
A Dover Saddlery Halloween

With just a few more weeks of warm weather before it’s time pack up your summer riding clothes and stock up on cozier fall schooling layers, we’ve narrowed down some of our favorite summer activities for equestrians. Enjoy these fun summer ideas with your horse, horse-loving families, and barn friends.
Continue readingAugust is here and summer is truly in full swing. And, as much as we love long sunny days at the barn, most equestrians know that sticky humidity and too-hot temperatures can take the fun out of ring work. On particularly sweltering days, we certainly encourage rest days or trail rides over hard schooling. But, for those days when the weather is just hot enough to be uncomfortable, we’ve picked out ten of our favorite summer items to help keep you and your horse cool while exercising.
Continue readingIt’s never too early to start your holiday shopping. This year, beat the winter rush and start shopping at Dover Saddlery now for gifts that any horse lover, rider, and equestrian will adore. To make your holiday shopping easier, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite items, whether you’re looking for stocking stuffers or show-stoppers — we even added a few ideas for your non-horsey friends and family. So, get in the holiday spirit early and take a look through our top 15 holiday gifts for horse lovers! Now, check out our 2019 updated gift guide here for tons of fantastic holiday gifts for the equestrians, pets, and loved ones in your life.
Continue readingWe love the beginning of summer for a lot of reasons – longer days at the barn, warm weather, and great summer riding attire – but one of the best parts is celebrating Dad on Father’s Day. Whether your dad is a serious horseman, a casual rider, or simply your biggest fan on show days, we’ve picked some of our favorite products that Dad is sure to love this Father’s Day.
Read moreThe sun is finally out and summer vacation is right around the corner, which means it’s time to get ready for riding camp! Summer riding camp is every child’s dream: fun-filled days spent outside with horses and other young riders, fine-tuning horsemanship skills, and making new friends. It’s important to stock up on riding gear that will keep your child cool and comfortable during long days at the barn. We have put together a list of our most popular camp essentials that your child will love to help take the guesswork out of your pre-camp shopping trip.
Continue readingWhen entering the equestrian field some athletes find themselves focusing on one discipline to specialize in. Others, like Tik Maynard, top eventer and natural horsemanship trainer, enjoy trying their hand at many different disciplines and skills within the sport. Some of you may remember seeing Tik and Mini Horse Ruby participating in a few clinics at the 2018 Massachusetts Equine Affaire late last year. After those demonstrations, we got a chance to sit down with Tik to learn a little bit more about his successful equestrian career and just how he balances so many hobbies and skills both within the equestrian world and out!
Breeches are an essential part of any English rider’s wardrobe. Once you’ve tried them, you’ll never go back to riding in jeans, whether you’re training, showing, or even heading off on a leisurely trail ride. Dover Saddlery is here to help find the right pair of breeches for you.
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If you or your child is new to riding, your instructor may have mentioned the prerequisite of riding in a boot with an approximately 1” heel. The small heel is meant to prevent a rider’s foot from sliding through their stirrups. Although it is not fool proof, finding the right pair of riding boots is important for your safety, comfort, and efficiency in the saddle.
The installation of an arena with premium footing is just the first step in the process of maintaining maximum performance in a riding space over time. At Equestrian Services International, a major component of the team’s mission is to work with their clients to make sure they receive the tools and continued service for top quality footing performance year after year. From some of the world’s top competition venues to private farms of all sizes, each location receives personalized support for the maintenance of arena footing.
In ensuring the continued health of their footing blends, ESI focuses on three major areas of maintenance: regular grooming and surface clean up, proper irrigation, and the annual full tilling and grading servicing.