RETAIL REVIEW

Our Views on Products On the Market - both old and new

You can purchase some of the featured products from us. Please phone or email for further information.

Remember to click through to Equi-shop where you will find details of some items for sale and Special Offers.

_____________________________________________

Products we are currently testing

Anivac Oxygen Washes

Assorted products from Vetspro

The Equi-ami lunging and riding aid

* * * * *

Relaxer Dropped Noseband from HILARY VERNON

Designed by the well-known and respected bitting clinician Hilary Vernon, the Relaxer Dropped Noseband could well be the anwer to many owners paryers, but more importantly, their horses.

Invariably when riders and trainers have a bitting problem, after trying 2 or 3 differnt bits without improvement, they resort to closing the mouth by way of a flash, grakle aor dropped noseband.

Whilst this may well prove to be the answer for some horses, in the vast majority of cases the horse the mouth is closed without proper justification - and often too tightly as well.

This revolutionary noseband allows the horse the degree of mouth movement its needs not only to be comfortable but flex properly at the poll, but should it then open its mouth in resistance the noseband tightens to signal that this is not acceptable.

Clever design and placement of elastic inserts create a pressure and release system which rewards to horse when it does right.

We are trying this noseband on several different horses and will report back soon. Meanwhile please read the full press release from Hilary Vernon HERE.

EQUIPLUS brings you Equi-N-icE Horse Therapy

This company has developed a unique cooling system for horses in the shapes of bandages, travel boots and a rug which draws heat away from the body instead of driving in cold as is normally the case with "cooling products"..

The optimum reduction of the temperature of the body and the dissipation of heat in limbs (tendons and joints) has always been a challenge particulary for racehorse trainers, event and endurance riders but with the advent of much hotter summers the rest of the equestrian community is also finding heat a problem.

But now with some wonderful products from Equiplus keeping your horse cool or reducing heat in legs need no longer be a problem.

"Equi-N-icE therapy - Cold therapy for horses, more effective and quicker to apply than traditional equine therapies".

EQUI-N-ICE COOLING BANDAGES

Cooling Bandages

These innovative bandages not only reduce swellings and take out heat but also help to prevent injuries in the first place.

They are so easy to use and you do not have to remember to put them in the fridge first! After use, just pop them back in the airtight, resealable foil packet until next time. The bandages are re-charged simply by spraying with a special Coolant.

The Coolant is completely safe to use as it is non-toxic and a non-irritant to both horse and human alike.

Watch this space for our comments

EQUI-N-ICE RAPID COOLER RUG

A conventional cooler relies on air convection for cooling a horse but the Rapid Cooler Rug combines this with evaporation too thereby maximising the cooling of the horse as quickly as possible.

As with the bandages the rug is treated with the Coolant to encourage evaporation all over the horse’s body. It is made from a Coolmax® fabric which is known for its ‘cool’ properties in reducing skin temperature in human athletes.

There is more technical information available which we will add once we have assessed the product both for day-to-day use in the yard and on competition days.

SCIENCE WITH NATURE - PRODUCTS FOR OPTIMUM EQUINE HEALTH

Science with Nature logo

Science with Nature use natural and organic raw materials in preference to chemicals and other nasties - and have a non-G.M. policy.

All the raw materials incorporated into any product have been approved by the relevant bodies both in the UK and abroad so do not contravene any rules.

The manufacturing process takes place in an environment which is licensed for the production of human grade medicines and health products.

We have just commenced trialing a range of herbal products which will help enhance your horse's health and wellbeing as well as help address specific issues. All the products are Jockey Club, FEI and BJSA approved.

8 horses in the yard of various ages, stages of training and devopment and with different issues we wish to address are involved in our trial. Some of our clients are also assisting in the trials so WATCH THIS SPACE for the results!

We are also trialling "Multi-worm" which is a liquid blend of herbal and botanical extracts from around the world. Unlike many herbal worming products, just one monthly dose of "Multi-worm" is all that is needed to keep parasites at bay..

However we can already give you positive results regarding one product in particular - please see below.

PRODUCTS WE HAVE RECENTLY TESTED

- Barnsby gummi Reins
- SWN Fly Repellant
- Itch Magic

Please follow the link at the bottom of this page to read previous reviews.

BARNSBY GUMMI REINS

Barnsby say:

"Superb quality leather reins which are are super-flexible and super-grippy"

We say:

These reins are indeed super soft and feel fabulous. Being so flexible the initial thoughts were that the reins would feel as iff they were stretching when you needed to "take a pull" but not at all.

