It’s the most wonderful time of year – filled with family, food, celebration and warmth.
Whether 2024 was the year you reached your goals and added exciting new horses to your string, or you spent the majority of it rebuilding for the next year, there’s plenty to reflect on and celebrate.
The team at Heels Down is happy to highlight some of our favorite brands and products that made a difference in our rides this year. We’re sharing our honest, tried-and-true reviews of some gift-worthy items with you, perfect for the equestrians in your life, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Please enjoy our top picks in our 2024 Heels Down Holiday Gift Guide.
Ecogold Fleece Exercise Boots, Flip Half Pad and the All-New Leaf Saddle Pad For The Serious Competitor
It’s not breaking news that we at Heels Down are big fans of Ecogold. But the Canada-based textile company keeps changing the game with every new innovative saddle pad line they drop. The latest is the Leaf – a sleek, thin pad which does what every Ecogold pad does best: it reduces friction while maintaining optimum saddle fit. The new Leaf pad is made with breathable 3-D airflow fabric, perforated memory foam and a stylish non-slip leaf design you won’t see anywhere else.
It pairs perfectly with the latest color release of the classic Ecogold Flip Half Pad – a gorgeous sage green shade.
Complete the look this winter season with the latest in exercise boots from Ecogold – fleece-lined black or white boots for your horse. Ecogold updated its classic and popular exercise boots with fleece for anti-rub comfort. Ecogold’s exercise boots are some of the coolest on the market – literally. The 3-D airflow material helps keep horse legs cool during riding and distributes pressure evenly.
All Things Equestrian Sun Shirts For The Fashionista In Your Barn
Get ready to ride in the lightest, softest equestrian sun shirt you’ve ever worn.
All Things Equestrian is a horse girl boutique based in Florida, and is known for making unique and colorful sun shirts for riders that you won’t find anywhere else. There’s a shirt style for everyone, no matter which discipline you ride or your personality.
The English-style sun shirts come in a classic long-sleeve style with mesh undersides and a soft four-way stretch to the fabric. The breathable material is honestly the most lightweight fabric we’ve ever ridden in (a blend of 92% polyester and 8% spandex). Because of this, the shirt stays cool and dries fast. But the light material is also heavy duty, in that it stands up to long days in the saddle and still look fabulous.
The expressive, colorful prints are exclusive to All Things Equestrian, so you won’t find them anywhere else. And All Things Equestrian pays attention to the details: there’s a light ruffle to the shoulders and each shirt has fitted wrist cuffs. But my favorite detail is the rose gold zipper down the front. So cute!
Plus the shirts come with SPF 30+ sun protection, are moisture wicking and are antibacterial.
In addition to English-style sun shirts, All Things Equestrian has also designed a brilliant Western-style shirt.
Pinsnickety Horse Show Pins & Charms For Good Luck Ahead of Show Season
Pinsnickety’s robust collection of horse show number pins and charms is the perfect stocking stuffer for your barn friends and even your trainer this holiday season. There’s a fun, colorful pin for every style – like glittery skulls for your edgy jumper buddy or a unicorn for your bubbly eq riding gal pal. And don’t forget the dumpster fire set for your adult ammy friends who get it – and are just trying to survive out there.
This whimsical enamel pins are easy to apply – they easily fit into the fabric of any saddle pad and offer secure “back side” buttons that won’t rub your horse. It’s a perfect way to add a little flair in the show ring. Add even more of a pop to your show ring turnout by including a matching charm for your hunter plaits or button braids.
And pro tip: the pins double as cutesy looks for your fly bonnet or even your stock tie. You can thank us later.
SynNutra G-Chill and SynChill Suppements For The Owner Who Goes The Extra Mile For Their Horse
There are a lot of supplements on the shelf at the feed store, many that claim to do this or that, without a lot of research behind the marketing. But that’s not the case with SynNutra Equine.
SynNutra is an equine supplement and nutrition company committed to the research and development of products that actually work when they treat performance horse health.
The company was formed after years of extensive consultation with scientists, pharmacologists and herbologists that combine the benefits of both western science and eastern medicine. This whole-health approach allows SynNutra to provide supplements aimed at keeping horses well – and treating targeted medical issues in all realms.
SynNutra Equine products never contain drugs or prohibited substances and there are no withdrawal times from ingredients.
