Quick Tips for a Fun July 4th Weekend

As the weather heats up and we all get ready for the long weekend, I know a lot of people – at leas me! – are excited to spend some time out on the trails. I’m lucky enough to live a very short trailer ride to some amazingly beautiful trails, and plan to take all of my horses out for some conditioning rides and a welcome break from ring work this weekend.

For some of my crew, our regular English and Western saddle pads are part of our regular tack, so that won’t change. But for my trail horse with back issues, we already have a saddle pad that’s geared for trail riding with pockets and extra padding along the spine that he needs due to an old track injury. However I have always wanted to find a way to incorporate Draper Therapies into our riding because he is very cold backed and I know he’d benefit from the Celliant.

Then I had an idea – the neck blanket is just $10, and while thinner and certainly not as durable as a saddle pad, it’s about the same size as a baby pad and would fit under our trail pad without changing saddle fit. So we tried it – and he LOVED it!

His back was looser than he’s been in years, and he was moving with a free, swinging, relaxed gait down the trail, whether we were just walking, or moving along at a trot or canter. I know this won’t last as long as a thicker saddle pad, but it’s a great alternative for my horse that already has a pad that works great for him but without any therapeutic properties. It’s also great for those of you that are interested in trying out Draper products for  you or your horse, but aren’t ready to spring for the bigger bucks for the more luxurious or technical items.

Keep in mind that the neck blanket is very thin, and not as durable as some of the other full products made by Draper, but at $10, it’s an excellent intro product to try on your horse (or yourself!). While not a technical product the way the saddle pads are with wool content to wick away sweat, it’s still thin enough that me and my horse had no issues on trail with too much sweat. Though if you are looking for something for longer rides (we did about 8 miles as we condition for camping trips this summer), we would recommend the actual saddle pads.

Overall, it’s a great quick tip to keep you and your horse loose. Buy one for your horse, and one for you, and feel the benefits during and after your ride!

So what are your plans for the holiday weekend? Hitting the trails like we are, or do you have something else planned for you and your four legged friends? And of course, whatever the plans, we wish you a safe and happy and fun Independence Day weekend!

-CJ Millar