Why is Horsedream so special?
The Horsedream range is produced by CHRIST Lammfelle, manufactured to the highest standards and made from the Highest quality Merino lambskin.
The strength of the Merino hide produces a very hardwearing and long lasting product.
Christ Lammfelle are Master Tanners and also go to great lengths to ensure environmental protection.
We stock a wide range of products including Numnahs, Saddle pads, Treeless saddle pads, Half pads, Bareback pads, Seat savers, Girths and sleeves and Western saddle accessories.
All Horsedream products can be machine washed and tumble dried at low temperatures. Special lambskin detergent is advised for washing any horsedream product, and we would recommend C7 detergent made by CHRIST which extends the life and prevents the natural oils being stripped from the hide, as a regular detergent will.
The special properties of lambskin
Lambskins create a general feeling of well-being. They help you relax and they promote blood circulation. A natural air cushion between the skin and the lambskin creates a breathable zone.
Lambskins consist entirely of proteins. Protein does not provide a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. Wool can absorb up to 30% moisture in the form of water vapour without feeling cold or damp. The lambskin has anti-bacterial properties and protects the skin. The scaly structure of the wool fibre repels dirt and possesses natural self-cleaning properties. Regular shaking out and airing of the skin neutralises odours and helps the wool stay fresh.
Our lambskin products have a high therapeutic value. They even out the temperature in all seasons, are breathable, elastic and hardwearing. Using our lambskin products creates natural air cushions. The reduction in the shear forces provides relief for pressure-sensitive skin and eliminates pressure points.
Origin of the lambskins used for Horsedream Equestrian Products
Australian lambskins are used for Equestrian products because the wool is a little denser. This achieves better pressure compensation and helps to reduce the shear forces. The leather is also stronger, which has its advantages where off-the-peg items are concerned because they then keep their shape better.
All skins are preserved and sent to their own tannery for further processing. They are able to verify the origin of their lambskins at any time.
Not one single lamb is slaughtered for its skin. The pelt is a by-product of the slaughtering process, which is purely for the purposes of obtaining meat.
The Christ Lammfelle Tannery
Medical tanning / Tannery
Their own tannery is one of the most modern in the world and provides the best possible conditions for processing the valuable raw material, the lambskin, using a special technique in which no dyes are used and which keeps the natural colour of the skin – all of course in full compliance with stringent standards of quality. By medically tanning the lambskins they become machine-washable and can also be put in the tumble-drier, which makes it extremely convenient for items which may be used every day. They use only the best raw materials for our range of products, which they manufacture entirely in their own firm. They can therefore confidently guarantee the consistently high quality associated with their name.
Their tannery has received many awards from environmental organisations in the past years for its exemplary facilities and equipment, and its working conditions.
Using renewable energies to heat water
Tanneries need large quantities of water. Their Toryal tannery uses 120,000 litres of water each day and it first has to be heated up to a temperature of 80°C. This used to require 3,600 litres of heating oil every single day but since 2005 they have been pursuing the ambitious goal of completely switching over to renewable energies. This goal has been a reality since 12 April 2007.
The first step was to build a solar energy plant, which immediately produced savings of 20%. At the same time they planted eucalyptus trees, and today there are some 600,000 trees over an area covering 380ha. A high-speed chipping machine makes wood chips from the wood, and these chips not only help to optimise combustion but also reduce the wood needed by 5% in comparison with burning logs. The naturally occurring CO2 emissions produced by the combustion process are compensated for by the new trees planted. Toryal thus produces no CO2 emissions and has secured its supply of renewable energies for the next 50 years – a major contribution in terms of protecting the environment.
Processing
After tanning and while still wet, the leather side of each of the lambskins is buffed by hand until it is even, smooth and silk-matt. The skins are then dried and with the help of special machines they "plate" (a similar process to ironing), comb and shear the skins and get them into their finished form. They are then sorted according to quality grade.
All skins are put through several processes just in the pre-production phase alone before they go on to be made up into finished products. For instance, each lambskin is carefully examined and classified according to its particular use before being sent to the production department. Each skin is unique and different in terms of the structure of its wool and leather side. All the processes involved are carried out exclusively by trained specialists so as to ensure the lambskin is put to the best possible use. With experienced master furriers critically scrutinising each step, the skins are then cut to size by hand using special leather knives.
They pay particular attention to the run of the seams when making up the items so as to ensure they cannot give rise to any pressure points. All our products are made by hand with special leather and fur-sewing machines.
The final inspection then sees the product examined for any flaws and all excess threads and protruding hair removed. The product is then labelled and suitably packed for shipping.
Below is a recent article written about Christ in Germany
The best for horse and rider
"Only the best is good enough", ran the credo, when CHRIST started to move into and capture the riding sector with its
high-quality lambskin products over ten years ago. It was the company's self-imposed condition that saw it buying only the
very best pelts and materials available and perfectly crafting them. The success, which came in next to no time, is evidence
enough that this unswerving insistence on quality was, and is, precisely the right strategy. Today CHRIST is firmly established
not only in the domestic markets but also in those abroad, with the company exporting lambskin riding articles to countries
such as Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Russia, Mexico and the USA.
