Sticky stuff and other sticky recommendations

[Jackie_Cochran]

I got all excited when I saw leather half-chaps with silicon grip. I special ordered a pair at my “local” tack store.

These did NOT help my security in the saddle at all, unlike the silicon full seat breeches/tights. They are floating around somewhere in my house since I stopped using them.

This Sunday I was on an arthritic mare who did not want to go faster than a halt, UNTIL my riding teacher’s mother started up an electric weed-eater just out of sight of the mare. The mare had been curious about what was making the unseen noises but she kept her cool until the weed-eater started. Then it was a sudden, full shy/pivot, transitioning into moving sideways, more pivoting, and she completely ignored any light aids. I was at a walk fortunately.

I stayed completely secure in the saddle, this time it was due to my Rider Grips mainly though the silicon full seats certainly helped. She acted up for a few minutes moving erratically and constantly changing directions until we got the weed-eater turned off, and then it still took a few minutes for her to calm down further.

I do not know why the mare lost it. Maybe she thought that a hive of stinging wasps/bees/hornets had exploded and were all coming to get her, sting her to death and carry her off into the wild blue yonder. This mare thought she was going to be in great danger. This was not normal behavior at all for her.

The Rider Grips kept me feeling secure. I did not slide around in the saddle at all no matter what she did, at least at the walk.

[NO-CTRL]

Can someone please link to Rider Grips? I’m having a hard time finding them with Google, being such generic terms!

[173north]

@NO-CTRL

Can someone please link to Rider Grips? I’m having a hard time finding them with Google, being such generic terms!

I believe this is the link: https://www.ridergrip.com/default.html

[Jackie_Cochran]

https:ridergrip.com

I got all three Rider Grips (plus two extra). Before I received them I talked to my riding instructor about them. She was fine with the ones for the flaps but said NO for the one put on the seat of the saddle. She said that she really liked how my seat worked in the saddle to relax the horse and she was afraid that would be blocked if my seat bones were held in one place instead of moving in response to the horse’s motion.

That was fine with me since I wear the silicon full seat breeches/tights. Those give my seat a bit of grip but do not “glue” me into place.

A list of everything I have on my saddle that makes me feel safer:

Rider Grips.
Stability stirrup leathers (mine are the Millbrook ones, all leather, they will stretch so I switch them around a few times a year.)
RS-tor Rider Safety Device (www.rstor.co.uk).
Tech Venice Sloped safety stirrups (https://www.techstirrups.com).

Other stuff I use to make me safer:

For me: MIPS helmet.
Safety vest (for the colder weather, it is too hot for me in the summer heat)
Spursuader spurs (www.spursuader.com). These spurs were developed for use with thin skinned TBs. My riding teacher no longer takes off my spurs in the summer heat like she used to with the POW or disc spurs.

For the horse:

Contender II BOT/ThinLine shimmable saddle pad. The horses just seem more comfortable AND I can shim if the saddle does not fit just right.

Fenwick Face Mask with Ears. The horses are a bit happier with this, a bit more focused on me, plus it keeps the flies/gnats out of the horse’s ears. Not a cure all by any means, but several horses’ behaviors have improved wearing this face mask.

Titanium bits–either coated (often “rainbow”) or titanium mouth bits, or bits where the mouthpiece and cheeks are all titanium. Due to my MS I have several sporadic problems with my hands. The horses forgive the sins of my hands better when I have a titanium bit in their mouth. The titanium coated bits are the cheapest (around $60 USD with shipping). The ones with a pure titanium mouthpiece are more expensive (well over $100 USD.) These bits are worth every penny to me because they make the horses happier with the bit and they do not “cuss me out” as much. I have given titanium coated bits to four horses, all these horses have improved with contact for their lesson riders.

BOT Exercise Sheet. I can only ride 30 minutes, and I ride in the morning when it is cooler. This helps the horses’ haunch muscles warm up so that the horse is not saying “Its cold and I want to run/buck to warm up.” In the summer I throw it on the horse for the walk to the riding ring. This really helps me in getting the horse warmed up.

Micklem bridles.

All of the above really help me feel brave enough to ride a horse in spite of being crippled with MS. I have a bad sense of balance, I suffer from small hand tremors, I really do not KNOW where my hands, head and feet are most of the time, I am very weak physically (and the horses know it) and I have very little endurance.

[TheJenners]

When I taught lessons 20ish years ago, we only had one product: 3M spray :lol: I used to spray my kids before they went into the show ring.

So many new products now! I love my Sticky Seat breeches (www.stickyseat.com) and while their Web site looks a little hokey, I can totally vouch for them AND I’ve had friends order from them as well. As a curvy female over the age of like 16, I love their fabric for hiding flaws without being too tight, too hot, too constricting, plus the choices for the sticky silicone dots are amazing. I personally love the fabric and the waist of the euroseat breeches for every day, I have about five pair, and the eventer breeches are even stickier (but no cargo pocket, boo). I also got a pair of their fleece breeches and holy crap they are warm, like sweat your butt off warm if you are chilled and it’s 45 and windy and then you ride and have too many top layers. I could ride in a light long sleeve shirt with these bad boys, plus the extra sticky when it’s brisk out is very comforting. Plus if you message them, they will dig in their stock and find something if it says unavailable online - they had a sale once but none of the beige breeches I adore, so I messaged and she found a pair and honored the sale price The only caveat? Leather car seats can be a bit of a neat trick :lol: Also, I wash AND machine dry them, still great, some are 6 years old and I noticed a knee patch had a little bit of loose stitching just yesterday.

I’m super bummed about those TuffRider Suregrip boots, they looked AMAZING and my size is nowhere to be found

[Archer]

Romfh Isabella full seats are keeping me secure in the saddle on my greenie. Strong recommend.

[NO-CTRL]

Thanks 173north & Jackie Cochran for the links !
Not at all what i pictured, but i am intrigued…!!