The most exciting thing is happening – you’re going to go riding! Congratulations! If you’re new to riding, hopefully you’ll catch the horse bug (it’s pretty contagious!). If you’re not new to riding… well, maybe you already know what to wear. But if you’ve been riding your horse wearing pajamas, as I used to do, perhaps it’s time to step it up a bit.
Here’s a rundown of the what you need to wear for an enjoyable ride – If you’re just beginning, you may not need to purchase everything, you may be able to borrow some items, or make do with what is in your wardrobe already.
Helmet
I will always be a big supporter of protecting your head. You need that head to live. Take care of your head. Cherish your head. Cover it in protective wear at all times, horseback riding, riding your ride, doing construction, relaxing on your couch…. okay maybe you don’t need to take it that far. Unless you live in an earthquake prone area, and then you probably should. Or maybe move, that could be an option, too.
Helmets come in a range of colors, designs and budgets. The cost of the helmet doesn’t always make it safer. Virginia Tech recently did a study that ranked helmets by how well they protect your head and it’s worth checking out when you’re ready to invest in a helmet. However, luckily for those on a budget, the Tuffrider Carbon Fiber, priced under $100, is ranked #2.
TuffRider Starter Carbon Fiber Shell Helmet (make sure you get the right size, they aren’t linked together for some reason)
LightWeight Shirt
This is very weather dependent – if it’s warm outside, wear a lightweight shirt. If you want to look serious, the polo shirt look seems to be indefinitely popular at the barn. It’s a tidy, tailored look that equestrians can’t seem to get enough of. Sunshirts, which are basically long sleeve polos with vents under the arms, are also very popular. If you want to wear something you already have, choose something with a flexible fabric that will move with you. Hopefully you have something made of a material that is breathable, as it’s very easy to get sweaty on horseback…and dirty. It’s almost impossible to escape getting dirty.
How cute is this floral sunshirt!? Kastel Denmark Lightweight Sunshirt with UPF 30+ Protection
This would be great for a trail ride! Toumett Safari Shirt with UPF 50 Protection
Stretch Long Sleeve Top and Vest
Also weather dependent – if you’re going riding and it’s cold, layer up. When you first start riding you might be very cold, but as you start moving, you’ll probably get hot. You’ll be able to shed your layers like a snake and cool down a bit. If you’re having a serious ride, you might end up all the way down to a t-shirt. I’ve had a few rides like that in 30 degree weather…
It’s a vest. Doesn’t need to be something crazy. No crazy vests here.
Very warm shirt for those very cold days. Long Sleeve Fleece Lined Winter Shirt
Riding Breeches
It’s normal to be confused with how to pronounce this. It’s supposed to be “britches,” but due to the spelling, people call them “Breeches,” See, even the phonetic of it makes it pronounced wrong. But everyone knows what you’re talking about, call it whatever you want.
Breeches will give you stretch and comfort, while the grip will help you feel more secure, which is helpful if you are a nervous type. You could also wear jeans, but they can feel slippery in the saddle. Riding tights are a popular option, as they are like yoga pants, but they have the grip. You could also try yoga pants, if that’s what you have.
Full Seat Riding Tights with Silicone Grip. They have stretch and grip and a cell phone pocket, perfect for keeping your phone near you in case of an impromptu selfie or tik tok dance or something, what do kids do these days, I don’t know.
Full Seat Silicone Riding Tights. These ones are covered with lines, and I’ve always thought that lines were quite stylish. They also have a zippered pocket, which you could use to put your keys in, that way they don’t fall out, miles from the barn, leaving you unable to ever drive away from the barn… forever. You now work there. You are part of the barn.
If you are ready to make a splurge, I highly recommend my friend’s company, Sync Equestrian. They are well made, super comfortable, high quality riding tights and breeches, but they are at a higher price point.
