Favorite Things 2024

Here we are again at that time of year when I tell you a little bit about some products that I have found to really like over the course of this year.  I noticed that I didn’t get my 2023 version done at all, so this can actually serve as my two-year version.  I put them in alphabetical order this year. 

Bit Tape – When Sealtex Latex wasn’t being made anymore, equestrians just about lost their minds.  What were we going to do now to wrap bits when we needed to?  Well, we came across this product, and I actually like it better than Sealtex.  Why?  Since it is silicone, it is smoother than latex.  It can be used by those people who have an allergy to latex.  However, the biggest reason I like it better is that it is thin, so it doesn’t add as much thickness to the bit if you don’t need it.  This is great especially for pony and mini bits!  Never fear, though, the Sealtex is back if you really want the old staple. 

Bit Wash – When we brought on the Bit Tape, we also discovered Bit Wash.  What I like about Bit Wash is that it has conditioning properties as well as cleansing.  We are carrying some bits that have more movable parts, and the Bit Wash keeps those parts somewhat lubricated.  It also has a pleasant taste that horses like. 

Bomber Bits – Some of you know that last year, I met Boyd Exell (the top carriage driver in the world) in person.  After coming into our store when we were at Live Oak International, he offered for us to carry his line of bits, including the ones made by Bomber Bits in South Africa.  These are well-made, innovative designs available in almost any size.  We especially like the “split” mouthpiece bits that allow the driver to work each side of the mouth without the squeeze of collapsing the mouthpiece in a nutcracker fashion like a jointed snaffle.  One of our ponies is also working well in their Bomber Blue mouthpiece which is made with a nylon composite material good for horses who are averse to metal. 

Carriage Watch Mount Bracket – After bumping (and shutting off) Optimum Time watches on his wrists in the middle of a CDE marathon, Chad wanted to mount the watches to the carriage instead.  We actually have two watches mounted with these brackets on the bar behind the driver of our competition marathon carriage.  They are lightweight, easy to attach, and secure.  You can still get the watch out fairly easily if you want, like to wash the carriage or put the watch away.

Effol WhiteStar Dry Shampoo – We found out about this product a bit by accident.  We bought samples to give away at events, and after doing so, a customer came back and bought a whole bottle!  She said that it worked fantastically on her white horse.  This year, Chad needed to wash a pony, and saw a bottle that said “shampoo”.  He missed the “dry” part, but this shampoo worked great as a “wet” shampoo as well.  So if you need a great dry shampoo that can do double duty, try this.

EQuest Fine Mesh Fly Sheet – Our ponies suffer from Sweet Itch, which is an allergy to gnat bites.  It is common and genetic in our Welsh ponies, so we have to do A LOT of management for fly and gnat control on our farm during fly season.  We hadn’t seen anything like the EQuest Culex Eczema sheet in the US, and they are made in Germany, so we thought we would give them a try.  When you deal with itchy ponies, you will try just about anything!  The sheet has been a HUGE time and expense saver for us!  And the ponies LOVE to have their sheets put on!  They are sturdy but breathable, and they cover places that regular fly sheets just don’t seem to do well with.  We have paid for these sheets many times over just in fly spray expense alone!  We also use them at shows not only as fly sheets, but to keep the ponies cleaner in the stalls.

Flitz Ceramic Sealant – We have carried Flitz Metal Polish in our store almost since we purchased the business.  We won’t even bother carrying another brand of metal polish because it works so well.  So, when Flitz came out with a ceramic sealant, we decided to try it as well.  Now Chad has both our motor vehicles, as well as our trailer, as well as our painted competition carriages coated in Flitz Ceramic Sealant.  It is hydrophobic, which means that it repels water…and the dirt in the water.  It makes cleaning carriages SOOO much easier, and it protects the finish.  Chad has also started using it on polished metal to hold the shine a little longer, especially brass.  If you don’t want to polish the brass so much, try applying a little Flitz Ceramic Sealant!

