Equicizer Q & A Part 2

This week we have Part 2 in our Equicizer Q & A series.

 You can read Part 1 here if you missed it!

Is there a smaller version of the Equicizer for children? 

At one time we did build a smaller version of the Equicizer specifically for children but we soon realized that our current Equicizer model sufficed for all sizes and ages of riders and as such was more practical. Many children were outgrowing our "Equipony" version and the current Equicizer we make can be enjoyed by the entire family. 

If the child cannot make the Equicizer move on their own, the motion can easily be replicated by an adult placing one hand on the Equicizers head or neck and creating the motion for the child. The Equicizer can also be ridden tandem. 

Do you have to be a rider to have an Equicizer? 

Not by a long shot! Our Equicizer owners are as varied as the Equicizers themselves. While many riders do use and benefit from the Equicizer as a training tool, we have many customers - some who have never ever set foot on a horse - who use the Equicizer on a daily basis. 

Some of our customers rode horses in their youth and the Equicizer is a fun way for them to reconnect with that part of themselves without the expense and danger of a real horse. Others are not horse people at all but simply looking for a fun way to stay in shape. The refined, hand crafted appearance of the Equicizer makes it the ideal piece of exercise or training equipment as it can easily be placed in a living room or common area.

What skills are involved in the building process?

This is a great question and one I don't think we've received before! It's also a loaded question. The process of building an Equicizer is literally, a labor of love. The building process starts with the purchasing, cutting, gluing up and then carving and sanding of the Equicizer heads to give them their shape. We outlined this process in a past blog. Later on the Equicizer heads are stained, urethaned and sanded multiple times before the final painting and finishing coat is applied.

Aside from the carving and carpentry work, there are also elements of upholstery; wood finishing, painting, and airbrushing; fastening and assembling various parts and steel components; mixing filament for the mane and tails; in house packaging and other fine detailing.

What Equicizer color shows the least amount of dirt?

This is a question we get all the time and it's a very good one! When you think of color scales - be it for clothes, cars or anything in between - generally the lighter the color, the more dirt we assume it will show. While it is true that the lighter shades of carpet will show dirt more readily than the darker shades on our Equicizers, the darker colored Equicizers will show everything else from hair to fuzz.

We thoroughly vacuum each Equicizer prior to packaging so it's in pristine condition upon arrival (sticky tape works great as well) and the black Equicizers take at least twice as long to clean up. Think about your favorite pair of black pants. You can rest easy knowing that an accidental splash of mud will be pretty well hidden but by the end of the day, if you're not careful, you'll be covered in every other particle that floats through the air.

If one of your priorities when purchasing an Equicizer is a color that cleans up quickly and easily, we highly recommend one of our lighter colors such as the Palomino or Buckskin. 

What are some of the most interesting places you've sold to? 

This will be fun! We've shipped Equicizers to 6 continents and over 30 countries in the 25 years we've officially been in business. Some of the most interesting places we've shipped to include Cyrpus, Dubai, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam just to name a few. Over the years, Japan has been one of our biggest repeat international customers.

~~~~~~~~~~~

We had a fun time answering all of the questions you sent us and hope that you not only enjoyed reading our answers but learned a thing or two as well! Thank you to everyone who participated! 

by Kayla Jarvinen

www.equicizer.com