How to Enhance Your Riding Arena

A large outdoor arena with white dressage letter cones and tan arena footing. There is a white fence around the perimeter of the fence.

It’s December, time for extra merriment and fun! Our thoughts have turned to ways we can spruce up our riding areas to keep our horses’ environments attractive, engaging and stimulating. As this gift-giving season, too, who knows? Some of these ideas might make perfect presents for your favorite rider.

By incorporating thoughtful decorations, practical obstacles and appealing elements, you can transform any riding arena or area into a captivating space that promotes learning, mind and body conditioning, concentration and enjoyment.

  1. Add dressage cones. No matter your riding discipline, dressage letters are a simple way to expand on or create training exercises. While you guide your horse through patterns, figures and transitions based on letter locations, you can hone your aids and improve your horse’s suppleness. Dressage letter towers can hold flowers or plants—a great opportunity to add seasonal color year-round. Choose non-toxic plants or plastic varieties for horse safety and weather resistance.
  2. Install attractive and functional obstacles. Whether you add ground poles, Rail Razors, cavaletti, Jump Blocks or fences, introducing obstacles to your riding arena enhances visual appeal and offers mental and physical stimulation for your horse.

  3. Turn on some music. Install speakers around the arena to play calming music or natural sounds, which can help relax and focus both you and your horse. Prefer a lively experience? Upbeat music—as long as it isn’t too loud—just may inspire your horse’s cadence.

  4. Enhance the surroundings naturally. Consider planting (non-toxic) flowers or ornamental grasses around the perimeter of your outdoor ring. These natural elements can add vibrancy and tranquility to your arena space.

  5. Incorporate wall décor. Consider hanging equestrian-themed photographs, banners or flags. The entrance to your arena is a perfect spot for a customized sign with a welcome message or a stable name. Such decorative touches create a sense of pride and attachment to the space.
A white dressage letter cone the the letters M and G on it with colorful artificial flowers coming out of the top.
A set of four jumps stacked in ascending order. The front jump has a green gate with white and red jump standards. The jumps behind it are completely white.
Blue jump blocks are stacked one on top of the other on either side with white poles in the middle to make a jump.

While you create an equine oasis for you and your horse to enjoy, remember to keep an eye on safety aspects. Allow plenty of space to move around obstacles and be sure to introduce your horse to new things with care.

Shop our wide selection of jumps and arena equipment here.

Is your arena #goals worthy? Share your photos with us on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @doversaddlery!



What Will You Choose: Tasty Holiday Treats for Horses & Ponies

Four containers of horse treats are lined up on a wooden surface. From left to right the horse treat brands are Uncle Jimmy's Squeezy Buns, Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses, The German Horse Muffin, and Manna Pro Nuggets.

Because gift-giving season is almost here, we’re thinking of ways to delight the horses and ponies in our lives. The obvious choice? Surprise their taste buds with delectable concoctions, perhaps from a brand they’ve never tried before. To help you choose from all the treats available today, here are some thoughts you might like to consider.  

Best-Selling Treats

If your horse likes to follow the herd, he or she will love these popular favorites. These treats are produced from partners that are among our favorites, too, as they stand behind their high-quality products.

  • German Horse Muffins: Made by Equus Magnificus in the USA, German Muffins are decadent, sweet and chewy treats. Fresh grains, molasses, vitamins and more are mixed to perfection and formed into gourmet bite-size muffins. They can also be used to disguise pills.  
  • Manna Pro® Bite-Size Nuggets: Offered in a variety of flavors, these crunchy treats fit into pockets easily and pack a great value for your dollar. They’re made in the USA from wholesome ingredients, fortified with vitamins and minerals, and horses find them irresistible!
  • Uncle Jimmy’s® Squeezy Buns: These wonderfully soft treats are individually wrapped to preserve freshness and to eliminate mess. They are made in the USA from all-natural, nutritious ingredients, and horses simply adore them.

Seasonal Flair

Looking for something with distinct holiday appeal? Check out these fun brands!

