Who is excited for the upcoming season?. Are you confident? Its all about preparation, setting realistic goals and being In control. Luck does come into it but avoiding that “wing and a prayer” feeling on the day will definitely yield results.
At VIP we believe one of the fastest ways to improve your performance isn’t about changing the horse, It’s developing the rider to help the horse. Your balance, Your stability in the saddle, your contact give consistent aids to the horse. This builds confidence in you both. That’s what your horse feels every single stride.
If you improve those, your horse improves too.
Here’s the training kit I genuinely believe helps you make your training count.
Get The Stable Lower Leg You’ve Always Wanted: Stable Ride Stirrup Leathers
If your lower leg moves, your whole position moves. And when your position moves, your horse horses balance, rhythm and cadence falter.
VIP bring you the Stable Ride Stirrup Leathers. These are a mono leather and are wide, designed to stabilise your leg, giving you the position you dream of and security in the saddle. This means safety for you, and a stable lower leg gives clearer leg aids for your horse. Confusion in communication is reduced. The difference is subtle but powerful. You feel more anchored through your heel, more balanced through your seat. Ride effectively, not defensively. Time to shine!
We also do a stirrup tether hook system. These clever hooks sit neatly on the stirrup bar and instead of running your stirrups up, which cant be done with a mono leather, you just hook them up. This avoids the faff of removing your stirrups after every ride
If you’ve ever looked at photos, or replayed your video rounds and cringed at your lower leg, Start here with the wide Stable Ride Mono stirrup leathers.
Free Your Horse’s Shoulders with our Free Motion Breastplate
We all love a horse that is neat in front over a fence. Did you know that 3 and 5 point breastplates inhibit the horses shoulder movement making it harder for them to pick up in front. We have a solution. The Free Motion Breastplate is beautifully anatomical and padded, designed to stabilise the saddle while allowing freedom through the shoulders. That freedom matters. It allows the horse to lift, open up, and be neater in front.
You still get stability. You just don’t get restriction.
And if you opt for the version with the double neck strap handle, you get something else too - security.
Those “oh shit” moments happen. A big jump. A spook. A missed stride. Having that integrated handle there can be the difference between panic and staying organised.
Security for you and freedom for your horse.
That’s the balance we’re always trying to strike.
Confidence Is Contagious: Double Safety Neck Strap
What’s in your brain goes straight down the rein.
If you tense, your horse feels it instantly.
And when you lose confidence, your horse loses their leader.
The double safety neck strap gives you somewhere to anchor that isn’t your horse’s mouth. Because we’ve all done it - horse gets tight, you feel unsure, you grab the rein even though your knowledge is telling you to ride forward, your body is in crouchy and hesitant safety mode.
Instead, grab the strap.
Stay secure in the saddle. Keep the contact soft. Ride positively.
It attaches neatly to the D-ring so it’s competition legal. It’s beautifully made, padded for comfort, and you can choose options like an added running martingale, an extra-long handle, or a girth loop.
Having ridden mostly very hot but sometimes backwards thinking Warmbloods for the last 25 years, this is my absolute favouite piece of kit. We all know that feeling of a horse that feels like it is about to explode. It feels like you are sitting on a fragile egg waiting for the chicken to hatch. If you grab the neck strap handle you can keep the rein soft and get your leg on. 9/10 times this diffuses the situation and give the horse its leader back..
Grip That Actually Works: Thumb Grip Reins
Reins are one of those things you don’t think about until they let you down.
Wet day. Cold fingers. Big round of jumping. Suddenly you’re adjusting, shortening, fiddling.
Our Thumb Grip Reins are designed for real riding. Ultimate grip in all weathers. Flexible in the hand. Easy to pick up.
The thumb indentations help you keep an even rein length, so you’re not constantly second guessing your contact. Leather notches give you extra reference points.
Good contact isn’t about pulling.
It’s about consistency.
And consistency starts in your hands.
The Ultimate Rider Training Aid: 3-in-1 Training Breastplate
If you want to develop a more elastic, forward-thinking rein contact, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve seen.
The 3-in-1 Training Breastplate encourages symmetry, connection and stability in the contact. It supports the rider in maintaining a consistent feel without fixing or forcing.
It’s about creating an elastic connection - not a rigid one.
When the rider is symmetrical, the horse can move more freely.
When the contact is consistent, the horse can relax into it.
When the aids are clear, the whole picture improves.
It develops the rider as much as the horse.
And that’s the whole point.
Make Your Training Count
Every season, riders buy new saddle pads, new boots, new rugs.
But the real gains come from improving the rider.
Better balance. Better contact. Better decisions under pressure.
Develop yourself for the benefit of your horse.
Because when you feel secure, balanced and confident - your horse feels it too.
And that’s when the results start to change.