UPDATE Our Online Shop Has Moved

We hope that all our customers received our notification but for anyone who missed it and for new customers, we are now exclusively an eBay shop. 

Visit us at Sherwood Equestrian Supplies on eBay for riding accessories, specialist riding underwear and dog accessories, too!

Dogs and Pets have infiltrated Sherwood Equestrian!

Horse riders generally have other pets, especially dogs and cats, so why not shop at Sherwood Equestrian for the whole family? All our products are very reasonably priced for the quality.

Take jackets, for example. Our shop can supply for humans and dogs!

We have a gorgeous pale green comfortable pure new wool junior riding show jacket in children's sizes for only £59.99 (sizes 26 and 28). Also, currently on sale with one item left (size 36) at only £54.99, the Shires Show Jacket for Ladies is very smart with a gold trimmed velvet collar and is hand washable.

We have several dog coats but here is our top quality waterproof dog coat in a lovely tartan, to celebrate the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland. This one sells for £13.70, others are priced from £8.70.

Visit Sherwood Equestrian for rider, horse, dog & pet accessories.

Types of Horse Bandages

Bandages for Horses are available for various purposes, from warmth to protection or plainly practical reasons. Here is a concise explanation about horse bandages.

Exercise bandages are stretchy and used when exercising to provide support and help protect legs from bumps and knocks. Fit over bandage pads from just below the knee or hock to slightly above the fetlock using even pressure with some tension. Exercise bandages should not be used for extended periods as they are fitted more tightly than stable bandages.Secure on the outside of the leg, tucking in any ties, and bind with bandage tape to ensure they do not become loose.

Stable bandages are made from non stretchy fabric such as fleece. Useful for promoting warmth, encouraging circulation and support after strenuous exercise or injury. They can be used on their own or applied over dressings or bandage pads for extra cushioning. Fit with light tension to ensure they do not slip, from just below the knee or hock to the coronet joint.

Cohesive bandages are stretchy and breathable and do not require extra bindings as they stick to themselves, but not to the leg or hair. They provide lightweight compression and are useful for wounds management or poulticing. Keep in your first aid box.

Tail bandages are used to protect the dock or for keeping the tail tidy. Great for showing, travelling or helping the tail hair to lay correctly after washing.

Horse bandages for sale at www.sherwoodequestrian.co.uk 

Year of the Horse

This is the Chinese Year of the Horse, which began on 31st January 2014. Those born in the Year of the Horse are said to be hardworking, independent, intelligent and ambitious. They can cope with several projects at once, will work on a job until it is completed and always expect to succeed. They also fall in love easily! Are these typical horse traits?

It certainly describes Sherwood Equestrian. We are determined to provide the best possible service to our customers and we love all of you for letting us know that we have succeeded in this ambition.

We have been busy sourcing new suppliers of equestrian products that we believe will be popular with our customers and we are in the process of adding them to our shop. We also have some exciting new ideas that we will be announcing over the coming months.

Sign up to our newletter (see left column on website page) and we'll email you interesting stuff as it comes along.

Horse Riding with Johnny Depp

The importance of a properly fitted saddle was highlighted by Johnny Depp's riding accident during the filming of The Lone Ranger. Horse Riding has its risks but properly fitted saddles and the correctly fitted protective headwear and body protection can contribute towards a rider's safety and well-being.

(The saddle incident is described about 8 minutes into the interview)

Sherwood Equestrian supplies a range of products for riders, specialising in equestrain underwear for comfort during long hours in the saddle. Try our shop for your equestrian supplies.

Options for Horse Riding with Long Hair

If you have long hair, there are strict rules for competitions, particularly for dressage hair solutions, and we have some inexpensive options in our shop. We also have an abundance of colourful scrunchies to keep your hair in place when leisure riding. Shown below is a small selection of hair accessories.

The essential equestrian hairnet is available in a choice of colours to blend with your own hair colour.
You can add four hairnets to your shopping cart for only £1.75.

Elasticated bun nets are available in black (or navy, when in stock), are easy to use and keep long hair off the collar.

Choose from a pearl bun net or a crystal bun net. At only £3.25, buy one of each to have a spare.

www.sherwoodequestrian.co.uk

Currently On Sale: Curry Combs for Grooming your Horse

Great value - TWO curry combs for £2.25

The plastic curry comb can be used to remove mud from winter coats (do not be use on clipped or fine coats).

These and other inexpensive horse grooming equipment are amongst our equestrian products in our online shop at www.SherwoodEquestrian.co.uk.

You Can Visit Our New Shop Now!

Sherwood Equestrian's re-vamped shop is now open for business!!! We are so excited!

We've added about 100 or so products for the launch and will be continuing to add more on a daily basis.

Not only do we sell equestrian clothing and underwear, for which we are noted, but we have added more accessories, some items for dogs plus a gifts section.

We will also be adding gift vouchers and we have started a loyalty points programme towards future purchases you may make. Finally, we have added a "wish list" where you can keep a note of items that you might wish to buy - or have bought for you!

Please visit our shop and let us know what you think: www.sherwoodequestrian.co.uk

New Website Almost Ready to Launch

We are very excited to announce that our long awaited re-designed Sherwood Equestrian supplies website is scheduled to begin Beta-testing on Monday and we hope to go 'live' in the next two weeks!!

