After writing an article entitled Equestrian Sports: Inhumane?, I scanned the barn and came up with the
following equestrian products that I suggest replacing
with vegan alternatives where possible.
Saddles
This is difficult, as saddles can be
expensive (and the leather ones last longer), but if you
have a chance to buy a saddle, consider looking into
synthetics. I've been riding lately in a Wintec
western saddle, that looks much like a plain leather
saddle, and it works great! When I go trail-riding in
mud or water, I don't have to worry about ruining my
saddle anymore!
As for English saddles, my friend
rides in a Wintec Close Contact. The saddle is
gorgeous and looks just like any leather saddle. It
comes in different colors and, like the Western
saddle, is extremely durable and easy to clean. Wintec
saddles also come with other perks: the CAIR-enabled
ones, for example, allow for interchangeable gullets
and moveable Flexiblocks to support knee or leg
position, making the saddle ideal for a hard-to-fit
horse or someone who rides multiple horses. The
saddles themselves are also lighter, and they stay smoother
longer.
So far, I can only recommend Wintec brand
as a leather alternative. Most synthetic saddles have
well-deserved bad reputations, but Wintec products
are durable, long-lasting, sturdy, light, AND they
look good! I've also heard very nice things about
Thoroughgood Gel saddles, but I can't
back it up with actual facts!
Halters/Headstalls/Bridles
The main problem here is
safety - few materials have the breaking properties of
leather, so before buying any synthetic headgear for
the horse, make sure it has some kind of "break-a-way"
mechanism. Halters are available in a wide range of
very attractive, amusing synthetics. I put a
synthetic halter on my horse, with a leather
crownpiece. I've heard reports of a special
strong-velcro halter that is all-synthetic and has
breakaway properties, but I can't find it! Another
option is to use a "fuse" breakaway halter, which
requires only a small piece of leather but is a pain
to deal with.
I have so far had no luck with bridles.
There are several synthetic bridles available
(particularly to Western riders) but none seem to have
breakaway properties, so you'd use them at your own risk. Many people use synthetic bridles and
do fine, but I do a lot of trail-riding and can't
afford to have my horse's head getting caught in a branch
and stuck there. So as for now, no luck.
As for reins,
I recommend using any of several materials for reins
(finely woven rope is best), but be sure to buy the
split-kind (for Western riders) or regular English
kind. Consider installing a fuse where the two reins
connect, so they'll break if a horse runs off or gets
tangled in them. I don't recommend the synthetic reins
that aren't split or aren't assembled from two
separate reins.
Breastcollars
Since breastplates and breastcollars
don't appear to be built for breakaway purposes,
synthetics should be fine. English/hunt riders can
choose from biothane, nylon or elastic for their
breastplates; Western riders have even more choice,
with breastcollars coming in nylon, fleece, neoprene,
mohair, string, and felt. I would be wary of
neoprene, since it has heat-retaining qualities, and
of nylon, since it can chafe. My recommendation is to use
string or mohair (though mohair isn't vegan). State Line Tack has a reasonably
priced string breastcollar available. In all but the
hottest weather, if a breastcollar fits your horse and
doesn't chafe, it should work fine no matter of what
material it is made.
Protective Horse Boots
Leather is a pretty bad
choice in any case for these boots, since they get so
dirty. Most synthetic boots are made of neoprene,
which again, might have dangerous heat-retaining
qualities, so be careful! The Davis line of synthetic
boots is popular, attractive and appears to be made
without neoprene. You could also consider
switching to polo or excercise wraps. However, during cross
country or wet weather, do NOT wrap; use neoprene or
another boot to prevent wraps from loosening around
the horse's leg.
Girths/Cinches
I use a professional's choice neoprene
girth with double-elastic sides (for my English
saddle), and I love it to death. It lasts for years,
hardly ever needs cleaning, and is easy to adjust. My
horse has never gotten ONE girth rub. As for Western
cinches, I currently use a neoprene cinch with a
buckle on each side. There are no problems with
either - just be wary of the heat. Other non-leather
girths that work wonderfully are mohair/string (for
sensitive, slippery horses) or fleece (soft and
comfortable, but annoying to keep clean).
Fly Repellants
Marigold Cruelty-Free spray or
Absorbine Green are both environmentally sound choices
for fly sprays that won't hurt the horse. When used in
conjunction with a bi-weekly spot-on fly treatment,
both natural fly-sprays work wonderfully, without
having to douse your horse in chemicals each day! (The
spot-on is a rather harsh chemical, but it's better
than a constant application of caustic spray, no?) As
for fly-traps, check the catalogues or local tack shop
for one that is reusable, humane and not
environmentally harmful.
