Zara was busy in Scotland! We can’t wait to see her, and Mary, at Gatcombe at the weekend. ]]> http://blog.newequinewear.co.uk/wilton-for-mary-and-scotland-for-zara/feed 0 http://blog.newequinewear.co.uk/wedding-of-zara-phillips-to-mike-tindall http://blog.newequinewear.co.uk/wedding-of-zara-phillips-to-mike-tindall#comments Sun, 31 Jul 2011 06:25:08 +0000 Richard http://blog.newequinewear.co.uk/?p=98 Continue reading →]]> New Equine Wear sends their warm congratulations to Zara and Mike on their wedding which took place in Edinburgh on Saturday 30th July.

Mary is joined on the squad by long standing New Equine Wear fan, Polly Stockton (Westwood Poser), William Fox-Pitt (Cool Mountain), Nicola Wilson (Opposition Buzz), Piggy French (Jakata) and Laura Collett (Rayef). The Championship runs from 25th – 28th August.

New Equine Wear is freezing all product prices until 31st January.

That means no VAT increase, no annual cost increase, PLUS we will ship any WebStore order Worldwide, absolutely FREE! That’s right – no shipping charges.

Visit www.newequinewear.co.uk now!

*Offer closes midnight 31st January 2011*

The Winnipeg ladies duck down bomber jacket is in a class of its own for both warmth and sophistication. The outer fabric has a semi-glitter finish in either Taupe or Anthracite and the soft down lining is remarkably light and cosy.

The Kenora ladies jacket is a relaxed outer jacket with real style. Featuring generous 50% duck feather lining and a zip-on, optional, synthetic fur collar, warmth and comfort are assured in harsh winter weather. With two-way zipper and buttons, plus a matching belt to emphasise the feminine cut, the Kenora jacket also features two front pockets and rear side vents.

The three-garment line-up also includes the men’s Calgary jacket. This ‘metropolitan’ style jacket exudes contemporary style, yet is equally at home in a rural environment. A zip-in synthetic fur collar and generous zip-in hood ensures that the cold winter wind is kept at bay; whilst a total of six pockets makes this a practical garment and complements the slim cut masculine style.

Sizes range from XS to XXL, with prices from £89.95 to £129.95 including VAT at 17.5% (Trade terms available to bona fide retailers).

View or buy at www.newequinewear.co.uk

KEEP WARM THIS WINTER – New Equine Wear is giving all customers buying protective equine boots a FREE Christmas Gift. With each order sent out in November and December we will include a pair of Really Warm Feet insulated/heat reflective insoles, to help keep your feet as warm as toast. This promotion is available through any participating retail stockist, or through web sales at www.newequinewear.co.uk.

Firstly, let’s remember one very important maxim in the present difficult financial times. “A good pair of boots is always cheaper than the vet”. Additionally, they save your horse much discomfort, pain and often suffering, as lower leg injuries can be slow to heal (15 months is normal for a tendon injury), or could even be fatal!

Here are some points to consider when choosing equine boots.

Materials – Boots have a hard life down there in the ‘mud and thunder’ of everyday riding, let alone top international competition, or twice around Aintree! They need to be Tough (with a capital T), but they also need to comfortable, as a typical fair-skinned horse has skin some seven times more sensitive than human skin. And they need to be lightweight [remember a horse is an athlete and you don’t want to hinder his paces with energy-wasting weight around his legs]. This often presents designers and manufacturers with a dilemma. The most protective boots would weigh a ton and probably be very uncomfortable. Or, at the other extreme, they could be ultra light and very soft, but not give much protection. Either extremes would represent a design failure, so some compromises have to be accepted to achieve the best overall result. New Equine Wear have developed their own materials over the years for every aspects of boot construction (outer shell material, linings, bindings, tendon and cannon bone guards). Even the ‘hook and loop’ fastenings are made specially to an upgraded military specification. New Equine Wear adapts well proven technology from other industries (airospace, offshore oil exploration and human orthopaedic, to name just a few) and adapt or enhance these specifications to meet the needs of the equine athlete at the highest level of international competition. This makes them light but very tough. New Equine Wear is the only manufacturer that uses orthopaedic materials to line their boots (not neoprene, which is an insulating material that also creates friction). This gives exceptional comfort. New Equine Wear works on the basis that if their boots are good enough for the world’s top medal winners, they will be good enough for the average riding club member as well.

