Stable in winter is a beautiful place but only to a certain degree – Celsius degree to be exact. Read our article to find out how to warm up your visit to the stable!
In a few recent years, winters were quite kind to horse riders, nevertheless, it can still get freezing cold at a stable. So, it’s important to wear something warm but at the same time comfortable, to make your visit to a stable just as enjoyable as during warmer seasons. In Equishop, we have a wide range of cute as well as practical winter clothing and accessories. We will try our best to give you the finest advice on what to wear to the stable during winter! To make sure you will stay warm and look good, it’s worth buying a few essential pieces of clothing to complete your horse riding winter attire. Equestrian brands are constantly improving their winter collections, which means each season you have more materials and designs to choose from. It’s high time to hide your old long johns and get yourself some new winter clothes!
Come rain or shine, a true horse rider always shows up for their training, regardless of the weather. Choosing the right outfit can be tricky since the clothing still needs to allow a horse rider to ride without a problem. That’s why many brands make winter clothing specific to different disciplines. Riding a horse in a ski puffer jacket won’t be pleasant or keep you warm – at most you will get overheated. So, what should you remember when going shopping for winter riding clothes? First and foremost, clothes need to be practical and warm (preferably thermal). Then, it’s best to choose clothes that are breathable, comfortable, and durable – It’s much easier to get dirty and wet during winter or autumn so choose clothes that won’t get destroyed easily.
Let’s start with the head – I bet you heard your grandma say that most body heat escapes from the head. The real reason for this is quite simple, people usually cover their bodies but not their heads. Equestrian brands offer a wide range of warm and stylish winter hats as well as scarves and tube scarves, which are perfect for winter trips to the stable:
HATS
SCARVES
For riders who don’t like wearing hats, there are winter headbands – ears tingling from the cold are no fun.
Equestrian brands didn’t forget about protection for the rider’s head when actually riding a horse. There are winter helmet liners, which will protect against wind and cold while still ensuring good air circulation. The liner is filled with soft foam, which guarantees that the rider will feel comfortable when wearing it:
There is also an option of getting a balaclava made from cotton or wool. It’s a quite cheap option that will help you survive the rides and hacks during cold weather.
When choosing horse riding attire, you need to make sure that it doesn’t restrict your movements. It’s hard to focus on a ride when your jacket is constantly rolling up. The body and the neck need to be protected by underwear, warm sweaters/fleece jacket, and equestrian jacket. Just as when buying equipment for swimming or skiing in a specialist store, you should buy clothes for horse riding only at an equestrian shop. This guarantees that your clothes will have length, material, filling, and pockets suited for horse riding!
1. Kingsland Classic unisex equine hoodie - available also for younger riders
2. Kingsland Classic unisex hood sweat jacket
The base layer – which includes functional underwear - is made from thin, light, and breathable fabric that adapts to the body. A good option is getting wool underwear which is great for extra cold days, we recommend one made from merino wool. Another possibility is getting thermoactive underwear, which wicks the moisture away and successfully retains heat. It’s important to choose an adequate type of thermal underwear for the weather conditions. The thinnest type is great for summer, the medium thick underwear for autumn, and the thickest for winter. We recommend putting a sweater, hoodie, or fleece jacket over the thermoactive underwear. Both types of underwear, if made from good quality fabrics, will ensure that you stay warm and comfortable. You can find a wide range of underwear at Equishop.
- Kingsland Classic unisex insulated jacket
- Pikeur Piro Oldenburger men's jacket
- Kingsland Classic unisex rain jacket
- Animo Iberis men's padded jacket
The last element of clothing that protects the body is naturally, a winter riding jacket. A good riding jacket will have an adequate length, and fabric that is durable as well as dirt-resistant. In the case of a jacket filling, we recommend a light and natural down filling. It’s a good idea to put on a body protector under the jacket. That way, if you get warm and need to take off the jacket, you won’t have to fumble around with the body protector as well. You can find a wide range of women’s, men’s, and kid's equestrian jackets at Equishop.
Let’s not forget about the body parts that are most exposed to cold: hands, legs, and feet. Frozen fingers during a ride - we all know that feeling of stiff and cold fingers. But this not only makes you feel uncomfortable but also prevents you from giving the right rein signals to the horse’s delicate mouth. So, good quality riding gloves for winter are a must! They will keep your fingers warm and in full motion.
- Samshield W-Shin winter gloves
- Riding gloves
- Busse Softshell unisex winter gloves
Equestrian winter gloves, like breeches, are usually waterproof, windproof, breathable, and protect against the cold. They are durable and reinforced in the right places, while the inside is lined with soft fleece. Gloves have anti-slip inserts, which help in keeping a tight grip on reins and allow you to use touch screens, useful to snap another great selfie with your horse bestie! Equestrian gloves are much more durable than normal ones.
