The dog days of summer are here, but these products are helping me get through!
Smartpak Sunshield Short Sleeve 1/4 Zip
I’m obsessed with sun shirts and have Smartpak’s newly redesigned long sleeve color blocked version, so I decided to try the short sleeve version in hopes of being able to use a lighter colored one as a show shirt for summer days.
It has UPF 50 technology and a wicking and cooling fabric with antimicrobial treatment to keep the shirt fresh between washes. It also has underarm mesh to help with airflow. The material is similar to the Kastel Denmark shirts with a “pocked” material, but the mesh is not as fine.
It fits true to size, and I’ve been riding in it on the hottest of days when even a long sleeve sun shirt feels stifling.
I’ve always been a fan of Vetrolin’s shine spray and liniment, and now both come in a 360 spray bottle. One of my biggest pet peeves is getting tingly fingers from using liniment. I tend to use the Vetrolin gel, but I’m super excited to try the spray.
I got the shine spray in my July A Horse Box, and it’s been super useful on days when it’s hot and Oh So can’t wear his fly sheet. Having a dust and dirt repellent and a sunscreen will hopefully keep his already bleached coat from getting any worse.
Enviro Equine Cocotea Hoof Therapy
With the summer comes dry, hard ground and cracked hooves. I’ve been using this hoof oil daily on Oh So’s feet after I ride before his bath and before he gets turned out to provide a barricade to moisture, and so far, so good.
It contains coconut and tea tree oil, which have natural antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, and camelina oil, which provides hydration and aids in barrier function and hood growth.
It’s lightweight and not greasy or super drippy and has no discernible smell. It dries down to a nice sheen fairly quickly, so it makes for a nice touch before going in the ring at a show too.
My only complaint is that the metal seal under the screw cap is nearly impossible to get off. I broke at least one knife trying to cut through, which is what the instructions say to do. It also doesn’t have a brush top, which is slightly inconvenient compared to other hoof treatments.
Stamping flies isn’t helping his cause this summer, but I think this hoof oil is.
Everything Eventing 