Charlotte's Saddlery - Equestrian Supplies

Charlotte's Giddy Up Gazette©

Everything For Riding Except the Horse!


Vol. 1 Issue 08 - September 2007

Letter From the Equi-ditor


Charlotte's Saddlery Owner

Congratulations to this year's 24th Annual Tent Sale "Grand Prize Winner", Shanda Kearns of Sugar Land, Texas. Shanda has her choice of a Wintec Isabell Dressage saddle, HDR Close Contact saddle, or a Circle Y High Horse Park and Trail saddle. Way to go Shanda!

A reminder the Charlotte's Saddlery Annual Holiday SALE (Tomball location only) is Saturday November 3rd and Sunday November 4th. For more info: 281.351.1705 or E Mail.

CELEBRATE WINTEC'S 21st ANNIVERSARY BUY 1 *WINTEC and Receive FREE a 21st Anniversary Saddle Bag & Gullet Set. A $200 Retail Value. *Excludes: Wintec Kids, 250, Western and Pro Stock.

Kerrits' and Ariat's NEW Fall/Winter '07 Lifestyle lines are now available. Make your purchases before inventory runs low.
Dress your horse in warmth and comfort with Weatherbeeta's NEW Winter '07 selection of blankets, sheets, and coolers.

FYI - The American Halter Horse Association officially opened Sept. 1st 2007. This newest Association would like to welcome halter breeders, trainers, exhibitors and enthusiasts to check out the available programs and services. The American Halter Horse Association was founded from a need to have a unified voice in the Halter Industry. The AHHA believes the Halter Industry was ready to have Halter Horses recognized as the competitors that they are, much like what has been accomplished with other disciplines (NCHA, NRHA, NSBA, etc.). AHHA will host four shows for 2008 all of which will have money classes.

A reminder that all issues of the Giddy Up Gazette© are available online! Visit Charlotte's Saddlery website to review back issues or read the current issue.


Reading educates! Until next month.

Tim S. Raisbeck


Equestrian Horse Apparel


Fall is officially here so Winter can't be far behind. With all the choice available in Horse Wear, it never hurts to know all you can about the different styles and fabrics that will help you make an educated decision when it comes time to buy for your horse.

What is a Turnout Blanket? When do I need to use one? What item of horse wear is consided "fashion outerwear?" What does "Denier" refer to when talking about the outer layer of a Blanket or Sheet? Learn the answers to these questions and many others at the Charlotte's "Equestrian Horse Apparel" page. The following is a very small portion of the write-up that can be read in it's entirety here: Equestrian Horse Apparel

Equestrian Horse Apparel

A quick peek into most people's closets would probably reveal coats and jackets for a variety of seasons and weather fluctuations. You might find a heavy winter coat, a bright-yellow rain slicker, a lightweight cotton or nylon windbreaker, and a dress coat. You'd discover coats for function and coats for fashion. Similarly, the well-dressed, well-cared-for horse requires outerwear for function and fashion, too. Here is a broad overview of the types of equestrian apparel available to horse owners. Each particular brand or model will have its own unique characteristics; but you'll notice that broad categories share common traits.

Turnouts

The main function of a turnout is to keep the horse dry and moisture out. Used when the horse is outside in the wide-open pasture or paddock and not in the confines of the stall or barn, turnouts must be durable and impervious to the elements.

Visit the Horse Wear section of Charlotte's eCatalog.


Product Spotlight: Roma Ecole Quilted Saddle Pads


Cool Quilted Saddle Pads Cool Quilted Saddle Pads Roma Ecole Saddle Pads are not only stylish, they contain micro-tricut wickeasy lining that wicks away moisture to keep horses dryer. Each Roma Ecole pad is a work of art.

Featuring:

The Roma Ecole Saddle Pads are this month's Subscriber Special. More info below.


