I was given a Nomad to try at the Golden Horse Shoe.  I had already seen the Nomad in action at an Elite Squad training weekend last year and liked the look of it so was very keen to test it out.

Although it looked good, I was unsure if it would fit with our ‘crewing style’.  I am a bit of a ‘Luddite’ where new things are concerned and where endurance is concerned, it has taken us years to reach a satisfactory level of proficiency on the crewing front.  It has to be said, we usually take too many water containers (the ones that hold 2 and a half buckets of water) and the car is always awash at the end as a result.

We found the Nomad easy to carry (easier than a bucket owing to its flat sided shape and much easier to carry than a water container).  The Nomad holds the equivalent of a bucket of water, which doesn’t seem much but because the water comes in a spray, the water is directed more efficiently and seems to cool the horse more quickly than the traditional method.  You can put ice in the tank and using the fine mist, this would cool the horse nicely.    Water is used efficiently and without wastage, so you get away with carrying less water, which has to be a good thing but also, more environmentally friendly!

I used it on two very different horses and found that once they were used to the low rumble of the motor, they were quite happy with it (they are not unfamiliar with a cold hosepipe).  For one horse in particular it was great since he delights in knocking over buckets for a pastime; the shoulder strap allows you to carry it with you and follow the horse whilst it is being walked to further aid cooling.

The Nomad was easy to put together and even easier to use.  It is simply a case of sticking the charged battery in its cradle and attaching the hose and away you go.

Apart from cooling the horses down in a vet gate, it has endless uses.   At the end of a ride, you can spray over your bridles, girths, boots, etc; – it takes seconds and saves hours of scrubbing when you get home.  You can clean the inside and outside of the trailer very efficiently without having to borrow hubby’s power washer, clean boots after a muddy ride is heavenly and stops mud being trampled into the car.  Using warm water, you can even have a shower yourself but as importantly if the horse has any cuts or grazes, they can be hosed down with clean warm water reducing the chance of infection.  Again, using the warm water option, it is great for washing the dog!  All in all, a brilliant bit of kit which can do a multitude of tasks at home, around the yard and at events.

Its now firmly part of my kit and wouldn’t be without it!

Karen Jones

EGB Elite Squad