If you're looking for a mild spur for training purposes, I would definitely recommend Impuls Spurs. These spurs features a plastic roller ball which rolls along the horse's side, minimizing the chance that you will catch your horse's skin and providing a milder aide.

I purchased Impuls Spurs because I needed a way to reinforce my leg aides for lateral movement without creating too much intense pressure which would frustrate my sensitive horse. These spurs worked perfectly for that purpose.

The Impuls Spurs work just as described, simply rolling over your horse's sides. My horse has responded positively to this mild but additional pressure, and I have been able to transition back to riding without spurs. I never once saw even a hint of spur marks in my Thoroughbred's thin-skinned sides. I used these spurs five times a week for a period of about five months, and they have held up beautifully. Dirt and grime can easily be wiped off of the roller ball, and these spurs look brand new after I clean them up.

In addition to being useful for a mild aide, I believe that Impuls Spurs would be a good "first" spur for any rider who has never before ridden with spurs. If the rider has an "oops" moment with these spurs, it is likely to be more minor than it would be with more traditionally styled spurs.

Impuls Spurs are available from Smartpak for a very reasonable $19.95.

Summer's quickly fading away, so I took advantage of a warm day to give Whisper her last bath of the season. It was the perfect chance to put ShowSheen's 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner to the test. The product, made by Absorbine, looks to be a convenient way to combine the conditioning process right into your horse's bath.

I'm generally impressed by Absorbine products, but the 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner fell short. I had a difficult time getting this shampoo to make any sorts of suds at all - it kind of felt like I was just scrubbing my horse with water. The Shampoo and Conditioner did take a lot of dirt off of her, but when it came time to rinse I found that, because the shampoo really didn't suds up at all, it was difficult to tell how much was washing out of her coat - or not.

After a long rinse process to make sure that I had removed all of the Shampoo and Conditioner, I stepped back to assess what the product had done. Whisper looked cleaner, but, being a grey horse, wasn't as brilliantly white as other shampoos tend to leave her. Once her coat dried it was soft, but not any softer than it normally is. With a conditioner, I would expect softer, healthier hair, but that wasn't the case. I had to follow up with an additional conditioning product for Whisper's mane and tail.

This isn't the only time I've had this issue with this product - I had tried it last year with the same results, but had opted to give it a second chance. Based on this experience I will be sticking with other shampoos and conditioners.

If you're looking an easy-to-feed and palatable joint supplement, then you'll find it in Majesty's Flex Wafers. Whisper has put these wafers to the test for the past two months, and I've been thoroughly impressed.

Majesty's Flex Wafers are joint supplements all rolled up into an appealing horse treat. You feed one per day, and your joint supplement is taken care of. I was attracted to these for a number of reasons - Whisper's on many supplements already, and this would be one less powder that I'd have to add to her feed. The price was also super appealing - I got a bag of these which would last 60 days for just under $40.

There are many benefits to these wafers. I love the fact that the supplement is fully contained within this wafer, so there's no waste in transferring a powder into your horse's grain bucket, then to his stall feeder, and then having him only ingest some of the powder. You know that your horse is getting the full dose, every time. Additionally, the dosage is fool-proof - no under-dosing or over-dosing.

These wafers are clearly super appealing to horses - Whisper, who can be a picky eater, gobbled these right up. It was easy to drop them into her feed, but I started feeding them by hand after each ride as a treat.

Now to the actual supplement aspect of these wafers. These wafers contain 2500 mg glucosamine, 2500 mg MSM, 1250 mg yucca extract, 600 mg chondroitin sulfate and 500 mg ascorbic acid. You can feed one per day, or can double the dose to two per day for horses in competition. I fed one wafer per day and noticed positive results in Whisper. She seemed to move more comfortably, and the time she needed to fully warm up decreased. Her joints had previously been popping at the walk as I rode, but after about a month on these wafers, the joint popping went away entirely.

All in all, I'm really pleased with Majesty's Flex Wafers. I think they're a much-needed solution to the issue of waste when feeding joint supplements, and they're so convenient it's wonderful. I would be keeping Whisper on these long-term, but she was just diagnosed with Cushings. These wafers contain apple and molasses, both of which have high sugar contents, so I'm forced to take her off of these wafers. However, I'd definitely recommend them to owners of horses whose diets are not restricted by Cushings. You can read more about Majesty's Flex Wafers here.

I love Back on Track products. My experience in using the Back on Track Wrist Brace convinced me that they work, and do wonders in relieving pain. Of course I would want to share these benefits with my horse, so I invested in the Back on Track Therapeutic Quick Wraps this past winter.

The Therapeutic Quick Wraps are designed to make treating your horse's legs fast and easy. They take the headache out of wrapping (Back on Track also offers No Bow Leg Wraps which you can use with a standing bandage), which was a major incentive in my purchase. I know that, given my perfectionist attitude toward wrapping legs, I would be much more likely to use these wraps more often than I would be to use a traditionally designed wrap.

