Sterling Custom Bonnets

Let me tell you about the most gorgeous bonnet I have ever owned!

Awhile back, before Sunrise Ridge, I was searching for the perfect ear bonnet. I have a bunch of them already, including some navy ones, but I wanted to find one that was *just* right. I needed to find something that perfectly matched my show outfit, in my perfect colors. My show jacket is cream with gold flecks, and my cart is a rich and deep navy. i wanted to find something to bring the whole package together - but it would have to be custom, and perfectly matched.

That's where Sterling from Sterling Custom Bonnets came in to help me. I described my outfit to her, and told her what I had in mind - and she did the rest. She whisked off to pick up yarn, and was in contact with me when she was picking it out to make sure she found the right match. The bonnet is deep navy with a gold braid and cream trim. The cream is flecked with gold - it all flows perfectly. (I originally picked gold because my harness had brass and I was changing the hardware out on the cart to brass as well - obviously that was a giant failure, but the outfit still came out great!)

Sterling did an AWESOME job picking out the perfect yarn:

And no annoying string on it! Strings are out! 

Perfectly matches the coat!

The ensemble came out awesome at the show. We even scored a 9 on our presentation! Everyone complimented the outfit and the bonnet. And we took it on the marathon as well, where it perfectly matched our wraps/bells color combo.

I LOVE this bonnet. And I can't wait to take it to the next show!

If you're interested in Sterling's bonnets, find her on Facebook at Sterling Custom Bonnets, or on Etsy! And tell her I sent you! Thank you Sterling!

Absorbine Botanicals Review

One of the great things about blogging is the fact that I have a small platform upon which I can share ideas, review products, and give honest opinions about horse related things. And I LOVE when companies send me their products to test out and review! The fine folks at Absorbine were kind enough recently to send a few fellow bloggers and myself some samples of their new Absorbine Botanicals line, and I had the chance to use it over the past week and see how I liked it. 

I always have Absorbine products in my barn - they're kind of a go-to staple. Who doesn't have bottles of Showsheen tucked into their tack room and trailer? I have clients who absolutely swear by Absorbine's All Natural Hooflex. I always had Gogo wrapped with Absorbine liniment after super hard workouts (and you gotta love the gel!), all of my horses have Absorbine hoof polish on at shows, and Absorbine's Santa Fe spray helps keep O's coat looking great throughout our blazing Texas summers. I have lots of other products from other companies that I love too, but I always have Absorbine stuff in my barn. 

My package arrived a few days ago, and I was eager to try it out!

 (Cat not included)

That said, anytime I try a new product on O, I have to be careful. She has SUPER sensitive skin and swells up like a balloon if something doesn't sit just right with her. I was careful to follow all directions, just in case. I love using products that are full of herbs and essential oils versus harsh chemicals if at all possible as well. There are 12 herbs and oils in the products, aloe vera and arnica included. You know I'm a huge fan of both of those! 

I first tried the Body Rinse. It's super concentrated, and has convenient measure markers on the side of the bottle, so if you are spatially challenged like me you don't eyeball off the wrong amount. After a hard workout, I rinsed her off with water, then filled a gallon bucket and squirted in my set amount of Body Rinse. I then sponged it all over her body, legs included. The product has a pleasant smell to it... it kind of reminded me of my grandfather's aftershave, but it wasn't overwhelming. O thought it smelled awesome, and stuck her nose right in the sponge for a closer smell. I did not rinse her following application as per directions - we'd just have to see if it sat well with her or not!

The next day, voila! She was soft, shiny and clean, with no signs that it bothered her at all and no feeling of residue. Perfect! 

 (Nice and shiny the next day)

Following her workout that next day, I used the Massage Foam on all four legs. Can I just say how much I LOVE the idea of a foam application? There's no mess! Gel is sticky and gooey and messy, and liquids spill out on the floor more than they ever get on the horse (and splash in my eyes half the time as well, especially when I put them in spray bottles). The foam was no drip, no mess, rubbed right in, and didn't leave me feeling like I had stuck my hands in a vat of Nickelodeon Gak. (If you weren't a child that grew up in the 90's you probably won't have any idea what that feels like... just think of cold chemical snot.) In the past, undiluted products straight on O's legs have left her with HUGE elephant legs the next day - and if a product doesn't sit with her, you can tell right away as she starts chewing on her legs. We had zero problems with the Massage Foam - no fuss, no muss, no swelling and no reactions, and nice tight legs the next day to boot. (O's legs are always clean and tight following workouts anyway but to have them not react to a product is great!)

Overall, I think it's a really good product. I still love herbal products like Sore-No-More and Zephyr's Garden liniment, but both of those are expensive and you can speed through them quickly. Absorbine's Botanicals line is a great cost-effective alternative.

(One more side note to add: I did not try these on Pmare, as several of the herbal ingredients are not safe for pregnant mares. For topical use only, it's unlikely that they'd affect her in any way, but I'd rather not take chances. That would definitely be the true test, if I could try them on her, since her skin sloughs off with just about everything chemically that I've tried on her. Anything that keeps her from swelling up and losing skin and hair is great in my book!)