Rider Footwear (English)
I haven't had any luck with
synthetic boots. If you don't plan on showing, you've
got several options available - a lot of brands make
synthetic riding footwear that's high quality. The
problem is finding SHOW-RING footwear; I had a pair of
synthetic jodphur boots for a while, which worked
well, but I went through two pairs of synthetic tall
field boots in one year. I eventually
settled on a pair of leather Ariat paddock boots and
black suede half-chaps, which are chock full of dead
cow, but at least will last for years and years and
years without having to be re-bought. Consider your
consumption when making a decision! Western riders shouldn't have much of a
problem. I've seen a lot of nice synthetic things
available.
Chaps
There are several styles of synthetic
half-chaps available. As for full-chaps, custom
services can make them from a variety of materials. A
line of "Equisuede" seems to be growing in popularity,
as are chaps made of heavy denim. Look around equine
conventions for synthetic full-chaps.
Remember that synthetics are not only cruelty-free,
but are often better and more cost-effective choices
for your horse!
Laura Schwartzman is a vegetarianteen.com intern who is considering writing a formal report for her local horse organization on the subject. Feel free to write her with your opinions - from both sides - at vegetarianteen@hotmail.com.
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I sell a line of neoprene and synthetic suede chaps and had read your article about non-leather alternatives with interest. About bridles, there is a product called biothane, and Beta biothane that is widely used by the Amish and Endurance riders, and it is being used with increasing frequency in other disciplines. It has the strength of leather, comes in a variety of colors, but will still break when it is needed. You can find it by searching for "endurance riding tack." They also make it with the appearance of leather, for the more traditional. One of the most appealing characteristics of biothane is the care. It can be swished around in a bucket of water or put in your washing machine (don't tell your husband that you have put it in with his shirts), or even the top rack of your dishwasher. It isn't affected by the cold, so you can leave it in your barn. It lasts for a very long time, and most people find they want to change colors or styles before the equipment wears out. So you can find good used biothane tack for sale pretty frequently.
Sylvia Madden
Just Chaps US
www.justchapsUS.com
justchaps@aol.com
1-866-jstchap, or 1-866-578-2427, Toll Free
Just Chaps US
29 Roxbury Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15221
PS: Please feel free to call or write if you have any questions, or are having trouble finding biothane products on the "net"...
Read Laura's article about synthetic horse gear on your site, and I agree with most of what she said. However, she's obviously never used neoprene on her horse or she would not disparage it. Yes, a diver's wet suit does retain heat. But on a horse, a neoprene girth or breastcollar is cooler than leather, cotton, nylon, or fleece. I'm here to tell you this is so--first hand. And I'm a former non-believer who was only converted by the purchase of an Ortho-flex saddle on which the neoprene girth is standard. The neoprene makes a lot of sweat, and it moves around quite easily. Because sweat is part of the evaporative cooling system of the horse, the area under the girth, or breastcollar, cools as the air hits it. I have many times come in from a ride with 2 horses--one in neoprene and one in a western string girth. The horse with the neoprene is always cooler to the touch under the girth.
And also, I can heartily endorse the synthetic leather which Ortho-flex uses. And again, I was a non-believer. It was only price that dictated my choice, but now I wouldn't step up for the leather. Like Laura, I don't have to worry about riding in the rain, or the river either, for that matter.
--Doreen Harlow
I really enjoyed your article, and you have confirmed now what I was thinking of doing next week - buying a synthetic saddle. I will however stick to leather for the bridle as I have had a few occasions when my horse has broken away and caught himself on the local trees and branches. Thank you for your sensible and thoughtful article.
All the best,
Mandy
I really appreciate you writing this article. I ride horses a lot and am planning on buying a saddle for showing. Now that I read this article I know that leather isn't the only option. I will refer back to this article to help me out when I go to buy new tack.
Thank you,
Natalie Paulson
I really appreciated your article on whether or not Equestrian sports are
humane as I have been contemplating the same thing for ages. I am a vegan
and against any kind of animal exploitation. However, I have been riding
horses since long before I was even vegetarian! As a child I competed in
showjumping and really enjoyed it (I think my pony did, too!), and a lot of our
time was spent charging around the countryside bareback, jumping anything
in our way! In retrospect it was awfully reckless but children generally
are! The more I saw of competitions though, the less I liked them, as so many
of the children actually take no interest in their horses; the grooms
prepare them and hand them over at the entrance - to me, thats not what
competing is all about! I found that old saying to be rather true:
"Competing brings out the best in the horses but the worst in their
riders!" I now have an enormous thoroughbred who is an ex-racehorse and
slightly unhinged but very sweet! I've been trying to do a
bit of dressage with him for 'discipline' and he's not all that bad at it
and doesn't seem to mind it. I've found it difficult trying to discover
exactly what it is that he does enjoy as most things make him nervous and
confused to start with so we have to take everything slowly and carefully.
the only single leather item I still own is my bridle. Even though we can
get synthetic ones here I worry that they lack the ability to break in an
emergency and also that they would rub him. Otherwise my saddle, a gorgeous
Wintec, is 100% synthetic, along with my boots and everything else! I really
hope they bring out a decent bridle soon!
Best regards,
Sarah Harrison
