Tag Archives: equestrian apparel

The Secret to a Winning Show Look: The Fit of Your Show Coat

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A row of five riders and their horses are lined up with their backs facing the cameras in an outdoor riding arena. The horses are of varying colors and all riders are wearing black helmets and show coats with tan breeches. They also all have white cards with black numbers tied around their lower backs.

As the calendar flips to August, some of us experience a few flips of the stomach—or full-blown cases of The Butterflies! That’s because for riders who show, the time for regional championships and medal finals draws near.

If you’ve qualified for your year-end competition, congratulations from the Team at Dover Saddlery! Qualifying is a major accomplishment about which you can be proud. To help you calm your show nerves and give yourself a confidence boost, here’s our favorite tip for putting your best foot forward in competition: check the fit of your show coat.

A beautifully fitted show jacket does more for your appearance than any other aspect of your personal turnout. Your coat helps hide flaws and enhances your silhouette in support of excellent rider marks.

To double-check the fit of your existing coat or find a new coat that flatters your body:

  • Try the coat on over the show shirt, breech and the type of sports bra, if you wear one, that you wear in competition. These garments will affect the way a coat falls on your body.  
  • Check the shoulder fit first. Shoulder seams should line up with the edges of your shoulders.
  • Fit the torso second. The fabric of the coat should lie flat across your back, lapels should lie flat on your chest, and closed buttons should not create puckering down the front. Some coats have a hidden zipper under the button placket, and this can create your smoothest look. The waistline of the coat should appear to sit at your natural waist; change your breech to one with a higher rise if you have trouble achieving your smoothest look at the waist.
  • Sit in a saddle to see how the coat falls, making sure the hem does not cover your cantle or interfere with your seat.
  • Put your arms in riding position to be sure you can move freely. The sleeves should end at your wrist bones with your arms bent as if to hold reins.

Finding a perfectly fitting show coat off the rack is challenging for most riders. A good tailor can usually alter a riding jacket to create your most elegant look at minimal cost. The body can be taken in and sleeves can usually be lengthened or shortened. Again, start with achieving a good fit in the shoulders.

Most of all, good luck and have fun at your finals!

Do you have a winning show look? Share your photos with us on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @doversaddlery!

Cold-Weather Layering Favorites for Equestrians

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Three riders, one in front of the other are riding horses outside in the snow. Their backs are turned and are headed into snowy woods.

Wherever in the United States you’re riding this winter, chances are you’ll run into some chilly weather, even if it’s just in early mornings or late evenings. You’ll want options for staying cozy, and we’re willing to bet you’d like to look nice when you pull on or peel off your layers!

Here at Dover Saddlery®, our team of riders develop casual and formal ladies’ riding apparel throughout the year, season after season, from shirts, vests and jackets to breeches, socks and gloves. This month, we’ve voted in three key pieces as the new stars of our own winter riding wardrobes. Each item meets specific needs for cold days at the stable, for lessons or clinics, and for versatility in our equestrian lifestyle. We start with a base layer, add a mid-layer and finally, outerwear. We hope you enjoy them. And if you’re looking for a great gift idea for a favorite rider, each is guaranteed to please!

Dover Saddlery HeatBlast™ Long Sleeve Shirt

A red brown long sleeve shirt with a quarter zipper at the neck.

As a base layer, we made sure this one ticks off every wish on a rider’s list. Next to skin, HeatBlast fabric feels so soft you could sleep in it. It’s made with thermoregulating yarns, which means it helps you stay warm in cold weather and comfortable when temperatures rise.

Adding to that, the HeatBlast Shirt provides the breathability to help prevent overheating and the extreme stretch to let you move freely. Especially important as a base layer, it wicks perspiration from your skin to prevent dampness that causes chills.

The cut of this riding top is timeless, flattering and sporty, including princess seaming, a slightly dropped back hem, the always-popular zip placket and classic mock collar. It’s offered in three gorgeous colors and in ladies’ sizes XS through XL.

Dover Saddlery Athens Sweater

A dark grey sweatshirt with a hood.

Next up for adding core warmth? Our hybrid pullover offers a twist on two classics: a cable-knit sweater and a hooded jacket. We made the body to insulate your core with a lightweight layer of fill. The water- and wind-repellent outer means those water-bucket splashes and gusty breezes won’t ruin your day. And if a shower or cold blast pops up, the integrated hood repels water and wind, too.

Beautiful cable-knit sleeves and side panels feel cozy while adding breathability and stretch. With thumbhole cuffs, even your wrists stay warm! The Athens Sweater comes in two attractive colors and in ladies’ sizes XXS through XL.

Dover Saddlery Franconia Parka

This fully waterproofed jacket tops our winter-favorites list because we put every feature we want as riders into its design. For starters, we want to stay dry and warm—but still look feminine wherever we go. Franconia’s tapered, drawcord waist and discreet, side-entry pockets maintain a flattering shape.

A long blue parka with a grey fur trim hood.

The hood, which is lined and trimmed with removable faux fur, has adjustments to let you make it smaller or larger and ensure your full visibility. The durable outer with taped seams keeps all elements out.

