Accessible Equipment (tack, grooming, clothing, etc

[Moss]

I mentioned making this thread in another thread (under riders with health issues). This thread is open to all riders with health issues who have found tack, grooming supplies (or any supplies for the barn), clothing, boots, and any other equine/barn related items (it’s pretty broad) for riders with health issues. Again, I thought it might be beneficial to keep this broad so that people perusing this thread don’t feel pigeon holed or left out. The goal is that we can share items that help us to help each other.

Don’t feel compelled to share your illness. I don’t mind sharing my illnesses since they greatly affect my riding and interactions with horses. So, to start off I have epilepsy, ankylosing spondylitis (I actually recently requested a re-evaluation), rheumatoid arthritis (why I asked for a re-evaluation), and lupus.

I will create a list of “accommodating” tack, grooming, and barn supplies that help me and might help others, but I need items that prevent me from dropping items so I have grip reins, grip gloves, and a Fleck dressage whip with a mushroom cap. I am also very limited in my mobility, so I only ride for short periods. I am also learning how to drive in case the day comes that I can no longer ride. Clips and buckles are something I never thought would affect me, so I buy rugs with specific buckles.

Again, I will create a list of items that I find help, and I hope others do the same.

[RMJacobs]

I also share my various medical conditions here (not literally, I promise!). I have Hashimoto’s (autoimmune hypothyroid), rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s, fibromyalgia, vertigo, diabetes and end stage kidney disease (on dialysis).

I gave up riding in April 2000 because my poor balance caused too many falls, and I sold the horse I’d stupidly bought six months previously. I took up driving in 2003. I found grooming tools with hand straps helped me a lot as I also drop things easily. I had two easy entry carts that I could enter and exit without help (I drove two different size ponies, so two carts), and my husband set up our grooming/saddling/harnessing area to be easy for me to access and close to our tackroom, so not much walking. The tackroom was organized so I wouldn’t have to lift or reach over my head, with halters, harness and bridles on hooks with PVC spacers. Harness was biothane, easy on my hands. I could do everything from grooming to harnessing to driving by myself in spite of my disability as I could do it all very efficiently, no wasted energy to exhaust me. I put a lot of miles on the ponies for about 13 years, just ambling around my neighborhood.

The absolutely biggest thing that enabled me to enjoy the horses was that my husband did all of their care. I worked more than full time, and did not have enough energy to do that plus horse care at home plus actually drive them. And this was before my kidneys failed.

I stopped driving when I ran out of ponies; my Hackney pony needed to be euthanized, then the grade pony had to be retired due to cataracts several years later. The horse property was sold and the remaining pony was on full board for his last few years until he died, well into his 30s. Unfortunately I can no longer do the level of activity that allowed me to enjoy my horses.

[Moss]

I haven’t written out my list because I’m in a bad flare, but I’ve been thinking about a good lead rope. I have a Knotty Girlz lead rope-- I like the bull snap-- but I’ve been thinking about a better material. Or maybe just how to tie the lead.

I will write out my recommendations, and I would love reading other people’s recommendations, too.

Thank you, @RMJacobs, for your recs.

[cayuse]

A harness hook. I have one hanging near my crossties and besides my holding driving bridle and surcingle, it the handiest thing to put anything hangable in a hurry. Even my coat and hat. I use in constantly and find it easier in my hands than wall hooks (don’t know why that is though).
Shelves. I don’t store my brushes in buckets or boxes, I line them up on shelving. Easier to pick up, don’t have to paw through stuff to find what I want.
Knots. because I have no grip strength, I knot all my lead lines in two or three places where my hands would naturally be when leading. That way I have a built in stopper if someone pulls. Some may not like this idea, but it works great for me.

[Moss]

@cayuse Thanks for these tips! They’re great!

[RMJacobs]

My DH put up hitching posts in our saddling and harnessing area, drilled a hole in each and ran a lead rope through and knotted it so it would be there permanently. We put panic snaps on those lead ropes as the posts wouldn’t give if a horse pulled back hard, and that would risk a broken neck. I would lead a horse to the post, snap on the permanent lead rope, then tie the lead rope that I used to bring them over to the post with an easy to pull loose knot, just to keep it out of the way.

I liked a heavy cotton lead rope with a knot on the end for actually leading the horses, as it was easier for me to hold something substantial. We used a slightly thinner rope for the permanently attached ones as they never needed to be handled other than clipping it to the horse’s halter.

[Jackie_Cochran]

After my riding lesson in the heat and humidity yesterday what probably helps my position in the saddle the most is the colored markers I have on my reins. I ride with a double bridle with Fager titanium curb and a Fager leather snaffle for the bridoon.

I had found horse sized web reins with different colored markers on each rein stop. When those reins gradually disappeared I found the Nunn Finer “Instant Training Rein Markers” that I can put on my regular leather rein stop, web or notched reins. I ride with a double bridle, with the colored rein markers on each rein I find it so much easier to keep both of my hands at the same spot on the rein on each side. Because of my MS I often have difficulties in making fine distinctions and I find that it helps me to have the web rein as the shorter bridoon and my longer curb rein is either a 1/2" wide WB length leather notch rein or a 1/2" WB length leather rein with stops. I find it so much easier to deal with my fistful of reins if the reins look and feel different. The horses seem to appreciate me using these reins when I ride them in the double bridle!

My riding teacher also appreciates these markers because she has not difficulty in just glancing at my hands and seeing if they are in the correct place.

I had previously used the rubber “rainbow reins” and loved them before I realized that the rubber was degrading the skin on my fingers.

Since I do not show I do not mind making a spectacle of myself so long as it helps me ride the wonderful lesson horses better!

[Moss]

Does anyone use stability leathers like Total Saddle Fit Leathers? I want to ask around before I spend $150-$200 on new leathers for my trail saddle.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I use the Total Saddle Fit stability leathers.

At first I started with the Slim ones with the loop at top and adjusting buckle at the bottom. These stirrup leathers became an uncomfortable hassle when carrying my saddle and the solution was not good for my saddle. The tiny flaps that cover the stirrup leather buckle were curling up because I was crossing the stirrup leathers over the seat of the saddle, and they were not uncurling very easily. Since I did not want to ruin my saddle I took them off after a few weeks.

Then I got the TSF Stability+ stirrup leathers with the new type buckle. These are now on my riding lesson saddle and they are working well for me.

The Slim Stability leathers ended up on my PDN on my Home Horse. I really like the fact that I can get the stirrups to hang at 90 degrees from the horse’s barrel. On horseback I can usually pick up my stirrups without many problems so this feature was not useful enough to me to make up for the hassles for dealing with not being able to run the stirrups up.