Heels Down Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Our Tried-and-True Top Picks

As 2022 nears an end, the holidays are a time for us to be grateful. From cherished relationships with family and friends, to everything we accomplished or overcame in the last 365 days. It’s humbling to look back.

And it’s also a great time to #treatyoself. You’ve earned it!

We asked our editorial team to highlight some of their favorite brands and products that made a difference in their rides this year. We’re sharing our honest, tried-and-true reviews of some gift-worthy items with you, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

Please enjoy our top picks in our 2022 Heels Down Holiday Gift Guide.

Schulz 1912 Collection: Boot & Helmet Bags For The Serious Competitor

No matter what level of riding you do, any involvement in the sport requires a hefty amount of equipment. Proper and safe boots, a safe helmet, tack, and the list goes on. Lugging your equipment back and forth, even just from the car to the barn aisle or worse, from the trailer to the horse show, can be a drag. Our time at the barn is sacred – every second that takes us away from being present and enjoying our horses can feel like a moment wasted. Luckily there’s a new brand that wants to make the experience easier for all equestrians.

Schulz is a designer of sleek and functional helmet and boot bags. They are not only lovely to look at, but crafted with all the details in mind for horseback riders. That’s because founder Lindsey Schulz is a dressage rider herself. The 1912 Collection by Schulz features a line of complimentary boot and helmet bags plus a grooming-centric backpack.

Inspired by the year dressage was added to the Olympic Games, the bags in the 1912 Collection have everything you can think of. The helmet bag effortlessly attaches to the boot bag, making it easy to sling over your shoulder and carry from one place to another. I love the proper vents installed in the tall boot bag to keep air flow moving through it. The sturdy helmet bag has just the right number of mesh pockets to keep your riding gloves, hairnet and hair ties close by. The dark graphite color, heavy-duty zippers and glossy finish of the bags offer a luxurious look to polish off your show-ready turnout on the circuit or in your home tack room.

This is truly a one-of-a-kind gift for your tireless trainer or favorite show buddy. The helmet and boot bag combo will turn heads wherever you go.

Athletic But Make It Fashion: Redingote Winter Jumpsuit

The first time I rode a horse in a Redingote winter suit, I was aboard a chestnut Icelandic mare tölting over lava fields outside of picturesque Reykjavík. It was any horse gal’s dream vacation, and being from Florida, I was thrilled to have something to keep me warm and dry while riding. Best of all, once I climbed into the saddle I didn’t think about the suit again. It did it’s job and I just got to enjoy the view and the ride.

It’s been a few years since that wonderful Iceland vacation, and my Redingote suit is still a staple in my winter riding wardrobe. I also snow ski in it – from the slopes of Park City to Vail, it’s made for women who are athletes and are ready to go all day.

Redingote has updated their winter onesies in recent years and it was an easy decision for me to invest in a new sleek pair. The company now offers winter stand-alone pieces, like an overall bib and jacket for easy layering. The onesie jumpsuit has some new features, including an insulated hood, but all Redingote outwear options are still equipped with heavy-duty zippers (perfect for accommodating tall boots while riding) spur straps, plenty of fleece-lined pockets and a form-fitting design. We’re talking about hardworking, technical outerwear made specifically for women riders.

It’s a game changer for any horse-crazy gal in your life, especially if she’s the type to brave the elements to ride, or muck stalls or whatever else her horse may need any time of the year. Redingote has thought of everything you need to ride safely, and warmly, in all conditions.

A Gift For The Hardworking Horse: RepleniMash by Purina

Living in Florida, I’m always mindful of the environment can affect my horse, both from a health and performance perspective. I want to do whatever I can to help keep him comfortable on the warmest and most stressful days, and to help him recover as quickly as possible after our rides. 

A bucket of Gatorade after a grueling jump school goes a long way with my Thoroughbred gelding. But I recently found something even better. 

Purina makes a product called RepleniMash – which is similar to a bran mash, but packed with so much more. RepleniMash helps keep horses hydrated with electrolytes, supports cells and shiny coats, and includes Purina Outlast to support gastric and hindgut health. Not to mention RepleniMash is nutritionally balanced to compliment my horse’s current dietary routine. 

RepleniMash is perfect to use after a hard workout, when traveling or if you want to encourage him to drink or eat. I’ve even used the mash to help disguise his supplements and medications that he sometimes picks over when fed in his usual grain. But most of all, RepleniMash is a healthy treat to offer to your horse whenever you want to show them a little extra love. 

It’s super easy to feed. One to two pounds of the mash is all you need for a typical serving, which you combine with about 16 ounces of water. One pound of the mash contains a full serving of Outlast. 

We’ve been feeding mashes to horses for many years, but more recent research suggests a traditional bran mash may contribute to digestive upset or imbalance. Purina’s RepleniMash is different – it’s nutritionally balanced and made with ingredients horses are accustomed to, including beet pulp, dried carrot, salt, flaxseed and more, to create a tasty but science-backed treat. It’s formulated without corn, alfalfa, oats and soy protein.

RepleniMash can be purchased online at any feed store near you which sells Purina products. It’s the perfect gift for your hardworking riding friend or trainer. Their horse will thank you.

Invest In Yourself With Top Level Training From RideiQ

Online riding instruction is booming right now – from masterclass digital programs with specific trainers to subscription-based platforms on any type of riding or discipline you can imagine, there’s a lot to sort through. Perhaps the most innovative program I’ve found which offers the widest library of riding theory, exercises, troubleshoots and more is the RideiQ app, designed for all English-based riding disciplines.

