Horseback Riding 101

Lesson 2: Basic Rider Equipment for Safe Riding

Proper equipment for junior riders (children under age 12):

(Adults: Read this now, because your section merely refers to most of it, with the adult exceptions, only, explained.) Approved helmet Jodhpurs (also called jods) Paddock boots Cotton pimple-palm gloves (summer), knitted pimple-palm gloves or thin leather gloves (plain or Thinsulate-lined) for winter Acceptable winter outerwear Acceptable warm weather tops For girls with long hair: scrunchies

Approved helmets:

Your first question might be: approved by whom? By the Safety Equipment Institute which developed the American Standard for Testing Materials. The helmet should specify that it is SEI/ASTM approved. If it is not, don’t buy it. Period.

In the old days, helmets were not worn to jump, and especially not to ride, English style. When jumping began to be a major spectator sport, top-level riders wore hunt caps, the black velvet close-fitting caps with a visor in front and flat bow at the back worn by British foxhunters. Those early caps offered minimal protection. They were usually lined with a single layer of hard plastic, and they had no chin strap so it is likely they were no longer on the rider’s head when he or she hit the ground during a spill.

Fortunately, by the 1980s, hunt caps were being made with at least some padding inside and often chin straps. Professionals still tended to wear the virtually non-protective kind.

And in truth, the minimal padding only helped in a minimal fall. The rider still risked serious injury in a serious fall.

By the late 1980s, people were beginning to realize two things: riding hunt seat and jumping was a serious sport, and loads more people than ever before were beginning to participate. Those two factors opened the way for more potential head injuries.

Bicycle riders were already using protective headgear, and they were on a vehicle that is, first, much smaller than a horse and, second, does not have a mind of its own.

So the issue was settled: It was high time to improve helmets and set some standards. Those early helmets were ugly, though. And some advanced amateurs during those years—myself included—refused to buy them, preferring the less bulky minimally protective old style helmet.

AH! Did I say helmet? About that time, it became acceptable to call them helmets or hunt cap or hat interchangeably, signaling that finally, the hunter-jumper world had decided protection was a good thing.

So now if someone says, “Would you hand me my hat?” they almost invariably mean their helmet, shaped like the old-style hunt cap but offering infinitely more protection. And thankfully, the current generation of helmets has been manufactured with much better technology. So, even though they have linings of expanded polystyrene, which crushes on impact so that your head won’t, they are less bulky and altogether acceptable in every way. Even today’s professionals—myself included—would not even sit on a horse without one of these helmets in place.

A proper fit, though, is just as important as a proper helmet. The helmet should fit snugly around the cranium, and the front edge of the brim (the inside brim, not the visor) should lie right above the brow ridge. Right above it. The helmet should not be tipped back so that the visor points toward the sky. The visor should extend straight out, perpendicular to the forehead.

To check the fit, flatten your hands and place one on each side of the helmet and try to rock it. It should take a small amount of pressure, about the same as a firm handshake, to get it to rock a little. If the child says it also feels OK, not too tight, then adjust the chin strap so it is firmly under the chin, not choking the child, but with virtually no ‘wiggle room’ either. Then have the child jump, spin, make some dance movements. If the helmet doesn’t wobble, it’s probably a pretty good fit.

Hunt caps/helmets come in several varieties. There is the traditional velvet or velveteen-covered cap, and that’s why the child will need for showing a horse. But they are very hot in summer, especially compared to the vented colorful plastic ones now available. You can choose a plastic helmet and vary the look (kids love this!) with fancy nylon covers in wild patterns, or sporty ones (cross-country riders like the two-color type in sporty colors, such as burgundy and blue and so on). And you can get a black velveteen cover for showing, making the one helmet do the job of two, often a wise idea as children do outgrow their first helmet, and maybe even their second.

Jodhpurs

Why not jeans? Because in English equitation, you ride so close to the saddle that the seams in jeans leave welts and cause pain once the child is past the very beginning stages of riding. Jodhpurs can be worn to show the horse, also, and are easily washed and quickly dried, meaning there’s no need for more than a pair or two. They should be long enough to come down to the ankle or even a little below. And they will be held in place while riding by elastic bands that run from one side of the pants leg to the other, under the sole of the boot. (These are purchased separately) Buy jodhpurs that have suede or suede-like knee patches rather than patches of the same stretch fabric as the jods. This will help keep the rider’s leg in the proper place, difficult to do at first in a slick, smooth English saddle. Jods come in beige, a light neutral greenish-beige, rust, pearl gray and often black or navy blue. The child will need beige, greenish-beige or pearl gray for showing, so if you can buy only one pair, buy one of those colors. If you can buy more, then also consider a dark color for variety. Hint: Because arena dust is some form of sand-colored, the light colored breeches show dirt less than the darker ones do. But a heavy child might like the slimming effect of the darker color until he or she loses weight—which riding will help with. Riding itself will help any child’s self-esteem; making sure they look as good as possible while learning will help, too. You can also get schooling tights, sometimes with wild stripes down the side of the leg, and those, too, are appropriate if the school allows them, as long as they have the proper knee patches.

Paddock boots

These are boots that lace up above the ankle. They often have steel, or at least hardened, toes. And the heel height is the proper one for riding English. Many young riders start wearing hiking boots or some sort of fashion boot, but that is really not acceptable after the first one or two lessons and the student is beginning to learn to post the trot.

