Optimise Your Horse Riding Clothing For Winter

Especially if you live in the UK, the benefits to body and mind of being warm and dry whilst you are out with the horses are huge. We've all encountered those days where you return home, soaked to the skin and freezing cold and can't bear the thought of doing it all again tomorrow. Investing in good quality warm and waterproof horse riding clothing is really a necessity. Keeping warm in the winter (or sometimes even in the summer!) is more than just investing in a jacket and some waterproof trousers (although they are the essential bits!). Layers are the trick to staying warm and comfortable, but this needs to be balanced with the fact that too many layers will restrict you in the saddle. There is a simple three step rule to this:

Start with a base layer. The base layer is as you would expect, the base that is next to your skin. The best items to use are specialist thermal underwear. There are retailers who sell specialist horse riding clothes for this purpose and these items are always made from thermal material that wicks moisture away from the body. If you are serious about avoiding the cold then never wear a cotton base layer which does not wick moisture away from the body and gets cold and wet quite quickly.

The next layer is the insulating layer of horse riding clothing. This can be one or two layers of insulated material, again try to avoid cotton if you can. You can buy some very effective, thin and lightweight polar fleeces which are brilliant for keeping you warm without too much bulk. Unless you wear very large breeches, it is difficult to fit a pair of leggings under the rest of your horse riding clothing, but your pair of breeches can act as your insulating layer over a pair of thermal tights if your legs really feel the cold. Think also about your feet. The extremities are usually the first bits to get cold and cause you the most discomfort when you have to be outside all day. Invest in a few pairs of quality thermal socks or some insulated boot liners to make life easier!

The final outer layer of your horse riding clothing is the one that keeps you dry and wind proofed. If you need to be outside in the cold weather, a warm, waterproof and windproof jacket is invaluable. There are many different brands and styles on the market but try to choose one specifically suited to horse riding which will have additional features to keep you dry in the saddle. The best jackets are waterproof in one direction which keeps you dry but allows moisture wicked away from the body to escape keeping you comfortable all day long. For the lower body, a pair of waterproof riding trousers or chaps, which are sometimes fleece lined, can be a life saver when you are riding out in the elements.

As a final point, always remember the golden rule when buying horse riding clothing or equipment - you should buy the best quality items that you can afford. Shopping around online can be a good way to do this and there are many online tack shops that sell quality items at a reasonable price.

The Equine Store is packed full of quality horse riding clothing, everything from boots to breeches. Visit the shop at www.equine-store.com