Buying clothing & equipment for a new rider

[Grajo]

Hello to all again. I am fairly new here - less than a week old and it is my 2nd topic

Yesterday I had an assessment and will have my 1st lesson soon (hopefully) next week for a 30-minute "walkout" session and the obviously lessons afterwards. I will start once a week.

So, obviously I will have to buy proper riding clothing & equipment sooner or later. Some questions I will need your advice:

1) Do you buy them from online or walk-in shops? (I won't ask if you had bought them more than 10 years ago, obviously online wasn't around lol)
2) what are the clothing/equipment should I buy? (please give roughly in order of priority, obviously helmet & boots one of the top orders)
3) To buy riding boots for a male rider, what kind of boots should I buy? Are ankle boots ok?
4) If you bought them from online/walk-in shops, where do you buy them from? There are too many online shops in the google search engines!! I do not want to buy cheap unbranded ones, but also not the most expensive ones. Just good brand ones. And most importantly, when should I buy them?

Thank you very much for your time.

 

[Chuffy99]

You need your helmet fitted so please don’t buy on line, you will probably need to try boots on, short boots are fine but a lot more comfortable worn with chaps or gaiters which come in all different widths and lengths so again may be a good idea to fit
When you know you’re going to carry on a pair of breeches or jods would probably come next and then a decent waterproof jacket. Don’t need a riding jacket as such but probably a pair of riding gloves would be a good investment

 

[Northern Hare]

Hi there, if you put on where abouts you live, then I'm sure you'll get some recommendations for tack shops to visit. Certainly for the hat and boots you'd be better off going in person for a fitting, and whilst you're there you can pick up the other bits as well!

A quick list would be:

Hat - properly fitted
Breeches
Short leather boots (zip or laces)
Half chaps (suede or leather with zip closure)
Gloves

Then you'll probably already have a waterproof jacket you could wear, and tops for layering.

 

[ycbm]

Your Portsmouth, there used to be a great shop in Catherington, Dunnings. I've just checked and I think it's still there. If it is you could pop in there and see what they say.

To start with you need a hat, boots and stretchy or loose fit trousers/ track bottoms.
.

 

[Casey76]

Decathlon has a great range of budget-priced but well made clothing which will do really well until you decide you want to spend a bit more money (or not), for the last 15 years nearly all of my stable clothing and boots have come from Decathlon.

 

[mini_b]

The lists folk have written about what you need - all of that but go somewhere to try them on.

Different brand hats and boots in the same sizes fit differently and there is nothing worse than being uncomfortable when learning to ride can make you uncomfortable anyway!
Once you know what sizes in brands suit you it’s then a fairly safe bet to buy online.

 

[ycbm]

A question you may be shy to ask, Graham, but the men I know who ride say it's essential to wear tight underpants.
.

 

[Merry neddy man]

A question you may be shy to ask, Graham, but the men I know who ride say it's essential to wear tight underpants.
.

Definitely

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Graham, definitely go and try things on, a hat fitting in store is a must as different brands fit different shaped heads and a good fitting helmet is essential.

as previously suggested, short boots with short chaps are less restrictive:

hubby found that the only breeches that were comfy were the Mark Todd ones, they’re pleated at the front so not so tight and not so revealing, also decent supportive undies are a must.

 

[Grajo]

To Everyone. is £100 riding helmet a reasonable price? I wouldn't want to buy a cheap ones that won't last long.

I have a confess to make. I did not know what "breeches" was until I looked at Google lol. I thought it was a plural of "brooch" - thinking why should we need (plural) brooch for lol

I already have waterproof jacket (see photo enclosed of me in Buenos Aires during Polo Experience Day 6 years ago lol)

 

[satinbaze]

Just be careful regarding hats. It is a good idea to check with the riding school which safety standards their insurance requires. A number of the decathlon hats are to a different standard to the UK. Going to a proper tack shop to be fitted properly for a hat is a wise idea and IMHO this is where most of your budget needs to be spent.

 

[SpeedyPony]

To Everyone. is £100 riding helmet a reasonable price? I wouldn't want to buy a cheap ones that won't last long.

Sounds pretty reasonable, a decent skull cap will probably cost around the £60-70 mark, I believe that's what my last charles owen skull cap cost and they meet most of the safety standards you need. Spending more might not get you anything with significantly better safety standards and, since it will need replacing after a fall/being dropped/a few years wear it's probably not worth getting anything hugely expensive, at least at first.

 

[fredflop]

For the hat… go to a shop that does a range of brands, choose the one that fits the best. Hats have to meet certain safety requirements.

 

[IveRunOutOfNamesToThinkOf]

Definitely agree with the advise given regarding hats. Try them, only choose one with the best fit. Nothing worse than a fall if your head isn’t properly protected, and if you’re new it will happen, no shame in that

 

[Grajo]

Bought a pair of ankle boots today in Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quay's Timberland (see photo attached). It reduced from £120 to £54.