Little Known Dates


"Gilligan's Island" TV Premier: 40th Anniversary. Sept. 26, 1964.
Seven people set sail aboard the Minnow for a three-hour tour and became stranded on an island. They used the resources on the island for food, shelter and entertainment. The cast included Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr. as the skipper, Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schafer as Mrs. "Lovey" Howell, Russell Johnson as the Professor, Dawn Wells as Mary Ann and Tina Louise as Ginger Grant, the movie star. The last telecast aired on Sept. 4, 1967.


Charlotte Goes West: Craig Cameron Cowboy Hall of Fame Saddle Promotion


Cactus Saddlery and Craig Cameron have designed a special limited edition ranch saddle to commemorate Craig's induction into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Only 100 of these saddles will be built and sold through Cactus Saddlery dealers.

The Craig Cameron Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Saddle and Promotion will be advertised on Ride Smart with Craig Cameron four times each week on RFD-TV during the month of November. The saddle will also be advertised in the November issue of Western Horseman Magazine.

Consumers will be invited to visit a participating Cactus Saddlery dealer (including either Charlotte's Saddlery location) from November 1st to December 31, 2007 to register to win a weekend clinic at Craig Cameron's ranch in Bluffdale, Texas. This will include a dinner with Craig Cameron and his wife Dalene as well as board at the ranch. **No Purchase Necessary**
Bill Grace or Suzanne Gwyn for more info.


SIRE Ride-A-Thon


SIRE - Houston's Therapeutic Equestrian Centers SIRE is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities through therapeutic horseback riding and other equine-assisted activities.

SIRE, Houston’s Therapeutic Equestrian Centers, is hosting its 15th annual Saddle Up for SIRE Ride-A-Thon, Saturday, October 13, 2007, to benefit children and adults with disabilities throughout the Greater Houston Area.

Proceeds from this fun event help support programs of equine-assisted therapy for people with physical and cognitive disabilities, sensory impairments, and psychosocial disorders.

Bring your horse and/or carriage for a relaxing 6 or 12 mile trailride/carriage drive through the beautiful 1150 acre 7iL Trails Ranch just 50 miles west of Houston near the old German town of Cat Spring, TX -7IL Trails.

All horse breeds and riding disciplines are welcome. Camping and RV hookups are available.

Registration is $60 ($75 after October 9). Lunch is provided by the award-winning BBQ cook-off team, ‘The More or Less Cookers’. And all riders/drivers receive a special edition 2007 Ride-A-Thon T-shirt. Download a registration brochure at SIRE, or contact Harla or 713-263-1498.

We keep the "fun" in fundraising with prizes for top fundraisers, best dressed and other cool categories. An exciting part of the Ride-A-Thon has always been the Team Competition. But you don’t have to ride a horse to win! Form a minimum 2-person team of riders or non-riders and compete for top fundraising prizes.

Our SIRE clients ride SIRE horses on a specially designed trail and compete for prizes of their own!

Underwriter packages are still available at the $250, $500, $1000 and $5000 levels.

The mission of SIRE is to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities using horseback riding and related therapeutic activities, such as hippotherapy, vaulting, and carriage driving.

This trail ride celebrates 24 years of improving the lives of children and adults with special abilities and last year raised over $75,000 that went to support therapeutic horseback riding programs for 190 individuals who ride weekly at SIRE’s three locations – Hockley, TX - Spring, TX - and Fort Bend County @ Sienna Stables.

Contact: MaryKate Flanagan - 713-203-3777 SIRE


Did You Know?


NECK FACTS The average horse's neck accounts for 25 percent of his weight and provides 80 percent of his balancing ability.


The Birth of a Flake


We all know that those handy sections of hay referred to as "flakes" make doling out rations easier, but just how does a pile of loose hay become a flake? Flakes are formed through a repeating cycle of compression and release in a baling machine. The baler picks up a continuous "windrow" of hay from the ground and moves it into the bale chamber. As the plunger moves back and forth, the incoming forage is cut and then compressed, forming a flake. The flake is then pushed against the baling twine and the two to three most recently made bales. Successive strokes make subsequent flakes until the preset bale length is accumulated and tied off. Successive bales push their predecessors out. The density of the window and the speed of the tractor determine the thickness of each flake, which does not necessarily reflect the quality of the hay.