These Quick Wraps feature the same ceramic-infused material that all Back on Track products feature. This material uses the horse's body heat to create a soothing warmth which may decrease swelling and can relieve pain. These wraps are designed to be used overnight or during shipping, according to Back on Track's product description.

These wraps feature generous padding, and they are shaped to fit the contours of your horse's legs. The wraps are not designated for use on the front versus back legs, making them versatile, which I appreciate. Four straps of strong Velcro keep the wraps secure, and they fasten in much the same way that a sports medicine boot is applied.

I found these wraps easy to apply, though the bulk of the inner lining does prove a bit of a challenge. I have a hard time getting these wraps to have a clean, good-fitting finish - they're bulky, and I find that no matter how tightly I secure them, they still slide around a little. I don't know that I would be comfortable using these overnight or for shipping.

As far as the difference that they have made for Whisper, I find it hard to gauge. I can say from my firsthand experience using the wrist brace that there is definitely a pain-relieving effect. Whisper seems to warm up faster with these wraps than she does without them (she has some arthritis, thanks to long racing career). The effect is enough that I continue to use these wraps.

I do wish that these wraps had been designed so that they extended all the way up to cover the horse's knee or hock. This design would probably necessitate that a front versus a back wrap would need to be designed, but I would be happy to buy both if I knew that I could treat Whisper's hocks using the same wrap. Hocks are a difficult area to treat, and I think that an extended wrap could be highly effective.

The Back on Track Therapeutic Quick Wraps retail for $93.00 from Back on Track directly. I would say that they're worth it, especially if you're working with an older horse or one with arthritis.

The recent purchase of a saddle that's just a little too wide for my mare gave me the chance to put the Ultra ThinLine Sheepskin Comfort Half Pad to the test. My mare is still building her topline, so I don't want to have the saddle flocked to fit her back just yet, but I need a way to ride her comfortably while she builds that muscle and the shape of her back changes.

The Ultra ThinLine Sheepskin Comfort Half Pad was the answer. This pad features a beautiful sheepskin lining, the Ultra ThinLine up the upper side, and pockets where you can add ThinLine shims to further adjust the fit of your saddle. The pad itself is pretty thick, and gave the saddle just enough fill so that I didn't need to use additional shims.

I've been thoroughly impressed by this pad. The sheepskin is soft and makes for a comfortable ride when placed directly against a horse's coat. I've been using this pad with a baby pad to help reduce the number of washings that I have to do. Having used this pad for about four months now, it's held up beautifully and the front and back sheepskin rolls beautifully frame by saddle.

There's a noticeable difference in comfort when I use this pad versus other half pads, which I attribute to the ThinLine material. ThinLine technology features excellent shock absorption properties, absorbing much of the impact that occurs during a ride. This makes for increased comfort for your horse's back, while also providing a more comfortable ride for the rider.

Whisper seems quite content when I ride with this pad, and I can attest to the fact that I feel less of a jolt on my back at the trot and canter. I have pretty consistent back pain, and this saddle pad absolutely makes a difference.

I like the fact that this pad is customizable so that you can find the fit that works best for your horse and saddle. Each side of the pad has a pocket for a front and a back shim, so you can raise the front, back, or both sections of your pad. This is a great solution for saddles which are just a little bit too wide or slightly unbalanced.

The Ultra ThinLine Sheepskin Comfort Half Pad is available from ThinLine for $259. While the price is a little steep, I do feel that this pad is worth the money.

Whisper and I recently had the opportunity to put Ecovet's Fly Repellent Spray to the test. A new product, Ecovet is said to repel stable flies, horn flies, ticks, and cattle lice. But it's not just any old fly repellent. According to the Ecovet website, "Ecovet uses a proprietary mixture of naturally occurring fatty acids that confuses and overwhelms the insect’s normal directional ability, so the insect is unable to locate your horse as its next victim. It’s like having a GPS system that is shouting confusing and conflicting directions at you … until you finally give up." Sounds good to me, plus Ecovet is marketed as being a less toxic alternative to traditional fly sprays.

I received the 18 ounce bottle of Ecovet and put it to the test on Whisper. Flies are rampant in our area, and I traditionally use sprays such as Supershield Green and Repel-X. However, I was intrigued by Ecovet's use of fatty acids to confuse and repel insects.

From the first spray, it's evident that Ecovet is a very different product from the other fly sprays on the market. Ecovet has a very unusual smell - it is not at all what you would expect from a fly spray. Smelling similar to a men's body spray with hints of sage and other herbs, Ecovet smells powerful.

Unfortunately, I found that smell to be troublesome - no matter how much I held my breath and tried to stay out of the line of fire, I found myself going into strong coughing fits whenever I applied the product. My advice would be to apply Ecovet in an open area, not in a stall, to allow for maximum ventilation. Other horse owners at the barn agreed with me - the smell is powerful and irritating to some.

