Racing and Coursing Supplies
Leads, Collars
So you're looking for the "ultimate" tack for your Borzoi. Where do you look? Well, not in all the usual places, I hope. You're not going to find what you want at PetSmart, and most likely you're not even going to find it after an exhaustive online search.
But I think I've found two places that can help you out. Bolduc Custom Leatherworks and MJ Lessard both have great products. They can supply regular collars, martingale collars, slip leads, and even regular old leashes - all in absolutely top quality leather that you'll hate to see get wet. They can also supply tack for your horse, if you need that!
The workmanship and quality of materials in these products is superb, and you'll be proud to use them with your hounds.
So, why aren't these everywhere if they're so great? Well, these are very small companies, that make each product custom, by hand, at the time you order. So make sure you give enough advance notice when ordering, as it will take some time to get the products.
Contact Bolduc Custom Leatherworks at P.O. Box 598, Miner Road, Otis, MA 01253-0598 or (413) 269-7761 and get their catalog. Contact MJ Lessard (Canada) at their web site online.
Muzzles
For some of the running events, your dog will likely need a muzzle. This isn't to prevent him from biting other dogs - it's to keep him from tearing the lure to bits at the end of the run!
Muzzles come in a variety of styles (at right is a wire muzzle, and at left is a Halemar), and you will need to size the muzzle to your particular dog. It's best to borrow a couple muzzles from folks at an event, test-fit them and get the size right, then buy.
The wire muzzle is the lightest and least obstructive for the dog. The Halemar muzzle is a more closed in plastic muzzle. If your Borzoi tends to dig at the lure at the end of a race, a wire muzzle might get caught in his teeth. So a Halemar is the solution.
Coursing Jackets
You will need several different colored jackets, depending on the type of event. For LGRA, you need four jackets - Red, Blue, Green and White. For Lure Coursing, you need three - Yellow, Pink and Blue. There are a variety of styles, from those pictured here, to reversible (different colors on each side), to spandex.
The jackets typically come in a few sizes, just make sure when you order that you're getting Borzoi-sized jackets, not Italian Greyhound ones.
Contact MnM's Favorites or Sighthound Gear for coursing jackets and muzzles. Make sure you work with them regarding the correct size for your Borzoi.
Lure Equipment
Most people will not buy their own lure equipment of course, but here is the relevant information if you're curious. If you're actually thinking of what you might do with that "back 40" behind your house, or maybe you're starting a coursing or racing club, here you go.
Fundamentally, the lure equipment includes a lure machine to pull the string, a long string to which the lure is attached, the lure, and a set of pulleys around which the string is wound. In some cases, you'll run a "drag lure" in which the lure is actually at the end of the string, and the string wound and un-wound onto a take-up wheel. In other cases, you might run a "continuous loop" in which the string is one long loop pulled around a circle with a wheel that does not collect the string . There are advantages and disadvantages to both. A drag lure requires re-stringing between each run, whereas a continuous loop has the potential to cut a dog if he stands on the string, or worse gets caught in the string.
You will also need a variety of other equipment to put on lure events of course, a 12V deep cycle marine battery to run the lure machine, stakes and tape to mark off straight of oval tracks, race program boards, etc, etc.
Injoy seems to be the most popular vendor of lure equipment, and has a good web site with all the equipment you'll need. There is also an innovative "lure machine in a suitcase" setup from Grimner Greyhounds that may be useful for a small backyard setup.