equiShopping.com Blog

Social Networking and Horses – How it can help you

Confused about Facebook and the strange bird symbol that is Twitter?  There’s a million reasons to have a go – especially when you have horses.  Now I’m not suggesting for a moment that you exploit Facebook’s incredible potential for stalkers but there is a lot to be gained from it...

The nature of competing generally means that you have friends from all corners of the country and possibly from across Europe as well.  With Britain being the centre of the eventing world it’s not surprising you only see some people at events as they travel sooo far.  Living in Kent miles away from anywhere I sympathise.  The answer, use Facebook and Twitter.  Now this may seem like a bizarre advertisement for social networking but the point is that it’s Christmas and wouldn’t it be great if you could have a chat with those people you never see but really like?

What’s more, the most up to date information generally hits Facebook or Twitter first before the official channels.  Also, you can get a realistic picture of what places are like before you get there.  Take the Facebook group that offers pictures of BE courses taken by its members.  It’s free as well and is genuine competition for other costly services such as Eventing World Wide’s course photos. 

Have you ever come across the scenario of talking to someone having been introduced to them but then forgetting their name as soon as you’ve heard it? With things like Facebook and Twitter you can see “friends of friends” and quickly find who that elusive person was.  However, I’m not suggesting you go as far as looking up someone’s number in the schedule to find their name and then finding them on Facebook as that’s probably a little bit too far.... Although it most certainly has been done. 

So, there you have it.  Lot’s of reason’s to sort this social networking out.  Go grab a phone wielding teenager and demand some help.  Bribe them a bit and they’ll help as long as you don’t expect them to add you as a friend! When you’re all sorted with it check out Equishopping there.  Not only do you get the latest news that way but you can get some great offers and enter competitions too.  Or more simply just click the logos at the top right of this page to go straight to Equishopping’s Facebook and Twitter pages.  

 

Free advertising - you simply can't lose out!

It's not uncommon to hear people comment on the price of advertising horses.  Current prices are sky high and when you're selling a low value horse advertising can take a large chunk of your profits.  The theory behind paying more is that you are paying for a premium space where your ads are displayed to a maximum audience.  That's one business model.  Now look at it from another angle.  Here at Equishopping we let you advertise everything from horseboxes through to grade A jumpers's. For free.  So what's the idea behind it? It's not because no one would pay to advertise with us it's because we think we're far better off letting you advertise for free and you seeing what else we offer.  We're confident that's the best way forward because you'll like what you find.  The bottom line is - you simply can't lose! It's free and will take you about 3 minutes to do.  

One problem with a lot of free advertising sites is that they have a huge number of lower value horses without much balance.  At equishopping we like to keep the balance between high and low value.  That way we have buyers with the money coming our way but we keep our traffic up as we've something for everyone.  Simple really.  So, yes, we offer free advertising for the right reasons - no catches.  We hope you'll agree...

But how on earth do you write an advert.  Not just an average one but one that'll have the phone ringing all day long for the right reasons.  The first step is no be truthful in your description.  There's very little point trying to lure buyers in with over exaggerated claims that they'll soon see aren't true.  However, just because we don't exaggerate doesn't mean we can't make ads stand out.  The trouble is with exagerating is that everyone does it - how many times do you read "stunning" in an advert title - the reality could be somewhat dimmer.... Play to your strong points.  Every horse under the sun has some plus points even the most difficult of beasts.  

Video and photos are the best way to show off those strong points.  I mean decent photos though, in good lighting, taken on a good quality camera or you're wasting your time as no one can see what their potential purchase is.... The other point with videos is that unless horses haven't been backed or you've got lots of photos in the ad don't use a picture of the horse being held or of its head.  Go for the action shot that actually shows the horse working.  

It's also very important to have all the details in your advert.  There's nothing more annoying than having to call about a horse just to find out how big it is! Plus, most people just won't bother and move on... Furthermore, when you give contact details make it very clear when you'll be available or if people should leave a message for example.  If you don't get back to people or they can't get hold of you they'll very quickly lose interest... 

Go for it! If you use Equishopping you just can't lose.  What's stopping you?

Caring for your horse during his holidays.

It's that time of year again when a lot of us give our horses a holiday.  With the eventing season over and the summer venues packed up for dressage and jumping it's easy to 'chuck 'em out in the field' as people put it.  Although it's not really that easy... 

