From saddles to snaffles and hoof dressing to a dishwasher, dressage rider Anna Ross reveals the 10 things which are key to her yard running smoothly…
1. Eskadron matchy matchy horse sets
Anna says: “No rider should be without their matchy matchy sets, it’s an integral part of being a dressage rider. It’s one stop on from dressing your Cindy doll and I love doing it at home with the horses. There are so many different ranges and colours and it’s so much fun.”
BUY NOW: Eskadron matchy matchy horse sets
2. Kevin Bacon’s hoof dressing
Anna says: “We get through tubs and tubs of this as it’s such good quality and it really works. We are always riding on different surfaces and are often competing abroad on sandy surfaces and this stops the horse’s feet from drying out and cracking and helps to keep their hooves healthy.”
BUY NOW: Kevin Bacon’s hoof dressing from £15.36
3. Shires Neoprene dressage girth
Anna says: “These girths are so simple yet they never rub or pinch. They are very reasonably priced and practical — you can just put them in the washing machine.”
BUY NOW: Shires neoprene dressage girth from £23.39
4. Bosch dishwasher
Anna says: “You were more at risk drinking out of one of our mugs than you were riding one of our horses until we got this dishwasher. It’s been so useful having this as we no longer need to worry about washing up and all our mugs are clean.”
BUY NOW: Bosch dishwasher from £295
5. Myler Ported Barrel Snaffle bit without hooks
Anna says: “These came in this year as a BD/FEI legal bit and they are brilliant. They give the horse more tongue room and make a huge difference to horses who are fussy in the mouth. Horses who are against the bit seem to soften in them too.”
6. Dodson & Horrell yearling cubes
Anna says: “It might sound strange but we feed pretty much all competition horses these yearling cubes even though they are not yearlings! They are the best way to add energy and build muscle and give a sports horse what it needs.”
7. Kieffer Anna Ross Dressage Saddle
Anna says: “I built this saddle in collaboration with Kieffer and as I was the template it has everything the way I like it! It’s such a perfect fit, I don’t notice I am riding in it. It has an ultra soft seat so is very comfortable and is particularly good when you are riding young horses as it keeps you really secure. It has all the modern things even though it’s a traditional style and also has a patent panel on the cantle and fancy stitching detail which I love.”
Price: £2,340
8. Equisupplies Pure Flake Extra
Anna says: “We like using these shavings as it makes a big fluffy bed and it’s easy to muck out as they are so absorbent. They are not too dusty either.”
Price: £7.55
9. Tack locker
Anna says: “I bought this double tack locker in Holland many years ago and it’s so useful. I keep it outside the stables at home and it has all my stuff in it. A yard often becomes communal and all the stuff gets mixed up so it’s an easy way of keeping all my stuff together. It’s also great when we go away as we don’t have to drag bits of kit up and down as it’s all in one place.”
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10. Theault 3.5 tonne horse lorry
Anna says: “I bought this as a birthday present to myself last year and I love it. It’s so well built and so easy to drive, you can just put a horse in it and go. It’s cheap too as its MOT costs the same as a car and you only pay £135 to take it on a ferry. I bought it privately and it’s the best thing ever.”
Anna is sponsored by Dodson and Horrell, Kieffer, Kevin Bacon equine products, Myler, Eskadron and Equisupplies among others