Haas Brush Packages – In the 2022 Favorite Things list, I hinted that the Haas Brush Packages were going to be in stock, and now they are available.  There are SO many Haas brushes, that people didn’t know which ones to get.  So, we put these packages together not only by the color of the horse, but by your soil type as well.  We have dark ponies on sandy soil. We use brushes that are not that course because we don’t have clay mud!  If you have a light horse on clay mud, you are going to benefit from having that really course brush!  Your dark horse on dry clay is going to need a brush to lift that fine particle dust, so that brush is included in that package.  There is a handy guide in the packages that explains in what order to use the brushes.  But do Haas brushes make that big of a difference in horse grooming?  Absolutely!  The first time I used them, Chad wanted to know if I washed the pony because she undeniably gleamed!  Work smarter, not harder with Haas brushes!

Haas Express Brush – When we went to an equestrian trade show in January, I got to see this brush in person.  It doesn’t look like much, but WOW, it is a handy little brush!  I especially like it for shedding season because it removes hair from bristle brushes super easily!  It also works to remove hair from clothing and cloth [carriage] seats.  These brushes were so popular at the spring trade shows that we had to reorder them between the shows! 

Heritage Extreme Winter Gloves – Reynaud’s Syndrome runs in my family, and although I haven’t truly been diagnosed with it, my hands get really cold in the winter, or even when the temp is less than 45-50 degrees C.  Most gloves don’t even cut it when the temp is at less than 20.  I can use a heat pack in my gloves, but it doesn’t make much sense to use one when it takes 20-40 minutes to do chores. These are the first gloves to actually keep my hands warm in those cold temps!  I don’t recommend them if you are not a typically cold person (temperature, not personality  ).  They will probably be too warm for you. 

Ledo Telescoping Whip – This whip has been an absolute favorite of people IF we can get it in their hands!  We brought these whips in from Hungary last year because the cost of shipping a full-length whip became so expensive (>$25).  By reducing the length of the whip to less than 48”, the cost to ship the whip went down considerably.  That being said, not only is the Ledo Telescoping whip cheaper to ship (<$10), but it is amazingly lightweight, well-balanced, easy to store, and not terribly expensive!  Many people have been concerned that the telescopic whip will “collapse” at inopportune times, but that just doesn't happen.  When we take these whips to shows, we put them in a rack on a table upright so that people notice them.  It's actually fun to watch customers' faces when the hold the whip for the first time!  Once they pick one up, it isn’t long before the whip is on the checkout table!  

Urad Vernice Patent Cleaner – I found this product in the catalog of one of our suppliers.  It seemed like an interesting product considering all the patent leather that leather harnesses have.  I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked!  It cleans without streaks and without buffing, and leaves a protective finish.  It definitely is better than just furniture polish.  Really good product. 

Zilco Wither Riser Neck Strap – Years of product research has gone into this new Zilco neck strap which reduces downward pressure especially on the ligament in the crest of the neck, but disperses the pressure down the sides of the neck.  I have found that many of the well-shaped breast collars can help alleviate some of that downward pressure of a traditional neck strap when the horse is in draft, but years of research can’t be wrong as well.  Since its debut earlier this year, the Wither Riser Neck Strap has been in high demand from current Zilco users, and they are just coming out with a Pony size version of it.  My biggest complaint is that the straps on it that attach to the breast collar are sized for Zilco 1” uptug attachments on their breast collars.  Therefore, you have to have 1” uptugs in order to use this neck strap.  How did we solve this?  We got a Zilco harness! 

Zilco X-Grip Driving Reins – We love the Bowman folded garment leather reins, which we refer to as the Bowman Ultimate Leather reins.  They really are the ultimate in softness, grip, and feel.  However, they are leather and not inexpensive!  Zilco worked in conjunction with Boyd Exell to create a synthetic version of the folded garment leather reins, the X-Grip.  It just occurred to me today that “X” goes along with Boyd E”x”ell (and kind of makes me feel like a chump for just realizing that).  Regardless, the X-Grip, while not the Ultimate Leather reins, are an excellent alternative to them…and are about half the price!  With them being synthetic, we don’t feel as concerned about where we drive with them, be it for practice, foul weather, or bombing through a water hazard, like we do when we use the leather version.  They still have amazing grip with excellent feel.  You won’t go wrong with the Zilco X-Grip reins! 

There you have it…our favorite products for 2024.  Do you have a favorite IVC product that we didn’t list?  Comment on it below!