And being so super grippy, we also thought that it might not be so easy to release the rein when needed; once again not a problem.

We have tried these reins out for dressage, jumping and general schooling with horses that are good with the contact, those which are heavy in the hand/lean or pull. Once you have decided just where you want your hands to be on the reins, unless you physically move them, then they stay firmly in place. They are especially good when riding those horses which gradually eke the rein out of your hand despite your best efforts not to let it happen!

Superb quality leather reins which are are super-flexible and super-grippy, they have standard hook and billet fastening and area vailabel in black and brown.

SCIENCE WITH NATURE FLY-PEL

Looking for a fly repellant that really works - and complies with the new HSE regulations?

There cannot possibly be one you say, but look no further because we have found it!

Fly-pel is an already a proven product but we confess to not ever having come across it before. How remiss we have been!! Finding a good fly repellant has always been tricky but following the introduction of yet more EU legislation, it looked as if the equestrian world would be beseiged by flies and midges.

Whilst researching for another product we found Fly-pel and we haven't looked back since. Made entirely of nature products (no chemicals) that are safe - and legal. It is a well-known fact that certain plant extracts have fly-repelling properties. Exactly what to use and in what blend combination is the secret of success but Science With Nature certainly seem to have found just what it takes. Fly-pel also contains ingredients that soothes the skin.

We have found Fly-pel to be the most effective repellant we have ever used both in and out of the stable. Hacking out is just fantastic, no flies on the horses and no flies on us (yes, it works on humans too). No more head-tossing whilst schooling either. It is not sticky or oily nor does it dull the coat. It can also be safely sprayed on to rugs without leaving a residue or affecting the colour.

One absolutely brilliant fact about Fly-pel is its smell; it smells delightful. There is an extremely pleasant aroma wafting around the yard. And, Fly-pel also comes in a handy pack of wipes in a resealable pouch which are very handy for sensitive places around eyes, ears and noses.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information or of course contact Science with Nature directly on: 01377 259234 (www.swnh.co.uk) - they are a very friendly team who are only pleased to help.

ITCH MAGIC

We have been fortunate in that we have really ever had a problem with horses itching. Ok, in the heat of the summer, most horses will have a bit of a rub - and it is usually the top of the tail that suffers!

However a little mare came to us and she effectively had no tail!

Her owners had not been able to show her fr two seasons because she had always rubbed her tail and they had not been able to resolve the issue. No other part of her body was targetted.

We addressed dietary factors but these proved to be to no avail; and an consultation with an alternative therapy practitioner did not reveal any signifcant contributory factors as to why the mare tail rubbed. However something had to be done as no tail detracted from her appearance.

Early in February we were introduced to "Itch Magic" a product manufactured by Equifeast which claims to sooth irritation and has anti-microbial properties which help to reduce the risk of complicating infections. We haven't looked back.

The mare stopped rubbing her tail immediately even though we did not actually follow the applications instructions to the letter in that we only applied the Itch Magic once instead of twice a day. Within 7 days of no rubbing the mare's tail was clearly improving. We did not apply any Itch Magic for 5 days which is when the mare began to rub again, so there is clearly an ingredient that takes away the irritation as well as something that "feeds" to promote hari growth. A further 7-day daily application course followed and then we once again stopped using the product until the mare began to rub again - absolute proof that Itch Magic stops a horse from rubbing.

Following a further 7-day course of daily application, we now apply Itch Magic every 3 days - and it is still working - no rubbing and plenty of new, healthy hair growth. We and the mare's owners are delighted.

This photo was taken on 26th February after a period of 5 days without using Equifeast - she has started rubbing again. However there is already significant hair regrowth since use of the product began on 8th February.

This photo was taken on 7th March.

Unfortuately we did not take any photos before starting to use Itch Magic but it is no exaggeration to say that the tail really was a mess.

So if you have an itchy horse then we suggest that you give Itch Magic a try. At just £10.95 a bottle you have absolutely nothing to lose but everything to gain. Itch Magic is easy to apply - just pour on a cloth and wipe on to the affected area. It is a colourless, water like liquid that doesn't stain nor does it have an unpleasant odour so often associated with similar products.

For more information on Itch Magic then please to not hesitate to contact us or contact Equifeast directly - www.equifeast.co.uk

PREVIOUS REVIEWS

To read our verdict on other products we have reviewed, please follow this link. Such products include EQUISSAGE and the MYLER COMBINATION BIT