Bits and Spurs Tack

07/15/2024

So excited to announce that Perry's Pro Hoof Care is back! Best hoof dressing in the world - get ya some

06/27/2024

Kid's Consignment Apparel Sale 🦄 Lots of choices for showing or schooling & discounts for bundles!!

Picture 1 - Paddock Boots:
#1 Ariat Devon black sz 2 $55
#2 Ariat Devon black sz 2 $55
#3 Ariat Devon black sz 2 $25
#4 Ariat Devon black sz 1 $45
#5 OV Quantum brown sz 13 $25

Picture 2 - Jodhpurs:
#1 Tuffrider khaki sz 6 $10
#2 Tuffrider black sz 6 $10
#3 Tuffrider black sz 6 $10
#4 Tuffrider khaki sz 8 $10
#5 Equistar tan sz 8 $10
#6 JoyRide white rib sz 8 $12
#7 JoyRide tan rib sz 10 $12
#8 JoyRide black rib sz 10 $12
#9 OV tights tan sz 10plus #20
#10 Tuffrider khaki sz 12 $15
#11 OV Soft flex tan sz 12 $30
#12 Ariat side-zip tan sz 12 $40
#13 Ariat side-zip tan sz 12 $40
#14 NWT Tailored Sportsman side-
zip khaki sz 14 $50

Picture 3 - Breeches:
#1 Tuffrider Boys tan sz 6 $30
#2 Tuffrider k/p khaki sz 6 $10
#3 Pikeur full seat white sz 12 $75
#4 Romfh k/p tan sz 10 $40
#5 Romfh k/p tan sz 12 $45
#6 Dover k/p tan sz 12 $40
#7 Tuffrider embroidered navy sz 14 $30
#8 Tailored Sportsman k/p tan sz 16 $70
#9 Tredstep Symphony full seat tan sz 24 $60

Picture 4 - Show Shirts
#1 Equine Couture s/s white sz 8 $15
#2 Aubrion long sleeve med $25
#3 Ariat long sleeve med $20
#4 OV long sleeve sz 12 $25
#5 OV long sleeve sz 12 $25
#6 Equine Couture l/s sz 12 $20
#7 Shires l/s white XL $20

Picture 5 - Tech Shirts
#1 Tuffrider sunshirt gray sz S $15
#2 Romfh l/s white sz med $40
#3 OV s/s navy/pink med $25
#4 OV s/s navy/pink large $25
#5 Ariat sunshirt turq. XL $25
#6 Ariat Aptos s/s navy dot XL $30

Picture 6 - Show Coats
#1 Devon Aire navy sz 16 $25
#2 Wellington Co navy sz 16 $35
#3 Devon Aire black sz 16 $30
#4 Grand Prix dk green sz 14T $40
#5 Grand Prix chocolate sz 12T $45
#6 RJ Classic navy sz 12 $50
#7 RJ Classic navy sz 12 $35

Picture 7 - Garters Belts Half Chaps
#1 NWT Garters brown lrg $12
#2 Garters brown med $8
#3 Garters black small $10
#4 C4 Corgi Belt lrg $20
#5 Tory Spur Belt sz 24 $25
#6 OV Leather Half Chaps lrg $35
#7 Ariat Scout Chaps blk MT $30

03/25/2024

Hop on in for our annual Easter Clearance sale! Also BOGO on ALL consignment apparel & tack including saddles under $500!!!

03/01/2024

To all the horse people out there...

Dear Horse industry,

Stop being awful. Grow people.

Stop putting others down for the sake of one's own prosperity. Lift them up.

Stop the whispers in the warm up ring. Give people kindness.

Stop the snarky remarks behind closed doors. Find something good to say.

Stop with the clicks and underhanded complements.

Stop with the need for newest and latest fashions or tack sets but never riding your horse in fear they may get dirty.

Stop manipulating others words or actions.

Stop normalizing poor sportsmanship and start normalizing folks who work hard.

Chances are if you've had horses long enough you've encountered some sort of this. From the competition world, to trail riders, to rescues, to top level riders, it's everywhere and it's terrible and it's got to stop. It's got to.

