Best epi holder for horseback riding?

[Jessica]

DD is taking riding lessons now. I'm not going to stay with her every week so she will need to keep her meds on her. Since it's so cold she can't leave them on the bench or whatever so she'll have to keep them right up next to her body to keep them from getting too cold. I thought about a leg holder but then that could be a problem with riding and all. Maybe a waist one that stays in the back? Anyone have any experience with this?

[AllergyMum]

A kozy-epi would be great. My son has one and he plays outside in the snow all the time. Your daughter could pull her shirt over the carrier. And they have cute ones for all age groups. They are a bit padded so they would be comfortable while riding

[positive]

We use a Spi-Belt.  It is small, stretchy, stays close to the body so it does not jiggle, and comes in lots of colors and patterns.
The belt elastic is the soft kind, not scratchy and stiff.
It stays close to the body and is almost invisible under a loose t-shirt, major deal for my son.
It was developed for runners.
I hope I am not breaking any rules by adding a link.
http://www.spibelt.com/
Don't let the skinny appearance fool you, my son carries a double-clipped epi, his id cards, 2 benadryl spoons, and it will also hold an inhaler during flares.  Oh, and not expensive & lightning fast ship.
I am not connected w/the company, just a very happy consumer.
Horses.  Love.

[spacecanada]

I'm another fan of SPIbelt.  I've been using them for over a year (2 EpiPens + occasional inhaler) and it has never failed me.  It's small, stretchy, stays close to the body, doesn't bounce, and comes in a variety of colours and sizes.  Their customer service is top notch!  They can even make a custom one for you if you ask - colours or belt size - as they make them right there.  I think they have a new longer (8.9"?) one specifically for EpiPens.

My only recommendation is to put the Epis in a zip top bag so the hinges on the EpiPen lids don't wear a hole in the SPIbelt material.  It also prevents them from getting moisture on them from sweat or rain.  (They do offer a water resistant pouch, but the Ziploc has worked fine for most conditions.)

[Jessica]

Thanks! So two epis will fit in the original spibelt? I see the 8.9" ones too but if they'll fit in the smaller ones that would be better.

[positive]

Hi there,

I looked up my old order and did a copy/paste to the item we got:

http://store.spibelt.com/product-p/7bl-a006-001.htm

It is the regular adult size, not the kid one.  My son is almost 11 and very trim at the waist; it fits perfectly when adjusted to the small waist size. The belt adjustment is fab, no hanging ends, and is easily adjusted by him when he goes from track pants into heavier jeans.
We keep the clipped epis and IDs in a quart size freezer ziploc, rolled over on itself, just the right size and the plastic is thick enough to prevent damage to fabric.
We went with the logo belt, he thought it looked cool.
They have a great clearance section too, with rock bottom prices, 10 dollar range!  Thinking I might grab another one (or 2, in case of a blowout---won't be a disaster at that price  )
HTH,
Amy

[spacecanada]

Two Epis (and an inhaler, if needed) will fit in the regular one - it's a snug fit lengthwise.  I do the same as positive, and it works well.

I have the regular one, adult size, and at the smallest it will go it barely fits me!  If your daughter wants to wear it around her waist, and her waist is 25" or smaller, get the child size or ask for a custom size between the two.  Some people like to wear them around their hips, and that works great for regular use, but for riding I would presume it would have to be around her waist at the back. 

When in doubt, contact customer service - they'll get back to you really quick with details/suggestions/answers.  They are great with custom orders too!

[ajasfolks2]

positive --

Really LIKE the use of the ziploc bag to the inside as means of protecting the fabric.  Going to try this.

[Jessica]

Thanks for the link! I ordered a black/orange one for dd from the clearance section. If she likes it, I'll get a couple of spares.

[positive]

Jessica,
Your're welcome!  Hope you report back on the outcome. 
Hope your DD has a wonderful experience with riding; bonding with a horse is amazing.
Amy

[Jessica]

Got dd's spibelt and now I have another question. Does anyone worry about the temp of it? Would body heat make it too warm? Or in the summer, does it get too hot even worn on the outside of clothes? We use a frio cooler in the summer that would not fit in the spibelt but it's not supposed to be kept inside something anyway.

[positive]

Hi Jessica,
Good question.  Unfortunately, I just don't know (or fortunately, because we have not had to use it!).  My guy wears his belt pretty much all the time away from the house under a shirt unless he is doing sports---he places it with his equipment bag.  He even wears it during gym, his choice.  At the beach, we keep it cool in an insulated lunch bag. 
Dey says 77 degrees and no extreme heat.  My gut tells me that if the injector would fail at body heat then Dey would be very clear about that.  My advice is to ask your doctor, and do what feels right to you. 
Amy

[AllergyMum]

Watch the zipper on it. We bought one for my son and had issues with the zipper opening up when he would wear it. We stoped using it because I do not trust it to stay fully closed. I do like the size but hate the zipper.

[Jessica]

Thanks. I think we need to find a new allergist, and then I can ask. The current one has a 'don't do it' attitude. Asked about shea, he said 'just avoid it'. He says that for everything. I think he would tell me to keep dd home 24/7 rather than try to help us with a solution to epi handling.

About the zipper. I think I might be able to come up with a solution for that somehow. I figure maybe sew a button on the belt part and loop a hair elastic through the zipper pull and hook it over the button. That way it would be quick to release, but should be enough to hold the zipper shut. Thanks for the heads up about that.

[Jessica]

Oh and for now, we won't worry about body heat. During her lessons she'll only be wearing it for an hour or so (and right now it's so cold even body heat probably wouldn't make it too hot). For summer I would love to find a mesh fanny pack type thing that is small enough to wear under a loose tshirt so her frio pack would fit in it. And I may buy a smaller frio pack. This one was bought to hold 4 epis for vacation.