Friday 21 November 2014

What to wear when riding

The UAE is, thank goodness, an equestrian hot spot. From endurance and show jumping to desert hacks and polo clubs we have an abundance of equine pursuits to indulge in.  But what to wear? Each discipline has its own official and unofficial dress code and unless you wish to go into showing the below will suffice for desert hacks or if you are just starting.

Clothes for riding

Most important of all is a properly fitted horse riding helmet. Notice how clear I am on the type. A helmet is the most important item in terms of safety, take it from someone who has fallen twice from a cantering horse.

What you wear on top is dependent on the riding conditions just make sure it is breathable, Your jodhpurs should be comfortable and allow sufficient movement make sure there is nothing to make you chafe. Your riding boots are a personal choice. Some people prefer a full boot others, like myself, wear jodhpur boots with a pair of half chaps (bottom right).

For those who are beginning to ride Decathlon is an excellent place to start with your purchase and they have a good selection at different price points. Dubai being Dubai you can get literally anything at whatever price point you want; I suggest you start at a lower price point, but still a good quality, and if you decide that equestrianism is something you want to stick with then moving onto better items.

Being an equestrian means being disciplined and trusting not only yourself but your horse. This is not an easy sport to be in but it is beautiful and freeing. To leave you the below is a video titled: Equestrianism: It's Quite a Unique Sport. Enjoy!

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