  • Mrs. Pastures® Cookies: Offered in festive holiday packaging, these all-natural horse treats have been enjoyed by horses since 1986. Made in the USA, these cookies are dehydrated rather than baked, so they won’t crumble or fall apart in your pocket.
  • Stud Muffins®: Filling a transparent candy-cane container for easy gift giving, these chewy treats are handmade from nutritious ingredients and fortified with extra protein and flaxseed.
  • Kelcie’s Horse Treats: These treats come in Pumpkin Spice, which is as perfect for seasonal festivities as pumpkin pie! Naturally low in sugar, starch and carbohydrates, they’re made in a unique extrusion process and designed to deliver healthy benefits.

Small Bakery Support
If you love to support small, entrepreneurial businesses, any of these treats will please both you and your horse.

  • A to Z Horse Cookies: Appropriate for horses with metabolic conditions, these soft, flavorful treats were originally designed to be used as pill pockets to hide medicines. They’re low in carbs, low in sugar and made in the USA from human-grade, organic ingredients.
  • NickerDoodles: These gourmet horse treats are handmade in the USA for discriminating horses and their picky owners. They’re soft, tasty, easily digestible and just six simple all-natural ingredients.
  • Daybreak Farm Horse Muffins: These “Muffins with a Mission” are offered with candy centers or with limited, all-natural ingredients as a healthy option. While the muffins make your horse happy, they serve a higher purpose: they’re created in a special working farm in Pennsylvania, where individuals with special needs find meaningful work, vocational job training and socialization.

Does your horse have a favorite cookie or treat? Share your photos with us on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @doversaddlery!

The Art of Personalization for the Equestrian

A brown horse facing left is shown standing in a grassy field. It is wearing a blue blanket with the word "Nesto" embroidered in white on the belly.

For a sport so thoroughly steeped in its traditions, heritage and culture, a monogram (or another form of personalization) is the perfect embellishment for any equestrian. From a subtle touch with initials on a show shirt cuff to a boldly displayed logo on a tack trunk or your barn name on a gear bag, a beautifully produced personalization makes an elegant statement, exhibits ownership and enhances refinement. Monograms can range from a single initial, a traditional three-letter design, a custom logo or barn name, horse’s name or rider’s name.

“It’s special to be part of this sport, to be part of a barn family, to be among riders who take pride in showcasing their horse’s breed, name, or their own initials on a long-standing and beloved piece of riding apparel or equipment.  I especially love adding a monogram to a gift! The wide variety of thread colors and font styles really allow you to create a personalized finish to any product. The perfect present for a special show season or even schooling at home. I think a personalized accent represents a piece of a rider’s journey. It’s a true gift and something special to have or share.”

—Whitney Keeley, Dover Saddlery, Creative Director & Rider
 

Riders choose personalizations with a distinct sense of pride—pride of ownership identifying gear and tack, pride of place identifying barn, show stable or farm and, in some cases, pride of breed, identifying their horse’s type. Personalization serves a functional purpose: to identify the owner and, more importantly, to allow the owner to show their distinctive style.

A brown garment bag with light blue accent trim is hanging on the front of a wooden stall door. There is a matching accessory bag attached to the garment bag. Both are embroidered with a diamond with the initials "DEF" inside in light blue.

Riders are especially lucky to have so many unique opportunities to add personalization! Embroidered monograms from elegant to whimsical can be created to display on horse and rider clothing. Customized logos are a spirited way to highlight your barn or stable and inspire team camaraderie. Stylish stable décor incorporating director’s chairs, tack trunks and stall drapes with coordinated logos/monograms makes an eye-catching and striking display in a home or at shows. Here are a few distinguishing ways to add your singular style to your equestrian kit with monograms.

  • Embroider an initial or name on all their gear bags (boot bags, helmet bags, garment bags) as a smart detail and for ease of identification. Choose your embroidery color to match your logo, complement your horse’s color or assert your personal style.
A smiling woman with brown hair is shown wearing a blue jacket with a red and white barn logo embroidered on the left chest panel.

