Category: Product Reviews

1. Nettex Blueberry Range Product Review...

   Posted on 1:58pm Tuesday 19th Apr 2016

   Review of the Nettex Limited Edition Blueberry Range.

    

   I recently received the Blueberry range from my super supporters Nettex and was thrilled with it!

    

   The bucket consists of:

    

   Blueberry Coat Shine:

   An absolute grooming kit necessity! Not only does the coat shine lift dirt and grease, it adds a fantastic gleam to the coat, I also use it prior to clipping as it helps the blades cut through the coat so easily.

    

    

    

    

    

    

   Blueberry Plaiting Spray: 

   A versatile spray which I have found very useful for my native show ponies, who’s manes can be a bit unruly as they are not plaited, when bathing I apply a quick spray when the mane is clean, then comb it through when dry, the spray does brush out easily, but unlike conditioners it tames the mane at the same time as leaving it tangle free, another application before the show and the mane is given a naturally flowing, not bushy, appearance.

   I obviously use the spray for plaiting too, but have found it superb for laying the tail before applying tail bandages, when the bandage is removed, the tail lays beautifully flat and looks natural, unlike some sprays I have used in the past.

    

    

    

    

   Blueberry Conditioning Shampoo:    

   

   WOW, this shampoo is my firm favourite! Not only does it leave the coat silky smooth (not slippery!) but the base colour of the coat is naturally enhanced too, Rocky gleamed after he had a bath in it, oh, and smelled divine!

    

   Blueberry Mane and Tail Spray:

   Having natives, you would think it would be easy to groom them, however, anyone who owns one will tell you the density of the mane and tail is immense! I regularly use the Nettex Mane and Tail Spray on all the equines, therefore know the product works and keeps the mane and tail tangle free for quite a while. The Blueberry Mane and Tail Spray is no different, providing all the performance of the standard Mane and Tail with the added bonus of a lovely scent!

    

    

    

    

    

    

   Finally, a handy Sponge and a sticker sheet, all contained in a very handy and reusable bucket!

    

   

   All the products are, as you would expect, exceptional quality and perform to 5* level, with the added bonus of a fantastic scent of blueberries!

   All this for approx £20.00, a bargain! Great job Nettex!

    

    

    

    

2. The SoundRider System....

   Posted on 8:12pm Monday 19th Jan 2015

   The Personal Training System from SoundRiding….

   I have been teaching now for longer than I care to remember!

   Spending hour upon hour projecting ones voice, often in difficult weather conditions meaning extra effort to be heard is required, means 2 things, one, you end up losing your voice (not ideal!) or secondly your riders not hearing you and often missing crucial instruction.

   A couple of years ago I attended the British Dressage National Championships and while perusing the retail stands – as you must- I came across the SoundRiding System stand. We had a chat about the system and tried one out, my friend who I was with had never used one before whereas I had worn one with a previous trainer, she was very impressed with the system and purchased one for me to teach her with.

   As mentioned I have worn one before so was familiar with how the rider felt receiving instruction, but when I was the trainer I could immediately tell the difference in how my friend reacted. The system however belonged to her, so it was pretty much a once a week usage.

   I ummed and arghed for another year whether I should spend my hard earned money on the system, after all they are not cheap!

   The nationals arrived 2014, once again I perused all the trade stands and found another type of system being launched but after a demonstration and a look at the system I found myself heading towards the SoundRiding stand…

   Yet again I found myself trying one out, and once again being impressed! The decision was made, I purchased one!

   There are one way and two way systems, I opted for the one way as I feel when you get into a “conversation” while training, the “moment” can easily be missed, although my riders feel it is more like I can’t hear them answer back!!

   Since September 2014 I have used it on virtually every rider, from beginners to helping riders warm up at competitions, EVERY rider has confirmed that this has indeed made a big difference to their sessions, being able to react quickly before the “moment” passed, hearing every instruction clearly rather than having to second guess if I wasn’t quite heard and not having to have me stood in the “middle” to instruct or distract the horse, something which can happen when they are particularly used to voice commands, for example when I would say “prepare to trot” often the horse would lock onto my words rather than the riders aids.

   The money I spent was a gamble, but 4 months on and I feel I couldn’t have spent it more wisely.

   Some of the benefits of the SoundRiding system:

   • Lightweight
   • Easy to use
   • Battery powered, standard AA type
   • Riders are able to react quicker
   • Horses aren’t distracted
   • Excellent for use in Warm up arenas
   • Encourages a relaxed training session
   • Trainers keep their voices longer!!
   • There are different channels to teach a group of riders but still keep it individual (each rider would require their own headset)
   • Comes with a 3year guarantee

    

   I can’t believe I left it so long to purchase it!!