Faux fur also lines the top of this riding parka to boost warmth. The longer hemline gives you coverage while you’re standing around the ring or barn, yet it converts for ease of riding with side-seam zippers and a magnetic riding slit. Because the magnets separate and click back together quickly, using the rear riding slit couldn’t be easier.

Other features to love about the Franconia Parka? The full adjustability of a two-way front zipper, a quilted lower lining that glides over your saddle, and a storm flap and inner cuffs that seal out drafts. It’s offered in two irresistible colors and in ladies’ sizes XS through XL.

As our fellow riders, we hope you’ll find that every feature we love about our products also benefits your riding. Relish in their comfort, quality and practicality in the saddle—and everywhere our equestrian lifestyles take us.

Check out the full collection of schooling attire and outerwear for women, children and men here!

Already have your own favorites? Share them on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @doversaddlery.

Schooling Apparel: How Every Rider Benefits

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A woman is riding a brown horse with a sunny background. The horse and rider are facing right. The rider is wearing a black helmet, an orange shirt with blue pants. The horse is wearing a brown bridle with a brown saddle and a multi-color saddle pad.

What is schooling apparel, and why do you want it? Loosely defined, we refer to the class of riding clothes not intended for competition as schooling apparel. It encompasses knee-patch and full-seat breeches, quarter-zip or polo shirts, plus lightweight, streamlined jackets and vests. Why is this clothing desirable for riders as opposed to t-shirts, jeans, any old tight or jacket? The answer is multifaceted: hardworking performance materials, rider-specific design features and equestrian tradition.  

Hardworking Materials

Most of the breeches and riding shirts you’ll find today are made from performance fabrics. These fabrics are constructed or treated to provide breathability, meaning your body heat vapors can escape, and you’re less likely to overheat.

A rider and horse are riding in an arena with palm trees in the background. Both the horse and rider are racing the camera. The rider is wearing a black helmet, aqua shirt, grey pants and black boots. The horse is tan and is wearing a black bridle and saddle, and white polo wraps.

Moisture-wicking action achieved through natural fiber content, a funnel-like weave or a chemical treatment means the fabric moves wetness away from you and the inner surface of the fabric to the outer surface for evaporation. You stay drier, and the fabric never feels heavy or wet. Cooling technology, an enhancement to moisture wicking, actively converts perspiration to a refrigerant while creating a cooling sensation on your skin.

Performance fabrics also promote your athleticism and freedom of movement. They contain some form of elastic fibers, or built-in stretch is achieved through fabric construction so the item can move with your body rather than restrict it.

Lastly, while all fabrics provide some degree of protection from ultraviolet rays, performance fabrics often have an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating clearly stating how much sun coverage it will provide. What does UPF50 mean? It indicates that 1/50th of UV rays can penetrate the fabric to reach your skin.  

Rider-Specific Design Features

While breeches, with their grippy knee patches and full seats, are quite obviously made to keep you in the tack, riding shirts, vests and jackets have design features that once you experience, you won’t want to ride without.

A rider with a black helmet, purple shirt, light purple pants and black boots is sitting on a brown horse. There is a woman with dark brown hair, sunglasses, a pink sweater, tan pants, and black boots holding onto the horse's bridle. They are standing in front of a barn facing to the left.

Riding shirts are typically made to provide a streamlined, figure-flattering fit. The fit is more than just attractive—it’s practical. It helps maintain a profile that enables a trainer to clearly see your riding position, and it lies smoothly under a sweater, vest or jacket with no uncomfortable bulk to encumber your riding. Many riding shirts, including polo shirts, have curved or dropped back hems to keep you covered as you move whether the hem is untucked or tucked into your waistband. Zippered plackets on the fronts of many shirts offer quick and easy adjustable ventilation.

Riding vest and jackets also support your in-saddle silhouette with many having a fitted cut, an adjustable waist or a back-waist belt detail. A two-way front zipper, a back riding vent or rear gussets make sitting in the saddle most comfortable. These features allow your outerwear to clear your saddle rather than riding up or catching under your seat. Jackets often have a removable hood or a snap to secure the hood to the back panel to prevent it from flapping.

Equestrian Traditions

Horse sports are steeped in tradition with an emphasis on polished turnout for horse and rider. One tradition is for riders to dress neatly and smartly when schooling at competitions, participating in riding clinics or taking lessons. Avid riders respect themselves and uphold the heritage of their sport by presenting a clean appearance with attention to detail. Shirts are tucked in, belt loops are threaded with belt, boots are polished, breeches are free of stains—and every piece fits well.

These days, dressing like a professional rider doesn’t mean you can’t wear bright colors or head-turning prints. Plenty of styles for schooling and training are available to please every rider, from the fashion-forward, to those who love bold color, to those who appreciate the most classic looks. The key is to choose items that fit and flatter your shape and your riding position and to wear colors and prints with pride.

To expand your equestrian wardrobe, browse our selection of schooling apparel here.

Do you have favorite schooling outfit? Share your photos with us on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @doversaddlery!