I do not know if it is ok to use them for horse riding, but if not, at least I will wear them in the stable yard for my Stable Management course

 

[ycbm]

Absolutely not for riding in Graham you must have a heel to stop your feet sliding through the stirrups.
.

 

[mini_b]

Bought a pair of ankle boots today in Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quay's Timberland (see photo attached). It reduced from £120 to £54.

I do not know if it is ok to use them for horse riding, but if not, at least I will wear them in the stable yard for my Stable Management course
View attachment 74505

These are dangerous to ride in and you’re best off with wellies for stable management - sorry!!

 

[Northern Hare]

Hi, just an example, but here's what you need to be looking for when shopping for short boots. Ariat would be quite a pricey brand, but you can get some similar boots for a more reasonable price of you shop around.

You'll see that these boots have a heel to stop your foot sliding through the stirrups. That is something you need to avoid at all costs, so the correct boots are a good investment.

https://www.ariat.com/gb/en/HRTG_IV_ZIP_M_FOO.html?dwvar_HRTG__IV__ZIP__M__FOO_color=BLACK

ETA. Your new Timberland boots look great and I'm sure you'll get lots of use out of them, just not for riding I'm afraid ??

 

[Grajo]

Hi, just an example, but here's what you need to be looking for when shopping for short boots. Ariat would be quite a pricey brand, but you can get some similar boots for a more reasonable price of you shop around.

You'll see that these boots have a heel to stop your foot sliding through the stirrups. That is something you need to avoid at all costs, so the correct boots are a good investment.

https://www.ariat.com/gb/en/HRTG_IV_ZIP_M_FOO.html?dwvar_HRTG__IV__ZIP__M__FOO_color=BLACK

ETA. Your new Timberland boots look great and I'm sure you'll get lots of use out of them, just not for riding I'm afraid ??

Is this ok?
https://www.ariat.com/gb/en/TELLURI...dwvar_TELLURIDE__II__H2O__M__FOO_color=COPPER

Says "everyday riding"

 

[mini_b]

Is this ok?
https://www.ariat.com/gb/en/TELLURI...dwvar_TELLURIDE__II__H2O__M__FOO_color=COPPER

Says "everyday riding"

Those are good! Very comfy

 

[Merry neddy man]

www.tuffaboots.com Dartmoor riding boots very comfy long lasting easy on / off good value at £80

 

[Palindrome]

I like Decathlon or Shires for riding gear, they are often practical and a good quality/price ratio IMO.

 

[Grajo]

This ok
I assume?

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Ariat Tellurides? Perfect. I have Ariat Terrains and they’re unbelievably comfy and nice to ride in too.

If you’re riding “English”, then I’m not sure if you can get chaps to go with those (otherwise the stirrup leathers can pinch your legs), I ride western so don’t have that issue.

Edited to add, just found matching chaps for those boots: https://www.hopevalleysaddlery.co.uk/ariat-telluride-chaps-211419.html

Its a big outlay I understand getting yourself kitted out at first, so perhaps try just with the short boots and if you get pinched, then you can buy the chaps (Long time since ive ridden English)

 

[Keith_Beef]

Decathlon has a great range of budget-priced but well made clothing which will do really well until you decide you want to spend a bit more money (or not), for the last 15 years nearly all of my stable clothing and boots have come from Decathlon.

Decathlon over here in France is a bit hit and miss when it comes to things in men's sizes, and quality is very variable.

Hats and textiles are good enough, leather ankle boots are not great, rubber boots are good (I bought mine in 2012, IIRC), half chaps are good of you're lucky enough to be able to buy them discounted. Crops and whips are good.

I wrote another post, a while ago, with more detail and prices.

If you're just starting, it's definitely better to go to a brick and mortar retailer to try things on and get the right size.

I sometimes ride in a pair of Clarke's Broyd boots, Decathlon wellies when the arena is like Morecambe Bay at low tide or when my leather boots need repairs.

 

[Northern Hare]

This ok View attachment 74883
I assume?

They look great short boots!

Here's a link to Tuffa who do some great suede half chaps - in black or brown with lots of different sizes. They're very helpful if you need any help with measuring. ?

https://www.tuffaboots.com/product/suede/

 

[Grajo]

Is Chaps + ankle boots better than long boots or is it because they are much cheaper?

 

[ycbm]

It's easier to do chores and Tesco in short boots and strap on gaiters/chaps to protect your calves from the stirrup leathers. And it's cheaper to replace just whichever half of the boot wears out at a time, easier to get short boots on, and long zips tend to go wrong easier than short ones. Lots of us ride in just short boots though, I do.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Is Chaps + ankle boots better than long boots or is it because they are much cheaper?

Ankle boot, as ycbm pointed out, are suited for wearing in other settings. And chaps are easier to put on than full length pull-on boots. My instructor insists on full length boots or chaps: no riding in just ankle boots and long socks over your jodhs.