Horse riding is a fun-filled exercise. Riding your horse while treating your eyes to some breathtaking views is a great way of keeping the pressures of everyday life at bay. It rejuvenates your senses. Farm owners across the UK love spending time with their horses. Quite frankly, riding a horse is a great way of spending the weekend. The lush green fields of Yorkshire provide horse riders with ample opportunities to embrace and admire nature. The historic county of Yorkshire has vast expanses of greenery on offer for the riders.
Also, experienced horse riders will know the importance of wearing appropriate horse riding attire before hitting the saddle. Buy yourself some horse riding clothes before you plan to go horse riding.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Equestrian Attire
Headgear
Well, this one’s the most important part. Veteran horse riders know the significance of wearing adequate headgear. Not only does headgear protect your head from injuries, it also adds an element of style and elegance to the rider’s personality. Imagine this: you are riding your horse while wearing an old-school cowboy hat. Now, this will certainly take you back into the 70s. You can choose from a wide range of ‘unapproved’ headgears. Here are a few examples.
Some common non-approved headgear worn by equestrians are:
- Cowboy hats
- Derby hats
- Hunting caps
- Bicycle helmet
The downside of using these helmets is: They do not provide your head with comprehensive protection. For instance, riding a horse while wearing a bicycle helmet can be dangerous. A bicycle helmet won’t protect the back of your head. This can lead to a severe injury. Compromises can end up being costly. Buying and using a certified equestrian helmet is the best way to ensure comprehensive head protection. Don’t go for a makeshift helmet just for the sake of saving money. Always go for ASTM/SEI certified helmets. Now, many of you might find it hard to believe, but donning a helmet happens to be a proven way of reducing head injuries. You can find a wide variety of riding helmets at Church Equestrian.
A sweatshirt
Make sure the sweatshirt you wear fits properly. A tight sweatshirt would end up curtailing your movements. Also, it is advisable to wear bright-coloured clothes if you’re going out on a riding session during a murky winter evening. This will help enhance the visibility. Furthermore, riders prefer wearing vests if the weather’s cold. Vests offer unrestricted arm movement while keeping the arms and chest warm.
Your pants are just as important
Buying a couple of stretch-tight pants is an economical option. These are inexpensive and can be paired with seat and knee patches. You can also go for winter riding pants. These pants are made using fabric is tough enough to go the distance. Made using fleece material, winter tights provide keep the legs warm and protected.
Footwear
Now comes the footwear. Footwear is one of the most important parts of your horse riding attire. In all fairness, riding boots aren’t bound by any kind of official testing and/or standards, but it’s advisable to find a pair of boots having a heel of about 1 to 1 and a half inches. Don’t go for heavier boots as they are likely to restrict your feet movement. Heavy boots might also end up jamming in the stirrup. Also, don’t ever wear sandals or sneakers while riding a horse. Wearing these can end up causing severe foot and lower-leg injuries.
Furthermore, the boots you wear need to support the ankles. Therefore, it is important to choose boots having ankle coverings. In case you’re running on a limited budget, then you can go for a cheap pair of boots. A sturdy pair of riding boots would cost somewhere around US$100.
To conclude
Having adequate protective gear and horse riding equipment at your disposal is of utmost importance. If you have a word with experienced riders, they’ll tell you that caution cannot be thrown to the winds. There’s no harm in being adventurous, but necessary preventive measures need to be taken.
