Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2007/January 2008 | Page 68

life

EQUESTRIAN

What’s in
your
equestrian
Christmas
stocking?
F

or the horse owner, the winter can be
very long and dark. Mud and rain
is dished out in uneven portions and the
summer evenings out hacking seem a very
long time ago as we struggle to keep our
horses fit. But Christmas, and all that it
brings, not only allows us some precious
time to ride during daylight hours, but it
gives us the excuse to visit the tack shops
and feed merchants to buy presents for all
our horsey friends. And on the Island,
equestrian shopping is easy and fun to do.

S

o, what would I like to find in my
Christmas stocking? The list is
endless. First of all, you can never have
enough pairs of gloves. Gloves I hear
you cry? Who can get excited about
gloves? Let me explain. There are so
many different types of gloves and all
with their own special purpose. Take the
lightweight magic winter gloves at around
£1.95 a pair. Gloves get lost so frequently
that at that price you can almost expect
to find a pair in any of the pockets of
your riding clothes. Then there are the
lovely, luxurious thick yellow wool gloves
for hunting or the posh brown, black or
white ones for dressage or show jumping.
But, best of all, in my Christmas stocking
I would like to find a pair of the stylish
canary yellow leather gloves. The ones
I see worn by all the best riders in the
show ring. I’m certain my horse will go
better if only I have the right gloves.
Silk stocks – not the ready tied version
would also be on my Christmas list.
Properly tied and held in place with

68

Above: Froghill offer some great Christmas presents
including clothes, toys and everything horsey...

a nice plain gold stock pin they finish
the picture and are gorgeous to wear as
well as being easy to look after. The
stock comes with a diagram on how to
tie it. Practice on someone else and you
will find that it’s easy to tie. Go for off
white or cream for a really smart effect.

B

uying for my family – they’re a horsey
lot – was easy this year. An equine
medical kit to keep in the lorry was the
request I got from my sister. Just the
basics: antiseptic wash and spray, wound
powder, vetrap (sticky bandages), scissors,
bandages and some gamgee plus gloves the plastic sort this time - were all found
at Deb Groves’ Trumor Feeds just outside
Newport, and it came in its own nice
little bag. Not bad for just over £20.00.

Trumor
had lots of
nice stocking fillers too as well as an
impressive array of feed supplements.
On the way out, I made a mental note to
buy some pole pods (jumps) which Deb
says are a new line for them this year.
For my nieces, I headed for Froghill
Saddlery at Sandford for two smart

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