Month: October 2018

TEXAS RANGER WEARS JUST CHAPS: DEVAN HORN – ENDURANCE RIDER

Date posted: 22/10/2018

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We would like to thank Her Riding Habit for inviting Devan Horn to share her habit for riding with us:

My name is Devan Horn, I am a 25 year old endurance rider from Texas. I have been riding competitively for over a decade and enjoy everything from trekking to FEI 3* competitions…just don’t put me in a ring.

Endurance is a discipline where you spend 3-24 hours a day in the saddle at a time, which is why I love it so much. I have a passion for riding, the outdoors, and pushing my own limits, so it really is a match made in heaven. In addition to over 4,000 accredited miles with AERC (the American Endurance Rider’s Conference) I have also competed all over the world in the UAE, England, Australia, Japan, South Africa, and Mongolia. I have done 5 endurance rides over 500 miles, including 3 trips to the Mongol Derby, the World’s Longest and Toughest Horse Race, done on semi-feral horses. I have also finished the SandyMount Express 1000 kilometer in South Africa, and ridden a pony 500 miles through the back country from Denver to Durango, Colorado. I’ve also finished the prestigious Tevis Cup twice.

During the time I’m not on horseback, I’m an Ultra Marathoner, which means I also run distances from 25-100 miles in a day. I have aspirations of going longer though, and am currently eyeing a few multi-day competitions on that front.

Anything I put on my body is expected to keep up and be comfortable, hard stop. If it chafes or wears out quickly, it doesn’t last long in my wardrobe. I’ve found a few pieces that have served me well over my multiple adventures, and can keep up with my lifestyle!

JUST CHAPS half chaps – my “signature” look is mismatched lime green/hot pink socks, so I was really excited to find these colours in half chaps, too! They’re made of neoprene, so they hose off well after a hot ride, and are super light weight. They also fit over my ASICS and keep my legs protected from trees and brush.

If you want to get the same look as Devan Horn, check out our range of half chaps.

To stay up to date with Her Riding Habit take a look at www.HerRidingHabit.com

 

Race the Wild Coast 2018

Date posted: 16/10/2018

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Just Chaps sponsored rider, Iain Paterson shares some pre-race insight into this gruelling test of horse, rider and kit.

So where to start, I guess the best place would be a bit of background on what this short blog post is all about. I am delighted that Just Chaps have provided me with Cool Chaps for the upcoming Race the Wild Coast, a 350km, 4-day race down the west coast of South Africa. The premise behind the race is to challenge the rider more than the horse, over the 350km course we are provided with three horses with compulsory horse changes at prescribed points: 123km and 209 km into the race. Horse welfare is a top priority, so each stage ends with a compulsory vet check which the horse must pass for the rider to continue in the race. Navigation is done with a GPS, loaded with a recommended track with riders deciding the best way to get from point to point, the terrain is seriously tough, steep slopes and rocky descents are broken up with stretches of beach and rivers, 32 of them in total which riders and horses have to swim across. The ride will require careful horse management and tactical riding throughout, a tough ask after 3-4 days sleeping in the bush!

My preparation for this race has been a summer long endeavour, I am an experienced endurance rider myself, riding my own horses over distances of up to 200 miles in a day in Scotland and competing at national and international level. The problem with super fit horses of my own is that they don’t need much riding, so in order to get myself riding fit I got my self a job in a racing yard riding out 5 horses a day, that ought to do it! This coupled with big endurance competitions on my own horse means I am hopefully fit enough, I’m sure the south African terrain will tell me soon enough whether I actually am!

The next big challenge was kit, we are only allowed to carry 5kg of kit for the whole 4/5 days including our sleeping bag. Lots of research later (admittedly mostly by my mother who found some incredible stuff) and my kit was ready, including my favourite chaps, Just Chaps Cool chaps.

I hope this gives everyone a wee insight into the upcoming challenge, more information on the race can be found at http://rockethorseracing.co.za/horse-race/ as well as on Facebook and Instagram. I will write another blog post for you all after the race to tell you how it goes, until then, huge thanks to Just Chaps,  for their generous sponsorship and for asking me to do this blog. Wish me luck!

What’s the noise at HOYS?

Date posted: 09/10/2018

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The Horse of the Year Show celebrated its 70th Anniversary at the Birmingham NEC last week and was the fitting finale to the 2018 season. Combining top-level competition, with Equestrian displays – and the opportunity to “shop ‘til you drop”, HOYS has always symbolised the arrival of Autumn – and the chance to get prepared for the winter that is just around the corner.

Away from the Arenas, the Retail Village featured one of the widest ranges of Equestrian brands and services – alongside other fashion and accessory companies, all keen to present their offerings to the HOYS audience.

Just Chaps continues to view HOYS as a fantastic shop-window for its brands and was particularly keen to promote the new Saltos range of premium gaiters and our unique range of waterproof full-chaps and riding trousers. With a combination of rain and frost arriving as the show closed, these proved a huge success with shoppers getting ready for the colder, wetter months ahead.

For more information visit www.HOYS.com  …. And www.Justchaps.com