The first conundrum you might face is shoes on or off? It's certainly cheaper to not shoe horses for their holidays but not all horses cope with having their shoes taken off.  Especially if they've been shod since the year dot. We all try and turn horses out as much as we can during their holidays but this has it's problems as well. Firstly, horses seem to have a habit of pulling shoes off when left to their own devices.  It might be worth trying something like the 'ShoeSecure' horse shoe shield which is designed to alleviate the problem.  While we're on the topic of legs - chaps for horses. With horses being turned out for longer periods the mud and wet can really begin to get to them resulting in mud fever for example.  Turnout boots seem to be the answer to this problem but they must be kept clean and dry (or at least start the day like that).  After that, washing any mud off the legs and then drying them should help.  

Looking outside the window, it's also a good idea to look at whether your rugs are actually that warm and dry.  Over the years the waterproof coatings can deteriorate and the insulation pack down leaving your trusty steed damp and cold.  Equishopping has a vast range of turnout rugs to choose from and there's a few bargains there as well! As your horses settle into their holidays and begin to enjoy the 'field factor' they might begin to get a little difficult to catch in the evenings.  Leaving a head collar on is OK as long as it's a leather one which will snap if they manage to get caught up in some bizarre predicament... Don't panic, Equishopping has some reasonably priced leather headcollars not just posh ones! 

When it comes to December time and your thinking of bringing horses back into work Equishopping can help again with it's database of healthcare professionals including physio's and osteopaths. Just like when humans start a fitness campaign, think Olympics or Marathons, they have regular health checks so that any small problems that you might not have noticed are caught early.  It's not unheard of either to have a 'horse MOT' done by the vet at the beginning of the season.  It's also worth considering having your horse's teeth looked at by a specialist not just your vet.  Certain horse dentists have studied overseas for several years to gain extensive qualifications unavailable in this country.  

If you're a travelling tack shop, aspiring pro or entrepreneur then the winter is the ideal time to get any website issues or sponsorship sorted when there's more time.  Help is at hand again here!  Equishopping  run a comprehensive web design plan so you can start the 2011 season with an online presence.  What's more, there's currently a 25% off offer on!

On that theme, it's also a good idea to take stock of any finances, no matter how scary they are! Are you really getting the best deal? We think Equishopping's insurance database gives you a solid place to start in your quest for cheaper insurance. 

For now that's it. Enjoy the holidays!! 

The World Equestrian Games...soo much better than the golf.

Type WEG into google and you'll be presented with some rather good news.  GB already have a medal in the dressage and as I type are one step closer to bagging some medals in the eventing.  That's not to mention the Show Jumping where things are looking up as well! Basically, it's going very well for Team GB.  Got 5 minutes spare? Well what are the World Equestrian Games? 

 

For starters they're being held at Kentucky in America this year.  Which means flying about 450 horses from Europe over the Atlantic.  No mean feat! There's also different classes.  The eventing team flew business class.  It's about 10,000 euros per horse and when the horses arrive there's a 42 hour quarantine period.  The logistics of the flights can be a little tricky as horses travel separately to riders which leaves riders somewhat preoccupied with wondering what their horse is up to a 10000 feet.....

There's 8 different competitions going on: Eventing, Dressage, Show Jumping, Reining, Driving, Para-Equestrian Dressage (first time), Endurance and Vaulting.  One controversial point is the availability of funding to non Olympic sports.... but that's an entirely different can of worms.  

I think an explanation is due for the lesser known sports.  Reining is western style riding's version of dressage.  Endurance is what it says on the can and Vaulting is literally gymnastics on horse back.  Driving consists of a series of tests much like eventing but without the jumping. You get the idea - lots of little bits added together. The actual driving is split into 3 separate competitions Driven Dressage, Marathon and Obstacle Cones Driving.  

Team GB's medal hopes? Well the dressage is already in the bag with a silver from Laura Bechtolsheimer although we didn't manage to beat Edward Gal's and Moorland Totilas' horde of 3 golds.  In reallity this means Laura won as Moorlands Totilas is verging on not being a horse, more some dressage machine that has the effect of making people cry spontaneously at the sight of him trotting down the centre line....