With an ever-growing curated list of international pros, the learning opportunities are endless on RideiQ. These audio-based lessons are easy to listen to as you ride. From flatwork schools to jumping exercises, to dissecting how to ride specific movements in a test or at a certain level, there’s so much to explore on the app (available for download via iTunes or Google Play). In addition to the riding lessons are podcasts, where world-class instructors get personal and talk through mental and physical challenges that come with horse sport training. It feels incredibly tailored to you, as an individual rider, and the app is just so easy to use.

New lessons are uploaded every week and feature top trainers in eventing, dressage, show jumping and hunter disciplines. There are livestreamed events where pros take questions from members and a wonderful community of users.

RideiQ is an excellent gift for your independent riding friend who maybe keeps their horses at home or is looking for a new way to expand the tricks in their training arsenal. Speaking from experience here – once you start utilizing the RideiQ lessons, you’ll never want to stop. The learning opportunities are endless.

Look Good and Feel Secure with Ecogold’s Exercise Boots

Ihave a love-hate relationship with horse boots. On one hand, they offer protection during performance. On the other, boots trap heat, which can make horses more susceptible to injury. it’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t kind of argument.

As an owner of a horse who has recovered from previous soft-tissue injuries, it’s important to me (and him) to keep those already compromised legs protected during our workouts. But I’m extremely picky, because I want a pair of boots that are breathable. We need the support in the most lightweight form possible.

This is where Ecogold’s exercise boots come in.

Diehard fans may know them as Ecogold dressage boots. Ecogold is bringing back their popular exercise boots for a limited run to much fanfare.

I love these boots because they check all the boxes on what I’m looking for: They are made of breathable memory foam which easily conform to the horse’s leg to create zero pressure points. The high-tech materials (neoprene free!) Ecogold chooses evaporate moisture quickly, keeping my horse’s legs dry and cool. The boots are lined with microfiber which makes them soft, almost “pillowy” and prevents rubbing.

They hold up too – to daily use in the sun and mud. They clean up easily with a quick run of the hose and also in the washer at home. They are my go-to boots for our flatwork days, hands down. Any serious rider who cares about their horses would love these, no matter their discipline.

Tucker Tweed: A Purse For Every Tasteful Horsewoman

I love it when I find interesting and fashionable equestrian themes in the “real world” – from spotting George Stubbs paintings on the wall, to snaffle bit touches on blouses and loafers – anywhere outside of the barn or horse show or tack store. And I love to carry that horse girl spirit with me everywhere, from the office, to out to dinner, to on vacation. There’s no more sophisticated way to show a little equestrian flair than with a luxury handbag.

Tucker Tweed is a line of purses tailored with equestrians in mind. These fine-leather handbags are gorgeous – I get compliments wherever I go. You can shop literally by discipline, and find tasteful touches that match your passion for dressage, fox hunting, polo or the hunter/jumper ring.

The colors of the bags just pop – and there’s a design for any preference. From magnificent clutches to backpacks to shoulder and overnight bags. My favorite has to be the camden crossbody bag featuring a lovely jumping horse emblem across the front (which also comes in fox hunt and dressage styles).

Tucker Tweed has thought of everything in terms of flattering design to functionality – these purses easily transfer from the tack room to a night out and shine in any social situation. It’s a gift any fashionable horsewoman in your life would never forget.

For The Horsey Book Worm: Horse & Rider Books Collection

We all have that one horse-obsessed friend who when she’s not in a saddle, her nose is in a book. From training theory to fiction, horse books help us learn and connect with the animal in new, elevated ways. A good book lets us get lost in the passion we share through horses. There’s no publisher who knows equestrians quite like Horse & Rider Books. With dozens of professional horsemen in their author arsenal – from Olympic riders and trainers to journalists and more – there’s a story for everyone among the many published works at Horse & Rider Books. A few of my new favorite reads are Margaret Rizzo McKelvy’s “Grid Quo Pro” and Laura Crump Anderson’s “Ultimate Exercise Routines For Riders.”

“Grid Quo Pro” features 52 exercises from nearly every big name in the horse world – Boyd Martin, Sharon White, Allison Springer, Anne Kursinski, and Tim Bourke – to name a few, which apply to riders of all levels and disciplines. I find the exercises easily laid out among the pages, with diagrams and good explanations for why this exercise will help build rideability or strength or help fix an ongoing issue. The instructions on “how” are thorough but easily digestible. Many of the exercises require little to no materials at all, and can be accomplished at any farm or in any arena or pasture.

But fitness isn’t just for horses. The fact is, riding is a physical activity and it requires strength building, something that cannot be achieved solely from in the saddle. Just like athletes from any other major sport, it requires some cross-training and time in the gym. Luckily Laura Crump Anderson, a certified personal trainer, has developed a guideline for riders in her new book, “Ultimate Exercise Routines For Riders.”

In the book, Laura features the workout routines of eight equestrian women, all at the top of their game. Laura blends these routines with her own to develop a program any busy rider can fit into their life schedule. It’s focused on riding, strength training, stretching and rest and recovery. All of these techniques are boiled down into how they can improve your riding. Laura answers the questions we all want to know, like – just how long should my workouts be? And what’s more important, intensity or duration? These are all things I’ve tried to guess and troubleshoot on my own without seeing great results – go figure. 

Both of these titles would make an excellent gift for the horse friend who is always on a quest for knowledge and looking to up their game.