What is the right outfit to wear when starting horse riding?
Like other sports, it is important to have adequate equipment for horse riding. It is a matter of comfort as well as the safety of the practitioner. On the other hand, a complete riding outfit can cost a little more, which is still a burden when you are a beginner.
However, if you decide to stop riding after a few lessons, you will have spent a few hundred euros for nothing. Fortunately, when it comes to clothing, not all accessories are essential. Finally, the equipment of a beginner rider is not that expensive. How? We talk about it in this article.
Protect the head
It is mandatory in France to wear a helmet or a standard helmet when riding a horse. This is a kind of "hat" that will serve to protect the head in the event of a fall and thus reduce the risk of trauma following a fall, for example. In principle, equestrian centers must provide helmets or helmets for their riders to wear. For the first lessons, as a beginner rider in these centers, you are not required to obtain this equipment.
However, it can be difficult to find your size and helmets are not always clean inside. In addition, although it is not the priority, the helmets or bombs available in equestrian centers will not always be to your taste. It is for all these reasons that it is rather advisable to invest in a helmet that is up to standard as soon as you are certain to continue practicing horse riding. You can find them in stores like La Sellerie Française at relatively affordable prices .
Ensure upper body comfort
It is generally not recommended to ride a horse wearing a t-shirt with short sleeves, especially when going outside. Indeed, a t-shirt with long sleeves will prevent you from being scratched by branches, especially outside, and you will be less in pain in the event of a fall.
It is therefore important to choose a top that is comfortable and that does not hinder the mobility of the hands. It is also important to avoid fragile materials that keep you too warm. Similarly, you should not choose a coat that goes down too far in the back.
Because in certain gaits such as the rising trot, it could bother you because you risk sitting on it. In case of rain, the ideal would be to take a waterproof coat. Similarly, you should avoid wearing a cape, a scarf, a neckerchief... These are accessories that risk flying away and scaring the horse at the same time.
Protect your hands
In winter, it will be nice if you wear gloves so as not to see your hands frozen. However, it is important to take gloves that are suitable for horse riding for your comfort as well as your safety. Gloves with "pimples" are very interesting in this sense. It is important that they are gloves that are flexible enough for you to have sufficient dexterity. The prices of these gloves are around a few euros only.
Ensure the protection of your legs
For maximum comfort, it is good to avoid riding in jeans. More generally, you should avoid pants that have large seams on the inside of the thighs. Instead, you should opt for pants that are close to the body. Above all, you should be comfortable enough in these pants. If you choose pants that are too tight or not very elastic, you could risk tearing them when mounting or dismounting your horse.
When after a few practice sessions you are sure to continue, you can invest in riding breeches which are fairly tight pants that remain very comfortable to wear. They are close to the body and at the same time do not hinder movement.