Touch, Smell, Sight and Sound - Tools for Determining Leather Quality


When it comes to determining quality leather from poor leather, practice is key. Only by studying leather and developing a sense of what's good material can you learn to judge quality.

Four of your five senses - touch, smell, sight and sound - are your best tools when determining leather quality.

The sense of TOUCH -

Leather is very tactile, and it needs to feel supple. By supple, the leather is firm but springy, and not stiff. Limp leather will not hold it's shape with use, and stiff, cardboard-like-leather will never mold to the rider's shape or break in properly. Stiff leather will often surface-crack when bent. You should be able to bend the leather around on itself 180 degrees without either the grain side or the flesh side cracking. This smooth side is considered the grain side, while the rough inner side is the flesh side. If the leather shows signs of cracking, it's poorly tanned and will lack the tensile strength to do its job. On the other hand, limp leather lacks the tensile strength needed for equestrian use. Limp leather is either cut from the belly of the hide, is over-oiled, or both.

The sense of SMELL -

Using your sense of smell to determine quality also works. A bad odor should steer you away from poor quality leather. You'll notice a pungeant smell or no smell at all. Quality leather has a good, healthy aroma. Well tanned leather has a sweet smell, especially the English tanned leather used on English saddles and tack, although even leather used on Western saddles and tack should smell sweet. Poorly tanned leather almost always has a sour smell. It's most noticeable on tack products from India and Pakistan, and other countries that lack proper tanning facilities. On a warm day you can walk into some tack rooms or saddle shops and the sour smell will be readily apparent. Even if that kind of leather is several years old, the sour smell is always present. Leather like that usually lacks the qualities required for strength, molding ability and long term durability. The low price reflects the cheap materials used.

Third World Tanning

In the United States, most leather is tanned using vegetable or mineral methods, which utilize tree bark and chromium, respectively. In many less developed countries, however, more primitive methods of tanning are still utilized. In ancient times, leather was tanned using some rather unpleasant substances, including blood, urine and feces. Some countries still use urine for tanning, as is evident in the smell of the resulting leather products. The smell of urine on a leather product is a sure sign the leather is not of good quality.

The sense of SIGHT -

Appearance is another tool you can use to determine leather quality. A smooth finish on both the grain side and the flesh side indicates good leather. Well tanned leather is usually well-finished on both sides. Avoid leather with long, ratty fibers on the flesh side. It probably came from the belly area of the hide or was very poorly finished at the tannery. Look for a clean, uniform grain. Many hides today are fat-wrinkled in the neck and shoulder area, because steers are readied for market with accelerated feeds and hormones. This leather can be well-tanned and strong, but is aesthetically unappealing due to the deep wrinkles. Some English saddles have shrunken-grain leather on the knee inserts or seat area for extra grip, and this leather type doesn't come under the above heading of fat-wrinkled leather.

The sense of HEARING (Sound) -

You also can use your sense of hearing to evaluate leather, by bending it and listening for the results. Listen to the leather fibers as you bend a piece of leather. If you hear a sound like faintly cracking wood or sandpaper, the leather is too dry and/or stiff to be of use. The leather is poorly tanned and should be avoided.


Leather Quality Checklist
  1. Supple feel
  2. Pleasant odor
  3. No sound of cracking wood or sandpaper-on-sandpaper when bent
  4. Smooth finish
  5. Edges finished off with a feel of satin; no roughness
  6. Uniformity and straightness of stitching; small stitches
  7. Stainless steel hardware, solidly attached
by Audrey Pavia

Subscriber Specials


Cool Quilted Saddle Pads

FREE pair of Pebble Cotton Gloves (Your choice of white or black) with any Roma Ecole Saddle Pad(s) purchased.


Roma Ecole Saddle Pads Feature:


Helpful Links


Keep in Touch: Contact the Equi-ditor
Charlotte's Storefront: Lets Shop!
Charlotte's Saddlery Locations and Hours: Where Can I Find You?


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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.