Most barns frown on sneakers of any sort, as they should. (Some prohibit their use outright.) Why? First, the foot can slide through the stirrup iron, which could be painful, or even dangerous if the horse acted up. Second, they offer no protection if a horse misplaces a foot while you’re working on the ground, and steps on yours. Third, because they are so soft, the placid school horse may not even recognize it as a request to move when a junior rider applies them to his sides, making the rider’s job much harder than it needs to be. In short, the hard leather and sole of a real boot is something the horse can easily feel and respond to.)

Paddock boots come in two styles, lace-up and zip-up. The zip-up style is also known as a jockey boot, and not a good choice for a junior rider for several reasons. First, they are not proper for showing. Second, they have elastic gussets on the sides, making it hard to get a snug—not tight, just snug—fit at the top to protect the ankle and offer support.

When you buy the boots, buy a leather conditioner, as well. Before the first wearing, rub it all over the boot, with extra at the ankle area. Also rub some INSIDE the boot at the ankle area. Although the boots need to fit snugly and stay tied, they also have to be quite flexible at the ankle because English riding requires a foot position in which the toe is higher than the heel, and while the boots should support and protect, they should not restrain. My personal favorite conditioner is Horseman’s One-Step; it both cleans the leather and conditions it in one application, and it’s inexpensive. (You’ll pay six or seven dollars for a tub that will last until the child begins jumping, very likely.)

Gloves

It is good to ride sometimes without gloves because it is easier to develop a feel for the horse that way. But junior riders, particularly, sometimes have such tender hands that every time the horse moves his head, it causes friction that hurts the little hands. And in winter, of course, gloves are necessary in temperate zones. In horse shows, while gloves are not required, they are expected and when a judge must make a close decision, the rider who is better dressed, right down to the gloves, will probably get the ribbon. (In hunter, hunter-jumper and jumper competition, the winning rider/horse gets a blue ribbon, the second-place a red ribbon, and down through several more colors, usually to sixth place, although some very large shows ‘pin’ eight or even ten places. In the English riding world, winning is called “pinning.”)

Winter outerwear

Contrary to popular belief, riding is a sport and a physically demanding one at that. If a rider is on a lazy horse, it’s sort of like being on a nautilus machine for the entire body for an hour. So riders can work up a sweat, even in frigid weather. Therefore, when buying outerwear (and indeed underwear) for winter in temperate zones, buy layers. Silk long-john pants and silk t-shirts are great for really cold weather and are less bulky than regular thermals, although those will do. Silk glove liners are also handy. Then a heavy sweatshirt is a must-have. Many barns have logo shirts made up, and those are nice to have; kids especially like wearing them when they’re not riding, so others know they do ride. Then a down vest is a nice investment; often a jacket is not needed, but, especially at the beginning of the ride, the torso often wants a little more weatherproofing. And vests are easy to shed in that weather between seasons. They are also easy to wear under a short jacket (which should end at or just below the waist; it should not come down under the buttocks and that will interfere with position and safety. Barns often have logo jackets made up, also, which riders can buy. Often, those jackets have great zippered pockets to keep a few tissues in, or a couple of bite-size wrapped chocolates, or, for adults, the car keys.)

Finally, there are the rider’s exposed ears to consider; helmets do not come down over the ears, so what can you do? Tack shops sell ear protectors that either fit onto the straps of the helmet, or sit on the head in such a way that they do not interfere with the fit of the helmet. In a pinch, a knitted all-purpose ear protector/headband will do. Just be sure it doesn’t force the helmet out of position.

Warm weather tops

No bandeau tops, no tiny little t-shirts, no fluffy tops, no tops with rattling things. The first two would cause serious ‘road rash’ on tender parts should the rider happen to fall off; the second two might spook a horse and cause a rider to fall off.

Proper summer tops include: regular t-shirts, polo shirts with short sleeves, ironed shirts with short sleeves and sleeveless polo shirts (NOT sleeveless t-shirts, or ‘muscle’ shirts.) Tank tops are sometimes acceptable in really hot climates, as long as they are not too low-cut, have low-cut armholes or too-skinny straps.

Save the tanks and sleeveless polos for really, really hot weather. And never wear them, even when schooling—that is, practicing—at a horse show. (Some barns will not permit tank tops at any time for any reason, so inquire.) The aim in riding English is not only to ride well and safely, but also to look as if you do, and that means being conservative. A plain polo shirt is preferred, for example, to a loud t-shirt. But for lessons, either will do. When a child begins showing, he or she will need a proper buttoned shirt and jacket anyway.

Scrunchies

I know a trainer that won’t let anyone who looks like Lady Godiva—who enters the ring with long, flowing hair—ride until she puts the hair up in a hairnet under her helmet, or secures it with a scrunchie. Part of the reason is the look. (Remember, if you look like a rider, you’re more likely to act like a rider. And the more you ‘act as if,’ the quicker you’re going to become what you desire to be.) But it is also safety; it can be a major interference to have wisps of hair stinging you in the eyes, or to have to reach up and take a strand or two out of your mouth. And there’s this: to horses, blonde hair often looks like hay, and they sometimes actually try to nibble it!

So secure your hair in a scrunchie, just below the bottom edge of the back of your helmet. Or, French braid your hair; that usually lies flat enough not to interfere with the fit of the helmet, and the bow at the bottom looks nice, too. Most female junior riders with long hair do braid it for the first few shows, with a nice bow lying flat against the back of their jacket. As they get older, they sometimes put it into a net caught with a bow just below the back edge of the helmet, and that, too, looks very elegant and neat. (Adult female riders with all but the shortest hair must put their hair up into a hair net and tuck it all into the helmet when they show a horse.)

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