Starting riding equipment

[fielder]

I have started riding in the last few months and I was wondering what type of riding wear should I buy . It seems everyone has a different idea on what to get. Has anyone on this site started getting some riding wear together?

[Bay Mare]

The first thing that I would get would be my own hat. Getting a well fitting, new riding hat is probably one of the most important bits of kit that you can buy, oh, and a nice pair of gloves is a good investment as they stop you blistering your hand on rubber reins! You can get some pretty decent cotton ones for about £2 which are fine but don't last long.

After that I would go for jodhs (much more comfortable to ride in) and boots (either joddy boots and gaiters/chaps or long boots). I prefer leather boots, I know that they're more expensive but they're better for your riding (rubber boots don't help you to get a good leg position and are worse than useless for getting your weight into your heels as they don't break in like leather).

After that the sky is the limit. I tend to keep some tops just for riding in so that it doesn't matter if they're covered in horse hair, have horse slime down them or half the contents of the feed bucket :)

You then have stuff like riding waistcoats, riding jackets and if you're going to jump or do cross country, a body protector. Some people like to wear a BP for flatwork, I don't, but it depends how you feel. The majority of people believe that you should always wear a hat but the jury is still out on body protectors (I wear one if I'm jumping).

Good luck with your riding x

[Crazyhorse]

Hi

I echo what Baymare said about the most important piece of kit to get is a decent hat. It was the first thing I bought when I started riding. I used the riding school's hats for the first few weeks, but none fitted properly, which was a bit of a worry. The next thing I bought was a pair of leather joddy boots, which are pretty important to stop your foot getting stuck in the stirrups. After that it was jods, gloves and a riding crop. I started wearing a body protector after about a year for a bit of added protection. At the moment I have a Champion Cobra which I can't even feel as it is so comfy, but the downside is they do make you sweat to death! It's best to shop around and find one that really fits you. I do value it now that I jump.
Looking at my own kit I realise how much stuff I have accumalated lately, scary!

[ponymadgal]

Yes i agree, a hat and body protecter, riding boots and jods. Nothing else is completly neccessary but some extras like gloves ect

[Bay Mare]

You may find after a while that you will benefit from getting your own stirrups/stirrup leathers too! There's nothing worse than riding school leathers that don't match, that are too long for you so you have to wrap them ... It's so much easier when you can put your own on that are your size, your length and, importantly, both leathers are the same length :D

[domane]

Bay Mare! What an excellent but simple suggestion!!! In all my years of riding (and suffering stirrup leathers of odd lengths) it has NEVER occurred to me to purchase my own. What an obvious and intelligent idea. Going to check out eBay right away..... haha

Sometimes I can't see the wood for the trees.....

[Mehitabel]

just a word to those considering buying their own stirrup leathers who ride at a riding school - make sure you get your own irons too, and that they're safety ones, otherwise the school may not let you use them. also make sure to ask first - it is fiddly and time consuming swapping leathers and irons, and a busy school might not have time to, or your horse might be being ridden again directly after your ride.

[Bay Mare]

just a word to those considering buying their own stirrup leathers who ride at a riding school - make sure you get your own irons too

Sorry, that's what I meant by stirrups/stirrup leathers (should have put an '&' instead of an '/').

I agree, you must ask if you can use them first. I've always been allowed to though and you do get very quick at changing them over :) It saves their leathers after all.

I've got the wide tread stirrups (which are fantastic) which have always been acceptable to them but if you're thinking about it you should ask them first before you go out and spend your £'s. Mind you, I used to take my saddle to Wrexham when I went ... it's an SBS so fits everything that it goes on :) NOT that I would recommend that you take your saddle to your riding school with you .....

[Eli_Jay]

First off get you're own hat. you can't always trust riding school hats. second get appropriate footwear (i.e. boots).
If you're happy riding in jeans, don't worry about jodhpurs or breeches. If you find jeans uncomfortable get some cheap joddies and joddie clips.
If you find you're legs a rubbing, get either chaps/gaiters or taller boots. If you're hands rub get gloves.
I think being safe and comfortable are the two main priorities, and after a helmet (and possibly a back protector) you need to sort out whether you're current gears comfortable and, if not, then get some new stuff that is.

[fielder]

I have purchased a charles & owen riding hat the balck velvet type and a pair of toggi boots. I do see a lot of riders wearing body protectors is there any advantage to wearing these? :)

[vimto92]

Hellooo! Well first of all I purchased I navy velvet hat (harry hall) from www.newitts.com .
And then I purchused some jodhpurs and rubber moulded boots (which are like wellies).
Basically that is basics really and then erm.....you move onto gloves.....waistcoats...whips....body protectors (and yes there is benefit from wearing these because although they don't prevent accidents they reduce the risk of serious injury) which you can get in 3 types (low protection....medium....high etc). I haven't got a body protector yet but are thinking about having one for my b'day as they cost like £80 - ish. Hope this helped. Plus don't know what these clothes are like to ride in because I haven't tried them out yet because I have only just purchased them due to starting riding recently. Hope this helped......*thinks probably didn't* and if I didn't well at least I tried LOL.
Vic x

[shirley]

Just to say how importent it is to make sure you get your hat fitted by a reputable retailer. My daughter has been taught to fit hats and until she informed me how importent it is I would probably of just picked one off the shelf I liked. When you first put them on they should feel tight as they loosen over years of use - bit like leather shoes I suspect. Anyway she has now fitted me with a new (needed one anyway). Also look for type that fits your head shape as well. I went thinking type I would like, but not suitable for my head shape /type, however did find one that suited and was cheaper as well. Not a bad result.
You may want to invest in either another ward robe or chest of draws for the amount of things you may probably end up buying - as necessatities of course!!!!!!!