Team GB are well in contention for the Eventing but as always the final day will leave many people without finger nails... The Show Jumping competition is a fabulous opportunity for the British Showjumpers to render multiple critics speechless given some criticism over the past year. GB also have some strong contenders in the other disciplines to bolster our predicted medal tally.  However, placing beats on that is a dangerous business....

For anyone that wants to find out more check out the WEG website - www.alltechfeigames.com - be warned though, you'll have to put up with a frightfully annoying background voice in places....

Equishopping didn't sponsor WEG this time around but in the imminent future when we're a large multi-national company we'll have a think! However, we did sponsor Blair Castle this year which the BBC heralded as a showcase of Britain's Eventing prodigy - 2012 heeeere weeee come! Pheeew, whirl wind tour of WEG. Done.

Grooming kits - sooo much choice....

Grooming doesn't just get horses clean but it improves the bond between horse and human as well.  Although perhaps not to this extent: 

 

In all seriousness, isn't it about time you replaced your old tatty brushes?  You know, the ones that just keep going on and on but getting worse and worse at actually brushing anything....

Lets start at the top.  If you can afford it, the 'in' thing at the moment are full grooming kits.  That way you can colour coordinate everything from jackets and buckets to brushes and the lorry...

Of course we have an answer for those of you not so fortunate.  At the end of the day you can get by with just a body brush, dandy brush, hoof pick and comb - just don't let the BHS hear me say that... At the moment the secret weapon is a hose pipe with a spray gun.  Just make sure you've got all the sponges, sweat scrapers and hoof brushes you need. However, bear in mind that you've fairly likely to get the middle hoof if you use a hose pipe in December!!

While we're on the topic of winter which is literally about to batter summer out of existence its important to remember that conditions such as mud fever thrive in wet and muddy conditions.  It's worth investing in a good set of new brushes with some ping in the bristles as they'll make it far easier to get all that mud off - BANG and the dirt is gone....

A few things worth noting.  1. The bentley slip-not range really do work and stop grooming brushes acting like bars of soap. 2. You get what you pay for.  More expensive brushes are not only better ergonomically but the bristles will last longer and keep that fresh feel well into next season.  3. Get a big sturdy box for all your grooming kit.  That way the dog wont run off with it and you'll have an extra mounting block.  4. Rubber massage mits are a great way of removing loose hair and giving your horse a massage at the same time.  

When it comes to tails and manes its usually the case at this time of year that they need a bit of a tidy up.  That's fine if your horse doesn't mind having his mane pulled but if he does you're in for a battle.  Fear not! if you're a lucky one check out our range of mane combs, scissors and plaiting bands.  If you're not so lucky then we've got a few products up our sleeve to help you out.  So check out our range of mane pulling/thinning devices.  It might just save your life! 

If you're up for the challenge have a look through equishopping's entire range of grooming kit and see what the wackiest thing you can find is! My personal favorite and tip for the top is the vacuum groomer.  If you're lucky we might have a few competitions coming up to win some rather snazzy prizes (check out our last winner here) but the only way to find out about them is to subscribe! Or follow us on Facebook...

We'll look at clippers in a while but the next stop for our blog is a look at the World Equestrian Games which includes one of the largest flights of horses on record!!

equiShopping.com Blair competition winner 2010

The competition that was held in the information tent throughout the show was won by Laura Cheadle from Inverness. She was the winner of £100 of equiShopping vouchers, so she will be able to spend them with an equiShopping merchant of her choice.

Your Horse Live Cheval Liberté winner!

And the winner of the Cheval Liberté trailer fitted out with a trailer vision security camera is :

Donna Cox

(West Yorkshire)

 

Which is the UK's favourite riding club or stables ?

For a chance to win the latest top quality Showjumps for your riding club or livery stables, just enter our great competition here. It's 100% free for everyone to enter.

All you need to do is VOTE online for your favourite riding club, riding school or stables. The clubs/stables with the most number of votes by 31st December 2009 will win these superb new 'no maintenance' showjumps supplied by The Sport Horse Centre.

Each person can only vote once and votes are counted in real time. You can check the current ranking of your club at anytime HERE and if your club or stables has not already registered to enter the competition, just fill in a registration form now.

Increase your club's chances of winning by emailing or telling as many people as possible to visit *www.equishopping.com* and VOTE NOW.