I've met riders, young and old, who are petrified to ride infront of people because some where along the line, someone told them they weren't good enough. I've seen talented people quit because of gossip and I've seen people give up on what they believe in because folks made them belive they were only 1' tall.

When you see a rider kicking them selves after a bad ride, tell them great job for hanging in there and give them some tips.

When you see that girl show up in the rusty old bumperpull, know she likely put everything she had into her entry fees.

When you see an organization fighting for what they believe in, fight with them.

When you see the girl too shy to ride, ask her to help you out by hopping on to keep your horse company because it would be an awfully big help.

When you see the girl scared to death in line up remind them why they are there and they have this.

When you see the girl discouraged over progress, remind them how far they have come.

The world is full of ugliness, horses should be our escape, not a place we feel belittled. We are all incredibly blessed to have Equines in our life. Becoming better Horseman is hard enough without having folks tear you down.

Please start normalizing raising each other up.

Written by -Erin O'Neill

01/16/2024

We just took in some used blankets for consignment - 70" Baker, 82" stable, 84" weatherbeeta

01/04/2024

Great opportunity to show at a local schooling show in a covered arena! Feb. 10th at the Alachua County Agriculture & Equestrian Center. Plenty of stalls & parking!!

Shows and Events for Walk Trot Canter Association

01/04/2024

Great opportunity to show a local schooling show in a covered arena! Feb. 10th at Alachua County Agriculture & Equestrian Center. Plenty of stalls & parking!!

Shows and Events for Walk Trot Canter Association

12/30/2023

Group trail ride you don't want to miss! We have a great time every year!

Our third annual Dallas Osborne event is right around the corner. Please early bird sign up with the QR code. Come out to support our 4H youth!!

12/21/2023

Last minute Christmas deals for the equestrian on your list!! Other deals include: buy a saddle, get a pad free(10% of saddle value), buy a pair of boots get a pair of socks free, buy a helmet get a pair of gloves free(excludes Roeckl), buy a pair of breeches get a sunshirt free.

We are open regular hours up until Christmas eve!

12/13/2023

Less than 2 weeks until Christmas & we have another sale!

12/06/2023

Don't miss out on this week's Christmas sale!

11/29/2023

Also Men's Apparel, breeches & shirts - BOGO

11/29/2023

This week's sale now through Sunday - All Fall Apparel, ladies & kids 25% - 50% off! Just in time for the cooler temps!!

11/20/2023

Happy Turkey Day🦃!! Swing by for our Black Friday Weekend!! 🎉🎉🎉 Great sales starting Friday and many more to come!!

11/01/2023

Clipper blade sharpening special: get 12 blades done for the price of 10 this week! Get ready for clipping season & drop them off at the store

10/27/2023

Knowing & achieving true balance is the key! For every case this makes or breaks the horse!

Yes, I could do that, but I should not.

I place side by side Manchester and Mike Gallagher because Manchester’s recovery is related to Mike’s ethics. When Manchester arrived, the hind legs and hooves were in terrible shape. I asked Mike Gallagher to look at the hooves and explained to him what I planned to do to correct the hind legs’ aberrant kinematics and consequent fetlock and hooves damages. Mike explained what he could do but added with a big smile, but I should not because it would counteract what you plan to do.

We opted for a flat shoe to protect the hoof, and I would start the gymnastics program and decide, following the horse’s progress, what to do with the shoeing. We considered barefoot but feared the hoof capsule’s poor quality would not handle the stress. Four weeks later. Mike came for the farrier day, and we examined Manchester. There was progress in his motion and reduced fetlock and lower leg inflammation. We could even see the shape of the pastern. Mike suggested, ”Considering the progress, maybe we should not change anything about the hoof, and you continue your rehab.”

At his fourth visit, Mike examined Manchester’s hind hooves and said the hooves change in shape and structure for the good. I will balance the hoof and fit the shoe, but I should not try any corrective approach. The hoof’s evolution goes in the right direction, and we should give him more time and follow the evolution. After being lame for eight years, Manchester became sound. We celebrated when Mike was there, and Mike said with his big laugh, “he is sound because I did not do any corrective shoeing.”

