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How to Choose The Best Horse Riding Jacket

25 17:44:38

One of the most important attributes for a horse rider is to own the best and most comfortable riding jacket. It is imperative that you have a quality horse riding jacket which is suitable for your preferred type of riding. Without the correct knowledge, choosing the best horse riding jacket to suit you can be an extremely difficult task, therefore it is always a good idea to do a bit of research beforehand. A jacket should be both functional and elegant and be fit for shows and casual riding and there are many different ones out there for their own unique purpose.

 

Sizing your jacket correctly is essential as wrongly sized equestrian attire could be seen as both messy and unprofessional - not to mention it would be an uncomfortable ride. There are different sizes for children, men and women that are designed to fit the body shape of each rider. To find out your size you would need to measure your chest size in inches as most jackets' size are constructed using the chest size as a guideline. A well-fitted equestrian jacket would feel different to your other attire which is not equestrian clothing which may mean it would take a while to get used to.

The fit is substantial when purchasing a new equestrian jacket and could severely affect your performance and presentation if fitted wrongly. Below are a few tips on ensuring that the fit of the jacket is ideal for you:

  • Bend your elbows when wearing your potential jacket in order to test whether the arms are an appropriate length. For a perfect fit it should preferably end at the top of your wrist.
  • If you are a huge jumping fan then bend your arms from the normal riding position to a more strained jumping position to ensure that during your jumping activities the jacket is ideal. Also, check whether the back is too tight for your own comfort.
  • Squat in the riding position to test if your jacket is at the correct length; this should be a few inches below the hip.

There are many different jackets for their own unique purposes as was said previously; you should have the best jacket to fit your own specific riding purpose. If you are more of a hunter then the riding jacket should be warm and comfortable in order to endure the terrible frost weather that Britain treats us with on a morning. Alternatively, if jumping is your speciality then you would need to have a more flexible jacket to aid you when moving around on your horse. Jumping jackets should be a lighter material in the summer to avoid getting too warm through exercise and a slightly thicker one in the winter. A competition jacket is needed to impress the judges therefore you would need something stylish, well-fitting and flexible in order to excel.

Lastly, the colour of the jacket is a characteristic which a lot of people miss - colours are more accepted in other areas of riding than others. A perfect hunter jacket should blend well with the wilderness and a lot of people go with the tweed option. Showing classes have alternative colour preferences for example if you are in a show pony and hack class navy would be the most obvious choice whereas hunter and mountain classes it is imperative that you wear a tweed jacket. You have the ability to be a lot more daring with show jumping jackets such as being eccentric with colours to catch the judges' eye. An extra tip would be always co-ordinate your jackets with your shirts for outstanding presentation.