Boots With a Heel
After a helmet, boots are important piece to have, since they provide some protection in case a horse steps on your feet. I’ve seen a few foot injuries from people being stepped on, and they are gruesome. This is super easily avoidable, wear your boots. If you’re just around horses, even sneakers are better than bare feet. Please don’t wear flip flops, I get they are comfortable and easy to slip on, but there’s the foot crushing thing, and also your feet just get so dirty. Barns are well known for having lots of dust and dirt, and your feet will need a bath when you leave. Unless you like having dirty feet, you hobbit.
The heel on the boot (approximately 1 inch, not talking about stilettoes here) is so your feet won’t slip through the stirrups when you ride. Being dragged from a horse because your foot is stuck in the stirrup is a very real scenario, and a terrible way to go. It’s probably my number one fear, which is why I had a “moment” when I did recently fall off, and I got those feet out. Having the heel helps prevent that foot from sliding forward and getting stuck.
Looking up riding boots brings up many boots that aren’t actual intended for riding, which can be confusing. Here’s what boot should look like. There’s two varieties, the paddock boot, and the tall boots which go up to your knees. You really should just start with a paddock boot, they are cheaper, and if you do keep riding, chances are high you’ll spend a lot of your time in the paddock boot anyway. You wouldn’t want to ruin expensive tall boots by wading a muddy field, and sometimes the tall boots just aren’t comfortable.
Dover Saddlery Paddock Boots. The basic style, they look like this. These have zippers, which make it way easier. Back in my day, we used to have to lace them up from about half way to the top, every single time. Super annoying.
Shire Paddock Boots, I’m a fan of Shire brand products, they are reasonable priced and nice quality.
If you want the look of tall boots, half chaps are a good option. They are relative inexpensive, and some actually look exactly like having tall boots. Others you can tell they are half chaps, but overall, it’s a nice clean look. Half chaps are widely used by equestrians and very common to see at the barn. (in fact, I only ride in boots and half chaps, I can’t even remember the last time I wore tall boots.)
Leather half chaps (they come in black too)
Gloves
Gloves protect your hands. If you’re just starting, you may not need them at this point, but when you start to get a grip on those reins, and your horse maybe doesn’t behave, you’ll want them. Otherwise the reins can shred your fingers, very much like rope burn. Even if you don’t have a “lively” horse, the gloves are helpful to prevent calluses from slowly forming on your hands. If you’re trying to keep those hands soft, and not like a farm hand, you’ll probably want some gloves.
They also protect against the sun. Those exposed hands will get a high dose of sunlight, and not only will your hands slowly turn a darker shade than anywhere else in your body, you’ll also be at risk for skin cancer.
Inexpensive, basic riding gloves. They’ll keep your hands safe!
Sunscreen
Hopefully you already know why you need to wear sunscreen, and you wear it every day, right???
Unless you’re particularly lucky, horses are ridden outside in the sun. You’re going to get burned if you don’t protect yourself. You can even look at older equestrians and see the sun damage. Please just protect your skin.
I put this sunscreen on my face every day. Yes, literally every day, even days I don’t go to the barn. I like it because it doesn’t feel greasy at all, and I basically forget I’m wearing it.
I do use a different sunscreen for my arms, the normal greasy stuff, but I usually wear a hat anyway, so this lightweight version seems fine for my face.
Please wear sunscreen! Rides are usually about an hour, maybe more if you’re going on a long trail ride, and you will fry. You might feel your skin charring under the blazing sun. You might see the sun’s harsh glare reflected in flat surfaces. You will feel like you are baking in an oven, as the rays of light char your skin.
Or you could just wear sunscreen, and you’ll be totally fine. I guess the choice is yours.
Also, while this is not a piece of apparel, bring water. I am always super thirsty after I ride.
I hope that helped you feel prepared for your first ride! You are going to show up, looking like a serious rider, ready to tackle anything – even if it’s just how to mount a horse and steer. But you’re going to look so good doing it! I hope you love your ride, and stay with us in the equestrian world!
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