what to get?

[snakes1989]

i wanna start to get some of my own gear but i dont kno where to start what should i get 1st?

[Kecka~Rocka]

are on on about riding gear or horse gear? Have you got any of either?

[snakes1989]

soz i ment riding gear no i havent got ne

[Kecka~Rocka]

Well first you need to decide if you are wanting to compete as this will save buying things twice as you got a wrong colour etc..

A must is a hat and a body protector that is up to standard and your comfy wearing, borrowing hats should be avoided in my opion.
Also a good pair of boots either long or jod, best to wear them for a while to make them mould to your feet, ive had some new long leather boots for xmas but still havent rode in them as they not quite ready in my eyes yet.
These should last you many years so look after them!!
Jods or breeches cream,white if competing
Jacket if competing
Shirt if cometing
Chaps if you decided on jod boots.
Gloves
That is the basic riding gear, ive probably left something out tho

Yard gear
Any warm clothes
Wellies for winter
Muckers
Very warm socks for winter
Waterproof coat
Warm gloves for winter


There are many equestrian catalogues available but you will find your basic list get longer and longer lol :)

Ebay also good for getting bargins if you search hard enough.

[xxxkristinaxxx]

To be honest i would first make sure you definately like horse riding, as there is no point buying lots of gear then finding out you dont like it as much.

To start off with i would get a hat and a pair of gloves.
A pair of jodhpurs and long boots or short boots with chaps.

Most riding schools will have a range of body protectors and will fit you out with one, let you borrow or hire one for the lesson.
At MOST riding schools these are compulsary for jumping activites.
If you will be doing alot of jumping and x-country i would definately think about getting a body protector. The are quite expensive though but are worth they money aslong as they fit properly.

[sugarcubes]

the first thing i woyld buy is a suitable pair of boots, they dont have to be expensive, i got some leather jodphur boots for £20. if you dont wear ones designed for riding, make sure they have a small heal, ask your instructer if you are unsure. You can also get some goves if you like them, you can get pimple magic gloves, or cotton riding gloves for about £2. I would not buy a hat until you are sure you will carry on as you can borrow them from riding schools. For starting i would wear jogging bottoms and if you do decide to carry on then buy some jodphurs.

How old are you if you dont mind me asking? If you are young, you may be able to get some second hand gear from your riding school. Lots of schools have equipment for sale that other students have grown out of, you may be able to get some boots or jodphurs this way, but never buy a second hand hat!

[*Sez*]

I don't remember what the first piece of kit I had was, but I can't remember a time before I had my own hat, boots and jodhs. It's entirely likely that when my mum decided I would be a horse-rider and I was big enough to fit shop bought riding gear, I was taken out to buy it all at the same time :rolleyes: . If you have some decent boots with a slight heel anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about buying proper riding boots yet. I think a hat is the most important piece of kit a new rider can get.

At the end of the day, can you be 100% certain that no one has fallen off and even slightly damaged the hat that you are about to put on your head? All you can do is take the schools' word for it, but I have ridden at some places that simply can't afford to replace a hat after every knock :eek: . My own hat is replaced after any serious fall - if there is sand or dirt on my hat, it indicates that it's taken a knock and next time will not be so effective. I have even replaced a hat once after only three weeks as it was slightly damaged in the car - it was only the tiniest thing, but enough to effect the structure of the hat. In the last three years, I have had about four new hats - two because of serious falls (both hats were shattered inside), one in the car, and one because of a minor fall that involved my head as the hat was reaching the end of it's three years anyway. I have something of a reputation for replacing riding hats :rolleyes: .

[.Natasha.]

I wouldn't buy loads of riding gear right now, just incase you find that you don't actually want to do riding.
A body protector isn't nessesary if you're just starting out, some riding schools have a few you can hire for the lesson, as well as riding hats, but your own hat would be better. Both of those can be expensive, but they're worth it, and make sure that they're up to safety standards.
I'd get some riding boots and jods, though if you have boots with heels they'll be sutable too. Riding gloves will help as well.

[k8_doran]

Ok starting out, I would buy some riding boots, either jodhpur boots or long riding boots and some jodhpurs. If you are at a riding school you can borrow a hat, but if you are sticking with riding, I would buy your own hat. Thats all you need starting out

[Gemsluvshorsesx]

Ive been riding on and off at a riding school for a while... but ive found i dont really need that much.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to buy if you are sure you want to ride regularly is your own hat. There are many different makes so try on as many as you can and find the most comfortable for you. I used to have a Champion junior velvet riding hat in black, but i found it slightly uncomfortable, and it became too small, so I bought a Charles owen junior skull cap (after lots of trying on), and i love it. Its extremely padded and comfortable, and i like the fact i can change my cover.

Another item i bought were riding boots. These are a must have if you have regular lessons as they prevent your foot getting caught (which often happens with wellies and trainers). I have long ones, Toggi ones, but either long ones or jodphur boots are fine. If you wear jodphur boots and find your legs become rubbed, you may want to invest in half chaps.

Serious riders will want to buy a pair of jodphurs, special trousers for horseriding which prevent your legs being rubbed as they have no inner seam. Much reccomended. I love my navy phoenix ones. :) TIP: beware of white/beige as they do stain, although they look so smart (but they are a must have if you intend to go to a show).

You may also want a pair of riding gloves to prevent your hands being rubbed on the reins, i personally reccomend the cheap pimple palm cotton ones as they are cheap to replace and are fine for the odd lesson every week or so (ive been through 4 pairs in the last three years).

If you are serious about riding and consiser safety important, or intend to jump, you should think about geting a body protector fitted too, and maybe even matching shoulder guards.

And if you ride a lot, and want to look the part, as well as keeping dry in wet weather, think about getting a riding jacket. :p TIP you can get these cheap from yorkshire trading co, i got both my harry hall jackets for £25 each (Compare this to most saddlers!). Riding jackets are fantastic, as well as keeping you warm and dry, the riding vents stop them bagging around your legs as normal coats do, and the vents channel water away from the seat of the saddle, which does help keep you dry.

if you ride a lazy horse, or lots of different ones, you may need to get yourself a riding crop, but only use it when necessary ;)

I think thats all you should ever need for riding lessons... though if you want to keep your car boot clean, get yourself a boot bag from a saddlers to hold your boots/crop/chaps/hat etc. Mine helps keep my mums car clean and keeps her quiet!