Posts Tagged ‘ride’

Thank you Elissa for sharing her experience with EcoLicious products.

“We had a couple warm days that got up to 66 degrees, so I finally got the chance to wash Blue’s tail.  I am so impressed with these products.  I think I had said before that I’d been floating around looking for something that would satisfy me and hadn’t found anything quite right, let alone natural.  I’m so glad I tried this brand now.

“It was getting dark out and started to rain a little, so I didn’t even do that thorough of a job and it still came out great.  The Squeaky Green & Clean Shampoo was wonderful, I couldn’t believe how clean it got his tail all the way up into the base.  It usually takes 2-3 washes and rinses to get all that dirt out and I did not expect it to be clean after just the one wash last night, but it was.  And I mean really clean, not even stained.  His tail was pure white when I finished.  And it was great to be able to put the Silky Moisturizing Rinse Out Coat Mane and Tail Conditioner in right on top of the shampoo.  It saved a lot of time not having to rinse twice.  His tail is super long and thick and stays tied up all the time, so it takes much longer to wash than the average tail.  Once I brought him inside, I wanted to test out how well the conditioner worked, so before I sprayed anything in, I made one big brush stroke from top to bottom and the comb slid right through.  I couldn’t believe it.  That has NEVER happened even with spray on detangler, let alone without it.  It made blow-drying so easy since I didn’t have knots to pick through.

Elissa & Cravimg Blu

I did finish off with the Moisture Maniac Mane & Tail Detangling Infusion spray on conditioner for good measure and loved how his tail just felt natural when it was all dry.  Everything else I’ve tried made it sticky, waxy, tacky, slimy, or all of the above.  It just felt clean and natural, which is what I was going for.  And the glimmer it left was pretty amazing too.  His hair is sort of transparent, so it’s really hard to get a shine.  I’ll probably never even need to use the whitening product at this rate.”

Ride Green!
The EcoLicious Equestrian

Check out our full line of delicious, natural and green horse care products &  horse grooming products at www.ecoliciousequestrian.com

You know that in EcoLicious Equestrian we’re all about grooming. And it’s not just about products. Did you know that grooming time is a great way to establish a tone for things to come? I am very excited to share with you the below guest  post by Horse Listening. I’ve been enjoying this insightful blog for a while now and highly recommend it, so make sure to stop by and check it out.

Here we go:

Are You Training Your Horse While Grooming or Is He Training You?

Well, of course you are! The real question to pose might be: do you KNOW that you are training your horse while grooming?

We all look forward to grooming our horses; there is no better feeling than having a thousand-pound muscle package wriggle and writhe under your ministrations, roll his eyes, sigh in contentment and offer his mutual-grooming nose in return. It is a time of pleasure for both you and your horse, a time to connect and a chance to put your worries of the day on the back burner and simply “be” with your horse.

However, underneath that feel-good moment, there is a constantly pervasive conversation going on between you and your horse that you may not even be aware of. Horses are physical animals and most of their interactions happen in the physical realm. As humans, we are used to verbal communication and are not as “tuned in” to the physical language of horses as we can be.

Do you know what your horse is saying to you while you whisk away the grime and dirt to reveal the glossy sheen of healthy coat underneath?

HorseSpeak 101 (while grooming)

1. Stepping side-to-side/backwards-forwards: Hurry up and get over with it! He has many more important things to do other than stand around and wait for you to do you “thing”.

2. Pushing you lovingly with his nose: Well, maybe it’s not as loving as you think! He wants to get you to step out of his personal space.

3. Perky-eared cute face presented in anticipation of a treat: He is the herd leader and is demanding that you surrender your feed stuff to him.

4. Pawing on the ground: Similar to #1. He really has no time for you!

5. Tail swish/pinned ears/”the look”: Stop whatever you are doing as it is making him uncomfortable. Beware! There may be a kick or bite coming next. (Note: Horses “think” about biting or kicking many, many times before they actually go through with it; be aware and pick up on the hints before it gets to the point where someone has to get hurt.)

6. Forward pinned ears looking at an object of interest/fear: Watch out! He may jump any second, either on your lap or in the opposite direction. The only thing he is NOT thinking about is you!

What should you do?

