, 2015

I have had Poe for two years now and have had continuous saddle fitting issues.  Luckily Poe is not picky and has not seemed to mind any of them.  But when your saddle rolls around your pony it can make it difficult to mount up, or lean effectively.  Both mounting and leaning are pretty important skills in mounted games.  

A few days ago I decided call Mad Tack in Madison, Virginia, where I heard they have a large selection of inexpensive used saddles.  I talked to Samantha on the phone and told her my saddle situation.  And sure enough. She raddled off a good selection of possible saddles that fit my criteria.  He suggested I bring Poe with me and we could try saddles to my heart’s (butt’s) content.  

I had Friday off for the Fourth of July so I loaded Poe up and off we went. 

Mad Tack was mad easy to find.  right in Madision just a quarter mile or so off rt29.  Samantha had me park ou back next to a grass area.  She took a look at Poe and then we went inside to select some saddles.  

We started off with four saddle and, putting each one on a naked Poe to see the fit. Samantha was knowledgeable and competent.  She commented on the fit in the front gullet area, thought the should, along the panels and back.  Taking note on length compared to Poe’s back and how level the seat sat.  

After looking at a few on his back we girthed up one and I climbed aboard.  Now my main issues is the saddle rolling when I go to climb on, so paying particular attention to that, I was instantly pleased to see that it did not move.  Score! I rode around and worked up some heat and a little light sweat and we pulled off the saddle. It was pleasingly even.  We sat that saddle, which I’ll refer to as saddle #1, on the “maybe” stand. 

The next saddle we girthed up and I climbed on, let’s call it saddle #2, was not as pleasing as saddle #1. 

We looked at the fit of a few more and then Samantha our saddle #3 on Poe’s back.  She liked the fit on him and so did I.  We girthed him up and I climbed on and it didn’t move.  My butt it the seat and my legs settled along the laps and off Poe and I went, trotting some circles, a short stop, some leaning, another mount, and I announces saddle #3 as the hands down winner!   

While I was there I dropped off two of the saddles I have that do not fit Poe for consignment. Oh, did I mention that the store has all kinds of stuff? Lots of used stuff, new stuff, great prices, simply awesome!  

   
    
   

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