Innovations maintaining the competitive edge
Department head Guido Lorch sees a major guarantee for the success of the CHRIST-Horsedream Collection in the approach
to work, which is part of CHRIST's corporate philosophy and is lived by every member of staff: following up on each good
idea from customers to create innovative products or to optimise existing ones. And it's all with the one aim of making riding
as pleasant as possible for the horse and the rider.
For instance – just to mention one of many examples – a bare-back riding pad was developed a number of years ago which
treats the rider to a particularly intensive riding experience. The fact that CHRIST managed to convince not only the US
Americans, but also the leisure riders in Germany and the therapeutic riding experts of this innovation speaks volumes for
the quality and the positive effect of the riding pad on horse and rider alike. Having meanwhile advanced to a top-selling
item, the pad is now offered in different versions and sizes.
It's the firm's own tannery that makes the difference
With conditions for producing goods in Germany becoming ever more unfavourable, the founder, Werner Christ, decided at
the beginning of the 80s to switch part of the firm's production to Uruguay. The company established its own tannery under
the name of TORYAL S.A. in 1987 – a crucial step which ensures the high standards of all CHRIST products, for it is here, in
one of the most modern tanneries anywhere in the world, that the valuable raw material lambskin is tanned in the best way
possible using a special process, and with strict adherence of course to the most exacting quality criteria. "We do everything
by ourselves at CHRIST – lock, stock and barrel – ranging from buying the pelts to environmentally compatible tanning in
the firm's own tannery and right up to making up the items and preparing them for dispatch", Guido Lorch stresses not without
pride.
Master furriers cutting lambskins to size Cutting fabric to size using a special machine
Exemplary environmental protection
With its many awards from environmental organisations for its exemplary facilities and equipment, and its working conditions,
CHRIST also clearly sets standards when it comes to green issues. The company was honoured as early as 1988
by the "APA", an environmental organisation sponsored by the UNESCO. In 1997 the firm was awarded the quality seal
"tested for harmful substances and manufactured using environmentally compatible methods" by the leather institute of the
tanners' school in Reutlingen (LGR). CHRIST attaches great importance to the addition of "manufactured using environmentally
compatible methods" because the label "tested for harmful substances" can now be found on many products.
The certificate ensures that riders can opt for a CHRIST-Horsedream product with a clear conscience: "It's very important
for the LGR that the finished item has not only been tested for harmful substances but also that there is close monitoring of
environmentally compatible production."
The latest achievement, and again a major contribution in terms of protecting the environment, is installation of the new
solar energy system, which was completed last year. Large quantities of water are needed to tan lambskins. The water has
to be heated up from its approx. 14°C source temperature to a working temperature of approx. 60°C so that the raw skins
can be prepared properly. The water is now preheated up to 40°C using solar energy – depending on the season and the
weather – and this of course means that there are corresponding savings in the fossil fuels needed.
Customer satisfaction and speed: the prime concern for CHRIST
"The Customer is King" is not only heard in the leather and fleece industry; the CHRIST team however, sees things a little
more personally. Thanks to the close contacts maintained with stockists and the wealth of feedback received from customers,
there are many ideas and suggestions which all help the ongoing process of customising CHRIST-Horsedream products
to the latest requirements. Sales manager Willi Paul puts it in a nutshell: "We always listen very carefully to the market
and do everything we can to offer our customers suitable and practical products of the highest quality."
And the best evidence of customer orientation and customer satisfaction not just being empty promises but guiding principles,
is the fact that production is partly maintained in Gondershausen. The firm is thus able to react swiftly and flexibly to
any orders coming in. Delivery problems are unknown at CHRIST; and setting up a 24-hour delivery service, which has
seen stocks considerably increased, makes it all possible. Nearly all standard items ordered by 2.00pm are dispatched on
the very same day.
Always up to date
For a company like CHRIST, which ranks as one of the trendsetters in the fashion industry, it goes without saying that lambskin
products for the horse-riding sector should always be up to date too, which is one of the reasons why a new Home
Page can now be found in the Internet at www.lammfelle.de, where customers are provided with a forum for their wishes,
needs, tips and suggestions. In the specially set-up section "Interesting Facts", visitors will find everything they would like
to know about such things as lambskin and how it is processed. What's more, it's extremely simple to subscribe to the
CHRIST newsletter, which regularly provides information about innovations and trends. Members of staff can of course be
contacted personally as well: department head Guido Lorch, sales manager Willi Paul and customer service manager
Michael Kaefer will be happy to answer any questions customers may have and to provide expert advice and support on
behalf of all the CHRIST team.
Grateful for the trust and confidence placed in us
Last but not least the CHRIST team would like to take this opportunity to thank all horse-lovers, fans, customers and friends
for their loyalty. And given the many copies on the market, the team also really appreciates the fact that horse-riders nevertheless
continue to place their trust in the genuine article from the CHRIST-Horsedream Collection.