What can be done when no one tries to take the credit is amazing. Our aim was Manchester’s soundness. The distortion of the lower hind legs and hooves was severe. Mike and I openly discussed the problem. Mike was the one who advised no correction from the hooves part, considering the response of the hooves to the coordination of Mancheter’s physique. One’s real science is not to show one’s science.

Jean Luc

09/18/2023

Good information!

Fall is right around the corner, call your favorite OEH Veterinarian today to schedule your routine fall vaccinations and deworming.
Not already a client call the office @ 352-368-1616 to get set up today

09/14/2023

Don't forget to come out shop this Saturday both the yard sale & Bits & Spurs storewide sale!!

08/01/2023

The store will be closed on Wednesday Aug. 2nd due to a medical issue. We will resume regular hours on Thursday. We apologize for the inconvenience.

06/10/2023

Good instructions!

06/08/2023

Great info!

Use the 5 Point Safety Check When Selecting a Helmet

05/10/2023

Today thru Sunday! Another huge sale for last minute gifts for mom on Mother's Day!! This sale includes ALL apparel including kids & men's.

04/14/2023

Great opportunity to get some hands on training for a great price!

We are hosting a 3 day clinic Friday April 28th through Sunday April 30th at Archer Farms
16525 SW 5th Pl
Newberry FL, 32669
At this clinic we will go over everything from the basic fundamentals of horsemanship, to trick training, introducing obstacle and how to understand your horses body movements to get the best results in any type of situation. We will address bad behavior, how to fix it and how to prevent them from occurring. We will also be teaching some basic tricks and how to get your horses to pay attention to you and what you are asking. We have several more topics we will be going over.

Our goals for this clinic are to prepare participants for when your horse says no, regardless of the citation..... I feel like alot of people purchase or send horses to training but don't have understanding or the preparation to take care of the horses maintenance training or how to handle when there horse says no.... because the end of the day horses are not machines, horses are animals and will have days where they need help and guidance. My goal is to teach participants how to guide there horse through fears and tough times.

As of now our schedule will be
Friday April 28th, 10:30am to 7:30pm
Saturday April 29th, 8am to 5pm
Sunday April 30th 8am to 5pm

We will also be offering a seperate purposr of the laydown discussion and understanding demonstration....Saturday night April 29th from 6pm to 8pm. This will be a seperate class, 20$ per auditor.

Please send us a message if you have any questions, concerns or would like to attend.

04/04/2023

Lots of great deals!

04/04/2023

Huge annual spring sale!

02/07/2023

Very interesting!

Saddles cannot create soundness.
Saddles can however, create unsoundness.

Equestrians tend to have an odd tendency to hyper focus on a single facet of care when a problem arises, thinking that throwing all of their time and money at this one particular problem that everything else will fall into place. While the saddle is an integral part of maintaining soundness in your horse, it's also not a magic pill that will overcome thoracic outlet syndrome, poor trimming, poor diet, cruel/forceful/coercive/improper riding, lack of turnout, poor blanket fit, little/no dentistry, etc.

While not overly common, there are times when we go out to evaluate saddle fit only to see a horse in complete and utter dysfunction, to the point where we cannot ethically condone any type of riding. In these instances, we can provide the most perfect saddle for the horse in front of us, but we'd only become part of the problem in basically encouraging the owner that riding this unsound (not lame) animal is OK. This is when we provide the owner with resources on equine professionals we know and trust to help bring this horse to a place where riding will not cause direct discomfort and damage to an already stressed body stuck in compensation.

We also understand that not all owners will be happy with hearing that they shouldn't be riding, nor will all of them take our recommendations to heart. There will definitely continue to be instances where they simply call out another fitter who may not see, or choses to ignore, the very clear physical indications of unsoundness. Luckily, we run into many owners who are willing to take the time it needs working with whatever other professionals such as vets, bodyworkers, farriers to help their horses overcome whatever ails them.

