Charlotte's Giddy Up Gazette©
Everything For Riding Except the Horse!
Vol. 1 Issue 01 - February 2007
- Letter From the Equi-ditor
- Studs: It's Not Rocket Science
- Product Spotlight: Bain's Custom Whips
- Charlotte Goes West
- Little Known Dates
- Subscriber Specials
- Helpful Links
- Frequency and Feedback
Charlotte's Giddy Up Gazette© is back! After a long hiatus, the monthly eZine is re-launching. What are the benefits of being a subscriber? The answer is easy....
- Notices about special discounts and promotions
- Opportunities to stay up to date on current industry trends
- Information about the latest Equestrian technologies
What's New in the Industry and What Remains the Same
Market rolls around twice a year, once in the Spring and once in the Fall. Attending market gives us the opportunity to review the new items available. We then order merchandise that we feel, you as a consumer might be interested in purchasing. Here is a brief overview. Bling remains big! Swarovski crystals are on everything: spurs, irons, saddle pads, bridles, helmets, breeches, and so much more. Bling's the look in both the English and Western worlds. It sparkles on saddles with matching headstalls, on jeans, jackets and boots, on Western saddle pads and on Western show clothing.
The colors pink and purple remain strong, with brown (chocolate) and variations of blue still a current trend. High tech fabrics such as Coolmax® continue to dominate apparel in the industry. Most Coolmax® is blended with a synthetic such as polyester but now cotton blends are available as well. A company is allowed to advertise apparel as a Coolmax® product, only if the product contains at least 35% Coolmax®. The higher the content of Coolmax®, the better that article of clothing will feel as far as softness, the ability to wick away moisture and so on. You will also find that the higher the content of Coolmax® the higher the price too.
Helmets have not changed too much. GPA's are still "the helmet" to own. Watch for industry leader Troxel's new entries, the Reliance and Cheyenne:
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Both helmets will be available in Spring '07, most likely March.
Most English saddles and strap goods continue to be outsourced to Argentina and other similiar countries. Gee, what hasn't been outsourced these days? Sure, it's a cheaper labor cost thereby giving you a lower cost overall but is it worth it? Is it a better product or not? That's for you to decide. In my opinion, when it comes to saddles no one builds a better saddle than the saddle makers in England and Germany.
Pro Choice offers a dressage pad designed by Lynn Palm. It is one of several that make up their new Lynn Palm Signature series. They also have their version of the "Wither Relief" pad. The success of the Beval and Fleeceworks wither relief pads have brought other companies into the mix. Pro Choice is introducing new English girths which are "Merino Wool" or "Sheepskin" lined in brown or black. Both are removable, Velcro backed and come in standard sizes. Pro Choice has also added new colors to their Elite boot line including black with pink trim and pink with purple trim. Norfield Magnetic Therapy Products are back! The line will offer a Shin and Tendon Wrap, Hock Wrap, and Knee Wrap.
Reading educates! Until next month.
Tim S. Raisbeck
Studs: It's Not Rocket Science
PHILOSOPHY: "What studs should I use now? What should I use if it doesn't rain/rains a little/rains a lot? What is each stud used for?" There is no single, simple answer that suits every horse and rider or every situation, but there ARE a few basic concepts and "rules of thumb" that can help prevent confusion and result in a reasonable answer.
First, some philosophy to try and make judgement calls a little easier. Don't worry about memorizing details about different studs. Instead, understand some overall ideas and concepts and let those concepts guide you when making specific decisions on studs. Some of the ideas/ concepts you might find helpful are:
- Do no harm. If in doubt, use smaller studs.
- Don't panic! ! ! ! If your horse has never used anything other than small road studs, the horse show is NOT the time and place to introduce him to very large studs.
- The horse trailer is always an option! If the conditions are so wet and sloppy that huge studs are probably needed, ask yourself if you REALLY want to ride today.
- Listen to good advice. If you have a trainer or someone else that is knowledgeable about studs (and knows you and your horse), ask their advice on what studs you should buy and which ones you should use.
- Know enough that you can draw good conclusions. The advice your trainer gives may be excellent, but it is always better if you understand the reasons why it would work for you. Trainers aren't always available, so riders should be able to make decent decisions about stud choices on their own.
- This isn't rocket science, and great precision with stud selection isn't essential. lf the studs you select are a little larger or smaller, or have a different shape or color than what others think is correct, don't get excited. Your horse probably won't even notice the difference.
Product Spotlight: Bain's Custom Whips
Meet Jill Bain of Bain's Custom Whips
Jill lives in Canada and has been involved with horses for most of her life. She competed at Spruce Meadows over 20 yrs ago. Her sister went on to become a professional show jumping trainer. Having spent time with her sister at horse shows the last few years, Jill noticed...
"a shift toward wild, colored products, being used in the show ring. There are sparkles on helmets, fancy spurs, and belts. In my day, the only choices for whips, bridles, leather products, helmets, etc. were more traditional in nature, such as brown or black. How boring. I made the decision to offer a custom, hand made product that could be both traditional, colorful and fun. Whips seemed to be the perfect product to showcase this. Besides, it is an item that the majority of riders use on a regular basis. I allow you to customize your whip in more ways than you can imagine including, but not limited to, whip length, your choice of shaft colors, grip size, and a monogram at no additional charge."
If you are in the market for that one item that will set you apart from others in the show ring, then pamper yourself with a custom whip handcrafted by Jill Bain of Bain's Custom Whips.
It's Rodeo trail ride time! Be sure to check out Charlotte's Western department for saddle bags, rain slickers, seat savers, and many other items that will make your ride a more comfortable one.
We are a stocking dealer for most name brands of Western equipment and apparel including Tucker, Circle Y, Pro Choice, Reinsman, Myler, Dale Chavez and others. Many of these lines are available through our online eCatalog.
Cow Milked While Flying in an Airplane Anniversary
Feb. 18, 1930. Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to fly in an airplane. During the flight, which was attended by reporters, she was milked and the milk was sealed in paper containers and parachuted over St. Louis, Mo.
Please take advantage of the following equestrian product specials:
- FREE shipping on any size bottle of Leather Life
- Buy any Hamilton 1" Nylon Halter (Your choice of color and size) and receive one FREE white cotton lead rope ($10 value).
- Buy any English bridle and receive 20% off any English bit. This also includes all levels of Myler bits although a little additional delivery time may be required on the Mylers.
*Note: these specials apply to on line purchases and are only valid until the following month's issue is published.
Keep in Touch: Contact the Equi-ditor
Charlotte's Storefront: Lets Shop!
Charlotte's Saddlery Locations and Hours: Where Can I Find You?
Current Newsletter Product Links:
Bain's Custom Whips: Bain's Whips
Troxel Reliance Helmet: Troxel Reliance
Troxel Cheyenne Helmet: Troxel Cheyenne
Ariat Tall Boots: Adult
Ariat Tall Boots: Kids
Ariat Paddock Boots: Adult
Ariat Paddock Boots: Kids
Stirrup Leathers: Adult
Stirrup Leathers: Kids
The Giddy Up Gazette© is usually mailed the first week of each month and offers special promotions and discounts from time to time. We understand your right to privacy. We will not abuse this privilege. Your feedback is important to us! Simply let us know of your concerns, questions or suggestions. Send us an email.