Aside from being on a horse, I can’t think of a better feeling than unboxing new equestrian goodies! I get so excited when horse stuff comes in the mail, so as I opened up the box sent to me by Art of Liv’n, I was ecstatic. Out came garment bags, saddle covers, boot bags, and bridle bags all in gorgeous prints designed by world-renowned Portuguese artist Danny Ivan. If you are looking for a way to stand out and keep your prized possessions protected, you will definitely want to give the Art of Riding collection a try!
The Boot Bag:
Photo courtesy of Art of Liv’n
The first things that drew my attention were the price ($69.97) and the wide open front zip. Unlike my other boot bag that has one zip from top to bottom, the whole face of this bag unzips and opens up to allow easy access to its contents inside. There are convenient little pockets on the inside and outside for storage of boot socks, boot pulls, polish or other accessories.
All of the Art of Riding products are made out of neoprene, which originally had me a bit worried about the integrity of my leather goods. However, all of these bags feature a soft felt-like lining inside which prevents any scratching. The two handles at the top of the bag are not corded like most bags; they are a part of the structure of the bag so they stand erect on their own and are great for grabbing on the go.
The Garment Bag
Courtesy of Art of Liv’n
I could fit so many outfits in this bag, which makes it perfect for lengthy shows (or me being indecisive, which is probably more likely). Like the boot bag, there are small pockets inside and a name card holder on the outside to display all of your information.
What I enjoy most about the garment bag is that you can either hang it by its own handles or by the hangers on your clothes. The garment bags I have owned in the past have had the little metal hook that stuck through a hole in the zipper to hang the clothes on, but the bag would get shuffled around and the clothing on the inside would fall loose from the interior hook for hangers. With a convenient hole near the handles for your garment hangers to exit, your clothes are not going to get wrinkled after falling to the bottom of the bag.
Courtesy of Art of Liv’n
I like the neoprene outer lining most for the garment bag because I am horrible about spilling my early morning horse show coffee on whatever is close to me. This water resistant exterior will keep my clothes safe from me! (If only the garment bag were wearable, I might make it to the ring clean, too.) The bag is $74.97, which feels very fair for the quality and size of the bag.
The Bridle Bag
Photo by Meagan Delisle
Also included in the set is a bridle bag. It is very roomy and sports three velcro straps that can hold an assortment of your bridles! I have extra long reins on my bridle, which don’t fit the best inside of this bag if you have them done up in the standard figure 8. However, I looped the reins an additional time and ran them through the velcro for a perfect fit!
I think this bag would be great for eventers, as they often have multiple bridles per horse for all of the varying stages of the competition. Again, it has the soft inner lining to keep your tack scratch free and there is plenty of room in the bottom of the bag for me to toss some saddle soap in last minute. At $69.97 I feel as if this bridle bag is comparative to the prices of other bridle bags I have seen on the market.
The Saddle Cover
I think the fit of this saddle cover is great for jumping saddles.. It has lots of stretch and room to allow it to fit larger saddles and to be tight when on a small model. A unique feature of this saddle cover is the stirrup slits it has in the sides. This feature will keep your leathers from scratching the saddle when in storage, and could even be ridden in to protect your tack in inclement weather. I could definitely see myself schooling in this in the outdoor arena in the instance of a small summer shower. The price of the cover is $59.97.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the products in the Art of Riding line. A matching helmet bag is in the works, and new prints will be available soon. They have a three-year, 100% replacement warranty on all their products. Art of Liv’n also has collections for travel, yoga, and on-the-go dining.
One final bonus of buying from Art of Riding is that they donate a percentage of each purchase to the US and global Pony Clubs. If you are looking for funky prints, clean functionality, and excellent customer service then Art of Riding is a great fit for you.
Visit the Art of Liv’n Website