Why didn’t I invest in this earlier???? Technical Fabric Clothing and why you don’t need to justify having them in your wardrobe.
As horse owners we want and get the best for our horses. We sit and we research and we weight up the options and then make a decision over which, boots, rug, bit, bridle is best for him/her (this is a whole other article for another day), but why is it we rarely do the same for ourselves??? For many years we, as equine loving outdoor adventurers, have known the merits of technical fabrics in horse wear, and if you asked a horse owner what denier and fill the rug their horse was wearing was, they could probably tell you. But, ask them what they are wearing themselves and the answer would probably be a shrug of the shoulders.
Let me let you in on a little something horse owner ... you are missing out!! Many companies have been designing and manufacturing quality technical exercise and lifestyle apparel for years. The equestrian world has not been holding out on us. Brands such as Kerrits, Ariat, and Dublin among others, all have a range of both summer cooling and winter warming layers for both top and bottom. Everything from high end competition, all the way to mucking out (don’t they go hand in hand) and I am here to tell you, these items of clothing are totally worth the investment!
Our range of Kerrits riding tights are amongst the most popular items in store. The Kerrits Ice Fil® Tech tight is a store favourite! Made from super stretchy Ice Fil® fabric they lower the skin temperature by up to 5 degrees, being fully breathable as well as having 50+ UV protection, great for our relentless Aussie sun. The seams are all in the right, flattering and functional places and the teeny carrot decals as knee patches give you that little bit of grip when in the saddle.
Kerrits Ice Fil® tights in Navy, Black and Platinum
As if they hadn’t nailed the brief enough, Kerrits went and designed a full range of sleeveless, short sleeve and long sleeve tops in the Ice Fil® Fabric also. A total winner when it is a 35 deg C February day outside and you went and signed up for that clinic back in August forgetting it would be in the merciless blasting heat of summer when you were gearing up to ride. I have been this person, and oh man was I glad to pull my technical cooling fabric clothing on knowing I was going to be in the middle of an arena for the best part of a day being yelled at by a trainer I was paying a small fortune to learn from.
Ariat are also in on offering a full range of Technical Clothing with their, cleverly named AriatTek, so you can’t mistake the forward thinking element of the product. They also have a range of riding breeches and tops made from Technical fabrics. These offer UV protection, compression and have moisture wicking properties which aid with the cooling effect on your skin - perfect for when you mix exercise with heat. The compression aspect is fantastic both in the saddle and out. Helping keep you and your bits and pieces in all the right places. Ariat says, "Core Control Technology® provides targeted support for core muscles and slims the silhouette, while compression fabric provides sleek fit and retains its shape" They had me at "support"!
Ariat Piaffe Sunstopper and the Kerrits Ice Fil® Print Long Sleeve and Solid Short Sleeve
So, gone are the days of chaffing, riding up, falling down, sweating your socks off and in general being uncomfortable. These clothing options are out there waiting for you to add to your wardrobe. They are a great investment, because the long and the short of it is, if you are comfortable you are more likely to be out there riding and we all know anytime spent with your horse is priceless!!!