[fielder]

The boots were rubber but had a leather band around the inside on top. Some of the others I looked at just had the lining going all the way to the top. Does anyone have a reason?

[fielder]

I was shopping for breeches yesterday and the saddlery shop assistant showed me a pair of tally ho nimrod breeches she said that these were hunt weight breeches and were very warm and hard wearing. Does anyone have any experience of these?

[~*sugarlump*~]

i just had the jod boots for my first lesson.
i didn't get the hat for about 2 months after i started(i borrowd one from my RS)
i only got my first pair of joddies recently because i just wore jogging bottoms.
sorry have no experience with those breeches, but i have harry hall atlantas with half chaps.
i couldn't ride with out my 1/2 chaps, they keep me on, and stop greese from getting on my joddies :p

[Ross]

When you're buying your hat, which I agree is the most important thing, make sure it's the current accepted standard - I'm out of touch now, but when I bought my last one the best standard available was a PAS015, which is what I bought - this is your head after all!

THere was a story in our local paper recently about two girls bringing a horse in from the field, both riding it bareback (which I wouldn't condone :)) and only one with a hat on. They came off, and the one without a hat died as a result of her head injuries...

After the hat, boots are a big safety factor - a proper riding sole can save you being dragged as it is designed not to get stuck in the stirrup.

Ross

[piftisha]

Definately boots (tall or short, what ever you feel like spending) and maybe a pair of half chaps if you buy the short boots, and a hat.

Buying your own Irons and Leathers is a great idea! I'm short so I'm always ending up with stuipid wrapped leathers.

What do you all think about purchasing a saddle before you have your own horse?

[ponylover88]

...

[Retty]

Think the 3 most important items would be a professionally fitted hat, riding gloves and riding boots. After that well there's jods, jackets, I can spend a fortune in tack shop :eek:

[Ross]

Most riding schools wouldn't let you use your own saddle. Saddles have to fit horses, and they wouldn't have time to check up...

Ross

[xhorse_riderx]

you would need a riding hat !!! :)

[Trewsers]

Agree with everyone - hat is most important! I bought mine from the tack shop at the riding school where I had my first lessons - they fitted it properly for me etc. I also purchased jods and boots from them - until I got my own horse and spent hours mucking out / hanging around the yard I found that short jod boots with half chaps were ok - the boots I got were Shires ones - not very robust but good and comfy for riding. I've since moved on to Mountain Horse rimfrost riders - they're soooo comfy and robust! The list of other things is endless - I get quite obsessed with bodywarmers - I must have 12 by now.......!:D

[Nimrod]

Good hat, get it fitted. Next go to ebay if, like me, your feet fit a standard size and buy some leather jod boots and then some second hand jodhpurs. The hat cost me the most but I picked up very comfy boots and jods for less than a tenner.

[Crazyhorse]

Yep EBAY can be pretty good for picking up the little extras like riding crops, boot/hat bags and gloves. It is irrating that if you only want something very light like a pair of gloves the online tack shops can charge you anything up to £6.00 postage for them!

[fielder]

I couldn't agree more. i was told to get a hat first which is the most important. Then to get a pair of boots then if I wanted to, get a pair of jods. I see good reason for the hat and boots as they are important for riding. I hope the jods (when I get them) will just spare my trousers from getting dirty every time I ride horses

[Rojeth]

yeah my jods are stained permanently now! lol!

Hats are v important - i used to borrow the RS ones, until i fell off and sat up wondering why i was still conscious as i had just hit my head really hard - they just went and put the hat back on the shelf, when i would definitely be buying a new one if it was mine.

I just got a body protector - its great in this cold weather but a pain in the summer! make sure you gat a level 3, else you wont be allowed to compete in jumping competitions etc because thats the lowest standard they allow. Hats should carry both the kite mark and the CE european safety mark.

gloves are a good idea, but the more expensive does not necessarily mean beter quality- i have had to return a leather pair twice because the seams went, but my £2 woolygrippy gloves have lasted months.

riding crops - urm probably a long schooling whip - the one with the 3inches of string on the end. i have a shorter one and it makes it hard on the coordination to tap behind the leg.

jods can be bought for less than £20 on the internet in places. Ebay is great for boots. I prefer short boots, because long ones take a long time to break in so you can kepp your heels down. i started in long boots, and was amazed at the flexibility when i changed to short boots and half chaps. both these can be bought for about £15-20 each.

a decent riding waterproof with zips up the sides is ggod - so it doesnt get caught on the saddle. you can get some really nice ones with fleece linings, and these are about£30 or more. Also waterproof trousers are a good idea cos wet jods are just skanky!

i also have a heather moffett seat saver, which not only improves my position but can make even the most uncomfortable saddle like an armchair! they are about £20-30 on ebay second hand.

hope this helps. can think of anything else at the moment.

[MI Horsey]

A new well fitted hat !!!!If you're going to get boots I completely agree with BayMare to stay away from rubber ones,those darn things (at least the ones I owned) fight your leg position .I found it really hard to get my heels down as the rubber kept digging in to my ankle .My leather boots have improved my leg position by alot.Oh and the rubber ones started breaking at the ankle where they bunch up when you attemp to get your heels down.Not sure if they're all like that though.Mine were made byCottage Craft .