- Animo Ministro men’s full grip breeches
- Animo Noa ladies' knee grip breeches
- Samshield Diane women's full grip breeches
Winter breeches are an absolute must for every rider’s winter attire. Of course, it’s possible to ride in summer breeches during winter with extra layers. However, it’s a good idea to get a good pair of winter breeches. Equestrian brands a wide range of winter breeches – often there are two versions of the same model: winter and summer version. The only thing that changes in these models is the fabric; winter breeches are made of windproof and waterproof fabric that ensures the rider’s comfort. It’s always worth reading the breeches’ fabric content, for example, elastic fabrics give a rider full freedom of movement and extra comfort in the saddle. The grip in winter breeches is usually made from suede or synthetic leather. Breeches for winter are made from special thermal fabric, either soft-shell or tactel – those fabrics are extremely warm, breathable, stretchy, and excellently protect against cold, wind, and snow. Natural leather is not a great fabric for winter since it gets stiff after coming into contact with cold and water. On the inside, winter breeches are usually lined with warm fabric such as fleece, which gives extra protection against the cold. For more demanding riders, we recommend seamless breeches which are sawn together by a laser with sewn-in insulation in the form of an additional lining. For chilly people and those that love long winter hacks, there are special thermal breeches, which combine the features of thermal underwear and breeches. Thermal breeches usually come in two different types. The first version looks like normal breeches (only slightly thicker), whereas the second type looks like wide pants with additional suspenders and zippers on the legs. This allows them to be put over other types of pants, for example over breeches. Thermal breeches are quite expensive, however, a good pair from a renowned equestrian brand can be worn over several winter seasons. In summary, winter breeches are an excellent choice for riders that value comfort and innovative ideas. We highly recommend our offer of winter breeches.
- Dainese Milton ladies safety vest soft e1
- Dainese Alter-Real ladies waistcoat
How to protect your feet against the cold? Freezing feet are a common nuisance of horse riding in winter. Unfortunately, a few pairs of socks won’t really make a difference, the best solution is to buy a good pair of thermo boots. They are quite expensive but because thermo boots are taller than jodhpur boots, they can keep your feet and calves warm. We especially recommend beautiful riding boots Baxter Nubuk from Sergio Grasso. These boots are made from waterproof and breathable nubuck leather and are lined with a layer of insulating material. They also have special elastic inserts, which allow the boots to adapt to the rider’s leg. These tall boots are fastened with a side zipper. They are equipped with an anti-shock insole and have anti-slip rubber soles. These tall boots are perfect for every equestrian discipline.
Sergio Grasso Baxter Nubuk Rider Boots
If you are looking for warm but shorter boots for horse riding then the best choice you can make are warmed jodhpur boots, filled with a soft and natural fur or felt. We recommend warmed jodhpur boots for horse riding PASCUELLO. Those extremely durable and made with high-quality full-grain leather boots have 2cm (0.79 inch.) heels that ensure your feet fit perfectly in stirrups. Excellent profiling makes sure that the boots will fit perfectly on you.
Naturally, essential pieces of equipment for any horse riding apparel are also socks. Choose adapted winter models because thick socks will be more difficult to put on and can be quite uncomfortable causing circulation problems, this will have the opposite effect as hindered blood flow leads to the warmth escaping quicker. In our Equishop we offer a wide variety of seasonal socks:
1. Kingsland Classic Coolmax unisex knee socks
2. HKM knee-high riding socks
3. Kids riding apparel & equipment
Winter is a distinctive time for all horseback riding lovers. To practice the sport at this time of the year just as safely and comfortably as at any other, you only have to properly prepare. We recommend reading other articles on our blog:
Lastly, we recommend a few gadgets that will help you in a stable during winter:
- Thermos – a must-have – not only ensures your tea is always served hot but also warms up your frosty hands. It’s scientifically proven!
- Hand warmers – small, convenient, warm, and… so cute. These loved by horse riders winter goodies can easily fit in any pocket. There is a wide variety of designs to choose from, even for horse enthusiasts alike. Equally necessary are toe warmers, saving you a ton of trouble during harsh winters. Usually, you can find those in ski shops.
- A riding skirt – no, it’s not a joke, a riding skirt is quite the sensible choice, especially for those that ride a lot in low temperatures. A riding skirt is designed to fit comfortably during horse riding and allow for full freedom of movement.
And what about horses? Of course, a horse blanket, but that’s for another story...
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