Heels Down put two of SynNutra’s most popular products to the test. The first is G-Chill, providing relief for horses who are prone to gastric upset and environmental stress because stress and gastric ulcers unfortunately go hand-in-hand. G-Chill comes in an easy-to-feed alfalfa pellet and is fed just one scoop a day to be beneficial.
This 2-in-1 supplement combines two popular SynNutra products in one – focus-enhancing benefits of SynChill Daily™ with the digestive health and gastric ulcer-managing properties of GastroMend™. It’s made of natural, active serotonin precursors for mood and composure support and contains high-potency, gut-protective plant extracts and vitamins.
The next is SynChill, SynNutra’s most popular all-natural calming horse supplement. SynChill contains 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), the precursor to serotonin, the hormone widely recognized as a natural antidepressant, which effectively supports calm and focus for your horse without the use or need for sedatives or tranquilizers. SynChill comes in gel form and is administered via a syringe for easy feeding. Or there’s SynChill Daily, a pelleted form for everyday feeding.
Draper Therapies Celliant Technology For Your Horse, Dog And Rider Wellness
Once you try even one product from the fleet of Draper Therapies wellness offerings – from Perfect Polos for hacking and schooling, to saddle pads that offer relief and recovery even while you’re still riding – you won’t ever leave the farm without them. We’re big believers in the benefits of Celliant, a fiber which is infused with minerals to aid in blood circulation by absorbing and converting body heat.
Draper also makes Celliant products for dogs and people – so literally everyone in my family is getting Draper products for Christmas this year. From lounge pants for home to a pet mat for your dog looking for relief from aches and pains, there’s something for everyone.
What we love most about Draper is that their products are backed by clinical studies. The company stands behind their products and offer great customer service when you have questions. We’ve seen the results first-hand with our horses over the years, and because of that, we’ll always be loyal customers at Heels Down.
Belt It Out Goods For The Equestrians Looking For An Extra Bit Of Flair
A good belt goes a long way in pulling a fabulous riding outfit together. And Belt It Out Goods has a look, color and theme for every equestrian.
Handmade by Madelyn, the vision behind the company, these belts began with love. Madelyn first crafted the belts for her horseback riding sister and the idea took off from there. Belt It Out Goods offers new styles and colors every season, with gorgeous clasp hardware to choose from.
The material offers ample stretch and comes in solids, sparkles, striped, woven, animal print and seasonal collections. The belts are stylish enough to pair with breeches for riding or with jeans or a skirt for a night out.
And best of all, they are affordable. It’s easy to splurge on a variety of looks when the price is just right.
A fresh look from Belt It Out Goods would make an excellent gift for your barn bestie or even your trainer. With so many designs and looks to choose from, it’s easy to find a handful that speaks to directly to your personality.
Purina® MQ™ Equine Microbiome Testing Kit For the Barn Friend Who Is Always Learning
A new program offered by Purina Animal Nutrition this year is aimed at teaching horse owners more about their individual horse’s gut microbiomes. Until now, the equine microbiome has felt a bit mysterious. The nutrition we provide that goes into the horse fuels the microbiome, which in turn, keeps our horses healthy.
But understanding how to find and support the optimal balance of the microbiome really starts with understanding what a healthy microbiome should look like. This holiday season, invest in your own education and learn more about your horse’s unique nutritional needs with the Purina® MQ™ Equine Microbiome Testing Kit.
Purina has developed an easy way for horse owners to take a sample from their personal horse and have it analyzed through next-generation sequencing and data analytics.
The Purina® MQ™ Equine Microbiome Testing Kit is easy to use. Everything you need arrives in the kit, with handy instructions. After taking a rectal swab, we secured the sample in the mail packaging that came in the kit and sent it off to the Purina lab. In a few weeks, Purina was able to sequence the sample and provide more information about what’s going in inside your horse’s hindgut, and compare it to horses of similar breeds, from similar geography and more.
The results are delivered online in an easy-to-navigate form full of interesting infographics.
Head to our social media pages, @heelsdownhappyhour on Instagram, and Heels Down Mag on Facebook and TikTok, to see the products up close and in use! And hear all our personal reviews by tuning into Episode 130 of the Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast on the Horse Radio Network.