So the flashiest looking boots may not offer the protection or comfort your horse needs: even though they might flatter the rider’s ego. Here are some things to look for:

Brushing Boots – Needed for all flatwork, exercise and everyday pleasure riding. Look for a strike pad that will take the knocks (sometimes on every stride, with a horse with poor conformation) and a design that will absorb the impact of continual ‘glancing blows’ (strikes at a low angle of attack). Look for a comfortable lining that will not rub your horse raw and quality materials that will give good length of service. Make sure they are machine washable (unless you like cleaning muddy boots by hand) and have ‘hook and loop fastenings’ rather than metal buckles (for micro adjustment and control over strap tension) – unless you are immune from numb fingers in frosty winter weather. New Equine Wear mould their own brushing pads from a unique lightweight and shock-absorbing compound and the outer shell is highly impact and tear resistant. There are four models to choose from (including air-cooled) and four sizes in each style.

Show Jumping Boots – Essential protection for jumping high fences. Here the emphasis has to change from brushing protection to protecting the tendons from the risk of an over reach strike. Yes, they do have to protect the fetlocks from brushing, but that is a less serious risk than a bruised, cut or severed tendon! Front show jumping boots are usually open fronted (so the horse can feel when it taps a pole and learns to fold its forelegs higher). It is only going to hit a relatively light, demountable pole, so impact injury from the pole is unlikely. However, the back of the boot needs to be reinforced to withstand a direct high angle strike to the tendon, without the horse feeling any pain or suffering bruising. Many boots are too flexible in this area and do not effectively spread the point of impact from the over-reaching hind foot. Show jumping is a highly fashion conscious sport, but don’t forget the prime purpose of wearing boots is protection, not looks. Keep the priorities in focus when choosing. New Equine Wear show jumping boots offer stylish looks and excellent strike protection in a choice of styles and linings, for front and hind legs.

Cross Country Boots – These have to be the ultimate in protection, comfort and lightness if they are to succeed as a product and not hinder the horse succeeding on the most athletically demanding courses (whether it be steeplechase, eventing, trials, or hunting). A good cross country boot will have all these attributes in a fully enclosed design. The tendon guard needs to be shatterproof and have some flex laterally (to accommodate a tendon that is twisting, pulsing and stretching on each stride), but very little flex longitudinally, so it can spread the impact of a direct strike over the largest possible surface area and dissipate the high load at the point of impact. There needs to be an element of brushing protection, but this requirement is minimal at the canter or gallop, with a horse that is well schooled. Rubbing and friction protection from a carefully selected lining material is vital, as is lightness (otherwise energy will be rapidly sapped from your otherwise fit horse). New Equine Wear cross country boots are available in a choice of three orthopaedic linings (including air-cooled) and have been used by the top medal winners in the last four Olympic Games, WEG’s and European Championships, as well as by many famous race trainers.

Above all, buy a proven, quality product that will stand up to a very harsh life and give years of service. They will always prove cheaper in the long run and are more likely to offer the best protection for your horse. Your horse’s legs are it’s most valuable and delicate asset – so don’t skimp on protection. Ask yourself………… would you buy the cheapest riding hat to protect your delicate head – probably not. So why compromise on boots!

New Equine Wear boots are used and recommended by top international riders such as: Mary King (Great Britain), Di Lampard (Great Britain), Andrew Hoy (Australia), Bettina Hoy (Germany), Ingrid Klimke (Germany), Phillip Dutton (USA) and many, many others.

This magazine article was written by Richard Balfry, from New Equine Wear, on 1^st November 2010