The image gives an example of dysfunctional posture/hoof angles.

01/25/2023

Good information

01/12/2023

Always, always, always!

When looking for a horse, be sure to choose a rescue that can provide training as well!!

12/05/2022

Great info!

Fascinating Facts About Horse Digestion

Many people anthropomorphize horses. We think they should be clean. We think they should wear nice, warm blankets when it’s cold, and we think they should eat two or three meals a day.

Horses are horses–not humans. They should be treated like horses. They like to get dirty. They can regulate their own body temperature in most cases. They have a unique digestive system that is very different from the human digestive tract.

Understanding horse digestion should be a top priority. It sometimes seems that the horse’s digestive system is quite delicate, but many of the common digestive problems are due to the unnatural way horses are fed. When a horse is out in the wild with thousands of acres of free-roam grazing, and the only external demand is to maintain itself and occasionally run from predators, this configuration serves it quite well, most of the time.

A minimum of 10 acres is required per horse to make enough forage for consumption, allow adequate movement, and to minimize parasitism. This is difficult to achieve in the modern world for most people. Riding or lunging must suffice for exercise, and the horse is much more reliant upon hay. Dewormers, of course, rid them of parasites- at least most of them, there are exceptions.

Here are some fascinating (and good-to-know) facts about horse digestion:

1. The horse is a non-ruminant herbivore. The digestive system share features with dogs and cats (and humans) which are monogastric, as well as the ruminant in which there are 3-4 gastric compartments. (Camelids have three).

2. As forage (the horse’s natural food) is chewed by the horse, the salivary glands produce up to 10 gallons of saliva (per day). Saliva is crucial for neutralizing stomach acids and reducing the risk of gastric ulcers. Horses do not make as much saliva when eating grain-type feeds.

3. The esophagus, which empties into the stomach, only works in one direction for the horse. Food cannot be regurgitated or vomited.

4. Gastric capacity is 8-10 liters, which is quite small compared to other parts of the digestive system.

5. Water only remains in the horse’s stomach for about 15 minutes before moving on to the small intestine. Food retention varies depending upon the type- grass, hay, or grain.

6. When the stomach is empty, acid can attack the squamous cells in the stomach lining, often resulting in ulcers. Therefore, small frequent meals, access to a slow feeder, or access to pasture are important.

7. Most of the digestion and absorption of sugars, starches, proteins, and fats occurs in the small intestine.

8. Horses do not have a gall bladder. Instead, the small intestine aids in the digestion of fats.

9. More than 1g/kg of sugars and starches spill into the colon, potentially causing colitis and diarrhea. Horses should be fed primarily forage and only small amounts of a low carbohydrate concentrate.

10. The cecum is homologous to the human appendix.

11. The colon is shaped like a stacked horse shoe, with varying dimensions to allow proper food mixing and digestion.

12. Food enters and exits the cecum at the top. This is a common site for impaction colic, which is often due to lack of water intake.

13. The cecum and other parts of the large intestine contain active populations of bacteria and yeast, which help break food down in a process called fermentation. This results in the formation of free fatty acids, from which the horse derives most of its energy. It also results in a large amount of gas, as a by-product.

14. The bacterial and microbe populations become specific in fermenting the type of food the horse normally eats. When a new food is introduced suddenly, the bacteria/ microbes cannot ferment it effectively and the result is often colic. (Therefore, all feed changes should be made very gradually.)

15. Borborygmic sounds or ‘Gut sounds’ indicated that food is moving through the digestive tract. An absence of gut sounds likely means there is some digestive upset or obstruction.

16. A horse requires a minimum of 1.5% of his body weight daily of long-stemmed roughage (grass/ hay) for normal digestive tract activity; this is 15 pounds of roughage for a 1000 lb. horse.

17. The entire digestion process, from oral to aboral, takes about 36-72 hours.

18. If it were to be stretched from end to end, the horse’s digestive tract would be about 115 feet long, from mouth to a**s.

Fox Run Equine Center

www.foxrunequine.com