Birthday Reviews

In this blog post I am going to be reviewing my birthday presents and tell you what I like about them and whether I recommend buying these products. I will also mention cost, sizing, colours and a quality rating as these are all key points that I look out for in a product. Finally I will give alternative products that are out on the market if you would like a comparison. A new thing I will be trying as well is a system where i rate the products out of 5 based on how much I recommend buying the product. I would like to say that I am in no way bragging about what I have got I am just doing this blog so if you are looking at a product and want to read a review on it first or to give you ideas of presents for family and friends.

Rating system:

1 - Do not recommend, item breaks or causes lots of problems, cannot be used

2 - Do not recommend, item has something wrong with it but is usable

3 - Might recommend but listed alternatives might be better

4 - Recommend but item may need a couple of improvements but still works very well

5 - Recommend, have no issues with the product, fully functional

Aztec Diamond Burgundy Baselayer

If you have read my Christmas Reviews blog (where i reviewed the Aztec Diamond navy baselayer) you will see that I was happy with the baselayers from Aztec Diamond however there were a few things that made me a little cautious of getting another. These were extra stickers where the diamonds were (not obvious but once I saw it, it was quite annoying) and a sharp bit of glue sticking up from the zip which constantly stuck into my chin and neck (I have now cut this off). These things did put me off a little but after getting the burgundy baselayer for my birthday these doubts have been lifted. The baselayer is so smart and gives me complete movement in the saddle. In the future I will probably avoid buying these baselayers at Christmas as I am assuming that the issues on my navy one were due to rushed orders but otherwise these baslayers are amazing with there smart looks. However since I have bought a second one some issues which I put to the back of my mind have really caught my attention, which are: after a while of riding they become very uncomfortably tight and the zips on the sleeves start to rub also whenever you move in the baselayer it instantly rides up and causes weird folds in the material and the sleeves end up being halfway up my lower arm so I am constantly having to tuck the baselayer back into my leggings and pull the sleeves down. This has really made me cautious of buying more of these baselayers as others that I have tried appear to be better value for money.

These baselayers retail for £40 on the Aztec Diamond website. They come in the colours: Navy, Black, Burgundy, Metal, White, Stone, Sliver, Khaki and Pink. They come in sizes XS - XL.

Another alternatives are the Brooke Legacy Equestrian Bodyfit Baselayers which retail for £22 and come in Navy, Black, White, Burgundy and Baby Blue.

Rating: 3/5

Reason: this baselayer is a good product that looks stunning when it is worn, however after past experiences I am a little wary of ordering around busy times of the year. I also find it quite tight and uncomfortable after a while of wearing it and once you move in it, in any way it instantly rides up meaning it looks weird from the way the material folds and the sleeves end up being halfway up my lower arm.

Lemieux Hat Bag

The Lemieux hat bag is a perfect edition to my show things and everyday things for the yard. It is the perfect size for my helmet and keeps it very clean when at the yard. It has a large zip pocket on the inside which is perfect for gloves and hair ties, it also has two pockets on the front which I use for my gloves at competitions. This bag goes so well with all the other Lemieux essentials and it is so nice to have a matchy set of bags for competitions as it is smart and professional. It is waterproof to keep you hat dry in rain or if there is a spillage of water which is so helpful before competitions when you don't want your hat getting wet! I personally love this hat bag and think it an essential for any equestrian wardrobe. They are exceptional quality and really do they're job very well.

These hat bags retail for £27.50 on Horse Health. They come in the colours blue or burgundy and are one size fits all.

An alternative for this bag is the Mark Todd hat bag which retails between £15-£20 on various websites. It comes in the colour navy with silver and is one size fits all.

Rating: 5/5

Reason: I absolutely love this hat bag and I think it is perfect, so far I have nothing bad to say about it so I believe it is deserving of 5/5.

Lemieux Boot Bag

The Lemieux boot bag (just like the hat bag is a perfect edition to my show things and everyday things for the yard). It is a great size for all boots and is very padded to help protect you boots and keep them in the correct shape. It has two pocket inside (one on each leg) which are the perfect place to keep spurs. Underneath there is a large compartment which easily fits a competition outfit in if needed but i personally keep spare clothes in the just incase. Finally on top it has a small pocket for anything small that needs protecting. It has two handles on top and an adjustable shoulder strap running from top to bottom, which also has a padded area so it doesn't dig in, which really allows for easy transport. The material is waterproof so does an amazing job of protecting everything inside on the day of a competition or just on the yard. Personally I love this boot bag as it is so durable and as my boots are quite small at the moment while I am growing, the ergonomically designed bag allows for all different sizes of boots which means I don't have to buy a new one when I grow and get longer boots. One problem I have found is that as I don't have boot shapers in my boots, which means they flop over, the bag does not stand upright to hold the boots up instead it flops over with the boots and can get in the way. However this is easily fixable as I should be able to get some boot shapers and the bag should stand up well. Overall I would really recommend this bag but make sure you have boot shapers in your boots to stop it falling over!

This product retails for £39.95 on Horse Health. They come in the colours blue or burgundy and are one size fits all.

An alternative for this product is the Mark Todd boot bag which retails for around £20 on various websites.It comes in the colour navy with silver and is one size fits all.

Rating: 4/5

Reason: I love this product so much and love all the extra pockets and compartments for extra things, however I know there are boot bags that hold the boots up without boot shapers and as this bag doesn't. I believe that that would be a feature I would like to see in it.

