Tail Lights in action
Horse fashion gets pretty crazy these days, and almost every product is offered in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and with the option of glitter. However, these two products managed to go above and beyond the usual realm of creativity, and the chinchillas really liked the idea of LED lights attached to horse bums, so we’re going to explore these ideas a bit further.
Crocs for horses? What’s that!? A new company in the UK has invented what they’re calling the GluShu, a revolutionary way of fitting shoes to hooves. The GluShu uses a traditional metal horseshoe, but then coats it in a durable thick plastic covering, which obviously comes in a variety of colors. Would you like your horse to be wearing neon pink shoes? That’s great, because the GluShu comes in every color you can imagine, just like Croc sandals.
The designer of the GluShu, John Wright, worked in collaboration with Team GB farrier Jeffrey Newnham and hopes that this new method will be more than just a fashion statement. Everybody knows that using nails to attach shoes causes a certain amount of damage to the hooves, and horses that have poor quality feet usually need glue-on shoes. The GluShu is fully attached in three minutes, and the plastic can be easily adjusted to fit any size or shape of hoof, which makes the process easier, more affordable and more customizable.
GluShu colors, anyone?
The second product, which I know you’ve been dying to hear about ever since you saw that photo at the top, is LED tail lights for horses. These lights are used for increasing visibility for horses and riders any time of the day, but are definitely cooler at night. Tail Lights is currently in a Kickstarter campaign, raising money to produce and design more versions.
Designer and founder Sami Gros was involved in a horrible riding accident years ago, as she and her friend were returning to the barn at dusk. Despite the use of reflective clothing, her friend’s horse was struck by a vehicle from behind. Sami’s search for better safety products was unsuccessful, and so she designed Tail Lights.
Tail Lights is six strands of water-resistant LED lighting strips of differing lengths that attach to the top of your horse’s tail by a neoprene tail wrap. The lights are heat free and ergonomic, so they sway with the tail of the horse as he moves. Tail Lights can be seen over half a mile away! While they are only currently offered in red or blue, the company hopes to create lots of different models and way more colors.
Fashion is always best when it coincides with logical and legitimate usage. While I’m a little skeptical of the GluShu, I think that Tail Lights are a really cool idea that could be really valuable, especially in the winter months when so many of us are riding when it’s dark outside. What do you think, Eventing Nation?