Professional stable and trainers may have jackets, quarter-zips, shirts and other items embroidered to promote their organization and to ensure that their representing riders present a polished uniform look, both at home and on the road

“My trainer and all her students have jackets with her logo on the center back. We all love wearing her branding at a show or clinic to support her business. It’s also fun to wear them even at the home barn—it’s a cool feeling to be part of a team.”  
—Liz Russell, Dover Saddlery, Senior Writer & Rider

  • Add your horse’s name to its dress sheets and coolers. It delivers a sophisticated impression around the show grounds or during transport and ensures that your horse’s items are completely unique. Breed logos are another way to make a bold statement
  • Monogram saddle pads, polo wraps and stable bandages to further enhance your distinguished style and clearly identify your tack.

Another truly striking personalization addition is to include engraved nameplates on your horse’s tack, or stall. Our gleaming brass or German silver plates lend a polished note beautifully engraved in your choice of classic lettering. Or choose a smart leather bracelet to accessorize your look with your name, the name of your horse or barn. With so many personalization options to choose from and so many ways to mix and match those options, you can create your own look and elevate your presence at any event, show, competition or just at home in the barn. Discover how today!

A wood and brass stall plate with a chain is shown hanging on a metal and wood stall door. The stall plate is engraved with the name "MICROCHIP".
Two leather bracelets, one with a brass plate and one with a German silver plate are shown against a white background. Both bracelets are engraved with the words "Stablemate Bracelet".

To learn more about Personalization, click here.

Shop all personalizable products here.

Have you ordered a customized product for you or your horse? Share your photos with us on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @doversaddlery!

Time for a Halter Makeover

The neck and head of a brown horse wearing a brown leather halter is shown standing to the right side of the image. The horse is standing in front of a grassy field with jumps in the background.

As we handle our horses each day, we might not notice a problem developing with the way our horses’ halters fit. Leather halters in particular stretch with use, cleaning and conditioning, but even web halters with breakaway leather crowns can loosen over time.

A periodic review of your horse’s halter fit is a wise step toward keeping your horse safe and comfortable. A loose halter can slide off accidentally or ensnare a hoof; a halter that is too tight can dig into skin or interfere with a horse’s breathing, chewing or swallowing.

Many manufacturers offer halters. If you follow our fitting guidelines but cannot achieve a satisfactory fit on your horse, try a halter from a different manufacturer. A horse that is difficult to fit is best suited for a halter with a double-buckle crown and an adjustable chin.

Here’s how we like to ensure a proper halter fit:

1. Adjust the crownpiece, which will impact the placement of the noseband, the looseness of the throatlatch and the angle of the cheek pieces against your horse’s face. The crownpiece should fit over the poll, close to the back of your horse’s ears, but not press into them. Some halters have buckles on both sides of the crownpiece, and some have only one buckle on the left side. In the case of two buckles, try to use symmetrical holes for the crownpiece setting.

2. Check the noseband of the halter. It should sit about halfway between your horse’s eyes and nostrils, resting under the cheekbones so that the metal hardware joining the nose piece, chin strap and cheek piece does not press into the bones.

Adjust the noseband snugly using two to three fingers’ width between it and your horse’s face as a guideline. Some nosebands do not have buckles for adjustment. If this is the case with your halter, take extra care to be sure that you can obtain the optimum position of the noseband by raising or lowering the crownpiece with buckle, and that the noseband isn’t too loose or too tight.

If the cheek pieces are too long or the crownpiece is adjusted too loosely, the noseband will sit too low on your horse’s muzzle. In this case, it may impair your horse’s breathing or in extreme cases, slip over your horse’s nose.

3. Check the throatlatch, which should rest under your horse’s head where the neck meets the jowls. You should be able to fit three to four fingers into the throatlatch area to be sure your horse can breathe and swallow, but this spacing will not enable your horse to get a foot caught in that strap if he lowers his head.

4. Check the cheek pieces. Ideally, they should sit parallel to the cheek bones. If the throatlatch is too short or too long, or the crownpiece is not adjusted correctly, then the cheek pieces will not be able to run parallel to the cheek bones.

To browse our entire selection of halters, click here.

We want to see your #dovermodels in their halters, share your photos with us on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @doversaddlery!