However, don't rule Ecovet out because of the smell alone. The product proved to be quite effective - I would say that it's more effective than the other fly sprays that I had been using. There were noticeably fewer flies on Whisper when I used Ecovet, and I was impressed by this spray's performance. A little goes a long way with this spray - the Ecovet website recommends reapplying only every two or three days - and the product smells so strongly that I found myself using it sparingly during each application. 

I should also note that Whisper, being the thin-skinned Thoroughbred that she is, is highly sensitive to products. Ecovet didn't irritate her skin at all, which is always a concern. The product does seem to attract dirt once applied, but I've found this to be true with other fly sprays. It doesn't bother me enough to make me stop using the product, but if you applied it before a horse show, I'd recommend wiping your horse down with a rag afterward to pick up any extra dirt.

All in all, I was impressed by Ecovet. If I could change a single thing about it, I would make its smell less irritating, but that very characteristic may be what makes this product effective. An 18-ounce bottle of Ecovet retails for $25.00 on their website - while it's pricier than other fly sprays, I would say it's also more effective.

Whisper recently gave me the opportunity to put GreenSalve to the test; she came in from the pasture having gotten into a fight with a buddy and decorated with some hoofprint-shaped wounds on her hind end.

So, I broke out my GreenSalve. GreenSalve is advertised as being anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anti-parisitic, and anti-inflammatory. It is recommended  for use on cuts, abrasions, burns, rain rot, mud fever, hot spots, ringworm, and dry, cracked skin. The salve is all natural and is safe to be ingested by "all four-legged friends."

GreenSalve has a thicker consistency than some of the other ointments available on the market, which proved to be an advantage during the hot, humid summer we're experiencing. The salve is thick, allowing me to layer it over the wounds to create a waterproof and bug-proof barrier. It didn't "melt" off of the wounds - a common issue with thinner ointments, I've found - and was still in place and protecting the wounds when I came to reapply it the next day.

The two-ounce can of salve was more than enough to treat the wounds; I still have more than half of the can left. I really liked that the can featured a screw-on top; it cuts down on the risk of the can opening or leaking inside my First-Aid kit, while meaning that the can is still easy enough for my arthritic hands to open.

All in all, I was impressed with GreenSalve. The wounds healed up seamlessly (silly me forgot to get before and after pictures), and it felt good knowing that I was treating my horse with an all natural product. The consistency of the GreenSalve is excellent - easy enough to dig your finger down into for application, but thick enough so that it will stay in place on wounds. I was impressed with this product and plan to use it again.

GreenSalve is available from Smart Barn.

Are you still on the hunt for the ideal fly mask for your horse? I may have found it. I've been thoroughly impressed by the Horze Fly Mask with Ears, and I think that Whisper would say the same. Here's why.

This fly mask is truly designed with a horse's comfort and safety in mind. I love the fact that there is a soft foam padding at the edges of the poll and the noseband to help prevent rubbing and irritation. The mask features two strips of strong, adjustable Velcro which keep it securely fastened - I've had it on Whisper for almost two months now, and the mask hasn't come off once. Additionally, the mask provides great coverage - it comes down well under the chin, and the underside is elastic, so your horse can still chew and flex comfortably.

Throughout daily use, this mask has continued to hold up well. It hasn't ever collapsed down onto Whisper's eyes, as other masks do, and it's definitely made of durable material. My guess is that this mask will likely last the entire season, at least at the rate that it's going.

If I had one criticism of the mask, it would be that it's not quite as visible as some of the other masks out there. This mask has a tight weave, which is advantageous in that it keeps even the tiniest bugs out. You can still see through it (yes, I tried), but I think I would like it even more if the visibility were improved just a tiny bit. Still, I have no qualms about turning Whisper out with the mask on in the daytime, and she doesn't seem at all bothered by it.

The Horze Fly Mask with Ears retails for $19.95 and is well worth the investment.

I put the SSG Gator Grip Gloves to the test during some hot summer rides. The gloves are visually appealing, coming in a wide variety of colors. Bright accent colors contrast beautifully against the black palm, making these gloves great for livening up your schooling wardrobe.

The SSG Gator Grip Gloves are made of durable material. Their palms have a latticework pattern overlay to give them excellent grip, even in slick conditions. I had no trouble keeping hold of my reins. I found that the palm was fairly breathable, but while the back panel is also described as being breathable, the backs of my hands warmed up pretty quickly.

The Velcro closure allows for an adjustable fit and stayed secure every time I used these gloves. The gloves themselves fit well and didn't pinch or restrict my hands. However, their feeling is just a little too "thick" for me - I found it a bit difficult to really feel my reins through the gloves. Granted, this is just my preference - I typically ride with thin gloves, so these may not have been the wisest choice for me. And if I were riding my mare cross-country, I think my appreciation of a secure grip would override my desire for a delicate feel.

All in all, this is a nice pair of quality gloves probably best suited for event riders or for summertime schooling.