In all of the above cases, your goal should be to assert your leadership to your horse. For the sake of your safety and those around you (the horse is, after all, at least 8 times heavier than the average human), you need to firmly explain the boundaries to your horse.

Any pushiness should be met with your insistence that he steps away from you. You may need to push back on his shoulder or hip, or hold him by the halter and swing his hind end away. If he steps in your direction, gently push him away. If he nuzzles up to you (expecting a treat?), tell him your space belongs to you. In all cases, your space is your space and he may not infringe into that area for any reason (not even to snuggle). As a herd leader, you should be the one stepping into his space, not the other way around!

For the horse that paws, move him in such a way that his weight shifts to the pawing foot. If he has to put the foot down, he won’t be able to paw!

For the horse that is giving you a warning: first, identify the source of the problem. If the horse is truly being hurt or irritated by what you are doing, then back off and desensitize him first. Be lighter, quicker, or gentler. Work up to the strength level that you want to use. On the other hand, if the horse is being truly aggressive, then he needs a quick reprimand. Push him away, again asserting your rights to your personal space.

Correctly interpreting your horse’s communications will allow you to have a much deeper and meaningful connection with your horse. If you can act as a calm but assertive leader, your horse will know he is safe with you and will happily hand over the responsibilities that come with being herd boss. He will be less likely to test (although some horses continue to test regularly) and he will be more content overall.

P.S. If you follow the above guidelines, you can set the tone for your upcoming ride while you groom, but that will be a topic for another day!

Ride Green!
The EcoLicious Equestrian

Check out our full line of delicious, natural and green horse care products &  horse grooming products at www.ecoliciousequestrian.com.

It`s that Time of the Year Again! Valentine`s Day. ❤❤❤
Forget your boyfriend or your hubby. It`s time to celebrate our love for our four legged furry friends.

Here`s the scoop : Proclaim your love for your equine best friend with our “Love Your Horse” Valentine`s Day Photo Contest. If you were to give your horse a Valentine`s Day card – what would be written in it?

We are challenging all horse lovers across the country to declare their love and share a photo along a “love proclamation” on our Facebook page. Prize? You guessed right :  EcoLicious swag. Kisses, hugs, loving stares – all are welcome!

The winner will be drawn by Team EcoLicious on February 16th, 2012.

P.S. The photo on the right side of the banner is Jenn – the winner from last year. Aren’t they so cute together?

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Love ❤❤❤

Ride Green!
The EcoLicious Equestrian

Check out our full line of delicious, natural and green horse care products &  horse grooming products at www.ecoliciousequestrian.com

You said you want the EcoLicious online gift certificates available all year around,  not just for Christmas. And because we love you so much, you got it!

Ride Green!
The EcoLicious Equestrian

Check out our full line of delicious, natural and green horse care products &  horse grooming products at www.ecoliciousequestrian.com

This one is becoming a classic. Help us figure out a name for our new all natural sheath cleaner and win – you guessed right – the first bottle!

We stand behind our products, and it’s important for us to involve you in their development. Plus you’re awesome and you have have great ideas. We know that we couldn’t possibly come up with so many great ideas by ourselves.

We’re about to launch an all natural sheath cleaner. Did you know that your usual sheath cleaner most likely contains sodium lauryl or laureth sulphates?  These are surfactants that are toxic to fish and wildlife – and to my ever lasting amazement, we use products with these ingredients on our horse’s nether regions! What’s up with that?

Our answer is, naturally, an all natural sheath cleaner. It’s made with gentle coconut and beet surfactants,and healing lavender. It’s PH balanced, mild, but very effective in removing the gunk build up. Horses find the lavender scent very comforting and we all want our horse to be relaxed during “THE JOB”, don’t we?

Help us Name It and Claim the First Bottle

What's In Your Sheath Cleaner?

This is How We Roll:

Email us your submission to : letusknow@ecoliciousequestrian.com with a subject line “Name It to Claim It” Sheath Cleaner or post as a comment here on our blog.

Bring it on!

You can enter as many times as you want, and there are no limits, other than your imagination. The deadline for entries is February 8th, 2012 and the winner will be announced on the EcoLicious blog and Facebook page on February 9th, 2012.

Ride Green!
The EcoLicious Equestrian

Check out our full line of delicious, natural and green horse care products &  horse grooming products at www.ecoliciousequestrian.com