* Illustration: Justin Wood * As gas hovers around $4 a gallon, your Prius-driving neighbors are cruising smugly all the way to Whole Foods. Sure, you could join their self-satisfied ranks. Or you could commute in style — on a horse (if your city's ordinances allow it). The timing is good: Equestrian gear recently got some serious and long-needed upgrades. High tech, Silver, away!
1 // Bitless Bridle
Robert Cook's Bitless Bridle is an evolution of an ancient pony-friendly design. It steers with straps that crisscross under the muzzle: To turn left, draw the left rein away from your steed's neck, applying pressure to the right cheek and turning its head in the direction you want to go.
2 // Ultralight Helmet
Old-school hats were just velveteen-sheathed plastic. Today's models, made of high-density polystyrene, are almost half the weight of the classic style yet can withstand several hundred Newtons of force.
3 // Carbon-Fiber Saddle
Leather seats have all the give of a two-by-four, and a bad fit can cause your horse's vertebrae to dip. The Swedish company Linear has designed a modular seat (for a custom fit) with a carbon-fiber core to spread your weight as evenly as possible.
4 // Polyurethane Wraps
To better protect tendons and joints from accidental hoof slaps, wool wraps are being replaced by boots padded with gel and carbon fiber. An outfit called Veredus molds its shells from 54-Shore TPU, a tough polyurethane mixture that stays flexible down to 5\0xB0F.
5 // Springy Stirrups
Invented around the third century AD, the first stirrups were nearly perfect; they lacked only suspension. The company Horse-tec has added spring-loaded shocks to relieve strain on your legs and the horse's back, which increases as you gallop faster.
6 // Flexible Shoes
Horse hooves change shape with every step, helping to pump blood through the legs. Thus, steel kicks ain't the best. High-grade polymer compounds are the material du jour — elastic enough to absorb shock and reduce muscle stress.
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