what’s in my box & what are my favorites?

Hey guys! It’s Kristin here! I get this question all of the time. This also goes hand in hand with the “What do you use every day?” question. This question also leads to the “What do you take to the ring?” but that is for a post that will be coming soon on another day.

So the question at hand… What’s in my box? Well there are a ton of things in my tack box that could be used on any given day with a number of horses. I say this because I have all kinds of different horses in my barn at any given time, none of them are the same & they all require different things on a given day.

Things that are always in my tack box… GumBits, sugar, peppermints, spur box, spur guards, bit box, cat treats, helmet, gloves, tack cleaner, boot polish, boot brush, horse brushes, horse boots, polos, bell boots, sit-tite spray, chin pads, fleece pieces, bonnets, & a few other random things that live in there.

For summer, what is in my box is essentially the same. I just add some sunscreen & a bottle of water all the time. I am very fair skinned so if I am not riding in a sun shirt I usually have on a thin long sleeve shirt.

All of my horses are different that I ride, like I said earlier… This is what happens when you have a training barn. I have a an OTTB that takes no spurs, doesn’t like sugar & would rather eat peppermints, & requires polos. I have Lily, which is the 5 year old KWPN mare, who likes sugar, requires boots, only spurs no whip, needs a chin pad & the occasional fleece pad on her bridle. My grand prix mare is a whole different story as to what she needs.

Keeping versatility in your box is always important. Your horses needs can change any day. I have had some decide on any given day that they don’t like something anymore & decide that they need something different.

So with this goes, well what are some of your favorite brands of things? I figured with both of these posts I should probably make a list of sorts. Some of the items in this list are things that are in my box & some are things I get asked about on a frequent basis.

• My helmets at the moment consist of Charles Owen helmets (2) & a One K. I love them all. They are incredibly comfortable.
• My horse boots are Dressage Sport Boots. I love them because they are incredibly supportive & hold up the best as far as fleece boots go. For polos, I have all different brands of polos. I have a couple of horses that can’t wear boots & have to have polos.
• My riding boots. I get this question quite a bit. I have had some terrible luck with riding boots. I am short, 5’1, & I have large calves & a 7.5 size foot. This has presented a problem with 2 custom boot companies. My everyday riding boots at the moment have been Mountain Horse for about 6 years now. I also used to use them for show boots, until, I fell in love with a pair of Cavallos at a horse show in May of 2015 that fit like a glove & were semi-custom for someone else.
• My saddle. This is a frequent question as well. My saddle fits every single horse that I have ever ridden since I was 13. I have had the same saddle since I was 13. Yep, you heard that correctly. I have a training barn, so keep in mind I have to have something to fit everything. I have a Kieffer. I have had several people want my saddle & I won’t give it up. I am starting to search for a second saddle as I do need a second at this point.
• Grooming products. Ecolicious all the way friends. Incredibly amazing. One morning of the horse show a couple weeks ago, Lily had a bath, I ran out of time to brush her afterwards & got so many compliments on how shiny she was… wash & wear. Shiny, smells amazing & ecofriendly. Doesn’t get any better than that.
• Saddle pads. I am an Ecogold rider. I made the switch from a competitor brand this year. I love how the Ecogold pads sit with my horses & how breathable they are. They are super wicking & my horses seem much more comfortable.

These are a few of my favorite things… Obviously I have a ton more & will add to this list in the next post. If you guys have any questions for me or about any of the products I use, please feel free to send me a DM on Instagram! Believe it or not, I love DM’s because I love to interact with you! Find me on Insta @kristin.posner