Thank you so much for your patience. We look forward to your feedback.

To 'Like' our FaceBook Page www.facebook.com/SherwoodEquestrian

Pony Care Gift for Girls

Take one Elico canvas bag - blue, purple or pink - for just £7.75. Add some inexpensive items in coordinated colours, such as:

• Brunswick Body Brush £1.80
• Brunswick Mane Comb £1.60
• Brunswick Face Brush £2.40
• Brunswick Hoof Pick £1.90

The perfect gift for horse riding enthusiasts!

Like our Sherwood Equestrian FaceBook Page
Follow us on Twitter.com/SherwoodEquestr

Sherwood Equestrian Bargains via Social Media

At Sherwood Equestrian, we aim to bring quality equestrian supplies at reasonable prices. Our eBay shop and our blog are very popular but we have fewer visitors to our website (see our current equestrian supplies "price drop specials") and we have not yet made a big splash on social media.

We are quite new to FaceBook and have some Likes but would appreciate more! If you are interested in receiving occasional posts from our blog and news about our products on your FaceBook timeline, please visit www.facebook.com/SherwoodEquestrian and Like our page - thank you! Feel free to add some posts and comments, too.

If you are more of a Twitter fan, we can be found on www.twitter.com/SherwoodEquestr - follow us for news, sale announcements and updates. We look forward to tweeting with you!

The Magnificent Shire Horse

Shire Horses are generally calm and placid so, when one came thundering towards me as I crossed a field on a public footpath with my bouncy dog, I stood rooted to the spot and crossed my fingers - well, there was no way I could out-run it!

Centuries ago, the only British horses were small ponies, like the ones that roam the New Forest. Therefore, larger, stronger horses had to be imported to cope when knights began wearing heavy metal armour.

As times changed, the horses were utilised for pulling heavy equipment - on farms, for deliveries and, going full circle from carrying knights in medieval wars, pulling heavy artillery in later wars.

These gentle and intelligent animals played a major role in daily life prior to the invention and widespread utilisation of engines - towing canal barges, pulling passenger vehicles and beer drays.

Shire horse numbers fell dramatically during the first half of the 20th Century but small numbers continued to be bred and the magnificent Shire horse has its place in today's world.

Apparently, they are very comfortable to ride. (It's a long way down - you'll need a good quality riding hat!)

Oh, and the horse in the field stopped inches from me, stood quietly for a moment then ambled off.

Season's Greetings

Sherwood Equestrian wishes a Happy Christmas and prosperous 2013 to our readers and customers.

The 'Pony Loan' School

Continuing from our previous blog post... rather than buying a pony, an alternative service to consider would be the 'Pony Loan' School.

• Loan a Pony for a minimum of 3 months to discover what is like to be in the world of horse ownership for  a small weekly loan rental from £25pw
• Subject to a loan agreement you will become an owner and learn what ownership entails without the worry of cost and commitment before you are sure it is for you.
• The service package includes Part Livery, Food, Farrier, Wormers and Vet insurance. There are no hidden costs.
• After the period of three months the aim is to give the future purchaser of a pony a clear idea what is involved.
• You will know whether the children are still keen to continue and if the financial commitment is still to be made.
• From the experience gained you will have a good idea what size Pony to buy bearing in mind children grow at a fast rate.

If you are living in the Hertfordshire area we will provide you with full details of a personally known provider of this service who we are happy to recommend most highly.

Contact Sherwood Equestrian for full details.

Wish for a Pony – how much will it cost?

Cats are independent and inexpensive to keep. Dogs cost more and are harder work. Ponies and horses are considerably more expensive and will require your full dedication.

Before you buy your horse, you need to organise where it will live – you may have a suitable outbuilding within your large gardens or, more commonly, you will be able to rent a field and stable nearby. This price will vary greatly on what sort of shelter and services are provided. Who mucks out? Who provides the feed and supplements?

Your horse’s welfare is paramount. There are farrier costs and veterinary costs plus insurance to cover unexpected vet’s bills. The horse and its environment must be kept clean and disinfected to avoid viruses and common diseases such as ringworm, sweet-itch, mud fever and strangles.

To ride your horse, you will need the appropriate saddlery and tack plus suitable riding wear – especially a riding hat. If you wish to take part in competitions, you will need to attire yourself appropriately (visit Sherwood Equestrian for quality riding wear at reasonable prices). You may also need to consider transportation costs.

The initial outlay could start from £1,500 for the horse or pony. Other costs:

• Stabling £1,250 pa approx..
• Feed & supplements £1,500 plus bedding of around £1,000 pa.
• Vaccinations/vet fees £100 pa plus worming of around £60 pa.
• Insurance approx. £400 pa
• Shoes £900 pa (needed approx. every 8 weeks)
• Saddle, blanket, tack £1,000 plus
• Riding hat (essential) £50-£100
• Boots, jodhpurs, gymkhana clothing approx. £200-£300
• Horse box/trailer hire or purchase (insurance) £2500-£5000 pa to hire. Around £10,000 upwards to purchase

If finance is required to help purchase horses, horse-boxes or to build a private or commercial stable, Sherwood First Point may be able to introduce you to specialists in this area.

An alternative service to consider would be the 'Pony Loan' School (see next post).