Lemieux Bridle Bag

The Lemieux bridle bag is a very minimalistic design which I think is perfect for competitions. It fits my bridle in perfectly and is very easy to hang on doors and pegs when preparing for a competition. The fact that it is not a fixed shape really allows it to be put into small corners or to lay easily on top of other bags at a competition which is very helpful especially when everything is packed in tight. Like the rest of the Lemieux luggage it is waterproof so protects your bridle from any forms of water which can damage the leather on your bridle. At the top of the bag is a velcro holder which is easy to attach the bridle to and securely holds it in place. There is a double zip on the front to allow you to open and close the bag easily. There is a pocket for a slip on the front of the bag so that you can put your details in so if you do lose the bag there is chance it can be returned to you and save you from buying a new bridle if it was in the bag. There is also a small pocket on the front for little things. Finally there are two handles which allow for easy transport. Personally I love this bag and 100% recommend it, it is so good at keeping my bridle clean and dry and is really easy to store for competitions.

This bag retails for £19.96 on Horse Health. They come in the colours blue or burgundy and are one size fits all.

An alternative of this bag is the Woof Wear bridle bag which retails for £16 on the Woof Wear website. It comes in the colour black and is one size fits all.

Rating: 5/5

Reason: I have no issues with this bag and believe it serves its purpose perfectly, I definitely recommend.

Lemieux Groom’s Bag

The Lemieux groom’s bag is so helpful for competitions as it is so spacious and has lots of room for all your show essentials. I personally don’t have much in the bag just things for cleaning and plaiting and then brush’s as I don’t need much more at the moment for shows however in the future if I progress to higher levels I am sure it would be more than helpful especially at stay away shows. It has a large area in the centre of the bag for larger objects and then smaller pockets all around the outside for things like plaiting bands and other things. It also comes with a removable shoulder strap and two handles on either side for more than one way to carry it which really helps when carrying more than one bag. This bag is a great bag for taking essentials to shows or even just for an everyday grooming bag (a very nice one)!

This bag retails for £67.50 on Horse Health. They come in the colours blue or burgundy and are one size fits all.

An alternative of this bag Shires Equestrian Groom Kit Bag which retails for £16.99 on Sports Direct's website. It comes in blue and purple and is one size fits all.

Rating: 5/5

Reason: I have no issues with this bag and believe it serves its purpose perfectly, I definitely recommend.

Lemieux Hay Tidy Bag

The Lemieux hay tidy bag is a great alternative to a usual hay net. I have found that this bag is so much tidier than a normal hay net as there are a lot less holes for your horse to get hay out of but they are a lot bigger so it is not hard to get hay out. It is also far easier to fill than a hay net as holes itself open easier so you are not standing there struggling when filling it. The bag also has two different rings to attach the clip so it adjusts to all types of areas. I personally keep my bag in the trailer and then use a hay net around the yard as i find this easier as I then know where everything is. This bag is great for both hay and haylage so don't worry about it not working for whatever you use also if you are a hay user there are two small holes at the bottom which help let dust escape so it is a lot easier to clean and is better for your horse (however if you do soak hay I would suggest still doing this). However a problem with this bag is that as the holes are only on one side if your horse twists their haynet they are then not able to get to the hay (Buddy does this a lot) so I then have to flip it back for him and when we are travelling I am not able to tell if he has or not. Overall this bag is really good for its function but is not as useful as a hay net for horse that twists their nets.

This bag retails for £16.96 on Horse Health. They come in the colours blue or burgundy and are one size fits all.

An alternative of this bag is the Shires Hay Bag Deluxe which retails for £19.99 on Equi supermarket. It comes in blue and is one size fits all.

Rating: 4/5

Reason: This bag is very good but could be improved by adding holes to the other side of the bag to accommodate for horses who flip their haynets.

Apt Cavalier Navy Performance Skin and Sports Hat Cover

The Apt Cavalier performance skin is one of the best that I have tried! They have a mesh at the back to allow heat to escape which keeps me so cool when riding even on hot days. Furthermore, my cross country colours are navy and white. Navy absorbs heat so easily because it is so dark so when I'm out competing I can get so hot out on the cross country course but the Apt Cavalier skins completely remove this issue for me. Additionally, these skins are so lightweight which really makes a difference to all my other baselayers which are very heavy, this is good in winter but cross country isn't usually on in winter so I personally don't see much benefit in this. Finally the Apt Cavalier skins are super comfy, the material used is super soft and at the end of a long competition day I don't want to take it off! Overall I love these performance skins and will definitely look into buying more Apt Cavalier products due to their amazing quality. The sports hat cover is a perfect match to the skin and looks amazing when out competing, they also fit so well over my hat and have a very professional look. Overall I completely recommend both of these products and if you are looking for a performance skin and hat cover look no further.

The performance skin retails for £47.50 on the Apt Cavalier website. The colour options are: navy, burgundy, white, black and comes in the sizes 8 - 16.

The hat cover retails for £12.50 on the Apt Cavalier website. The colour options are: navy, plum, black, white and is one size fits all.

Another alternatives are the Brooke Legacy Equestrian Bodyfit Baselayers which retail for £22 and come in Navy, Black, White, Burgundy and Baby Blue.

Rating: 5/5

Reason: I have no issues with these products and believe they serve their purpose perfectly, I definitely recommend.