Safety First! (Attire)

  You may be surprised to hear that there are people who ride their horses without the proper attire. And I don't mean that they are riding without a helmet (though that is important too).

  I figured that I would take advantage of this situation and talk about what you should wear when you are at the stable. That way, you will be ready to deal with most situations without your attire getting in the way.

  In the spirit of working safely with your horse, what you wear around the stable is important. I don't mean this in the way of colour or brand, but in the way of things like the types of clothing and footwear.

Helmets

  Let's get our "love" for helmets out of the way first. I don't think I need to explain how good a helmet is for you if you fall. I also don't think I need to tell you that a helmet also doesn't mean that you are indestructible. However, a proper fitting helmet can save you from serious head injuries resulting from an occasional fall. Also, for those of you who don't want to wear a helmet because they are ugly, I would like to point out that equestrian helmets are a lot more better looking than other helmets used in other sports (that's just my opinion anyway).

Pants

  I have seen many people who decide to either wear pants without any stretch in them or they decide to wear shorts. The reason why we have riding pants is to allow us to move freely, so we can follow the motion of the horse, while still protecting our legs from the saddle. Wearing shorts or tight pants will not allow you to do this. If you don't like wearing riding pants, you can still wear jeans. Just make sure that they have enough stretch in them so that you can move with ease.

Shoes

Working around horses while you are wearing a sandal is just asking for trouble. Your feet need protection when you are close to your favourite horse. We all know that they weigh a lot and that they move their feet when they want to communicate to us or they have too many bugs around them. You don't want your exposed foot to find itself under his hoof. It hurts enough when you are wearing the proper footwear. So make sure you are wearing a shoe or boot that covers your whole foot and that has the proper heel if you are going to ride in them too.

Gloves

  I'm a person who loves to wear gloves when I ride. They allow the rider to have a bit more grip on the reins and prevents them from hurting a little better when you are dealing with a horse that is strong or that likes to pull.

Hair

  If you are someone who has long hair, it is important that it is tied up out of your face when you are working around the stable. As you know, you need to be aware of what is going on around you all the time when you know that horses are around. When your hair is down, it can prevent you from seeing things. Unpredictable things can happen at a stable. You want to make sure that you can see everything around you. 

Jewellery

When it comes to jewellery, you want to keep it at a minimum. You shouldn't be wearing anything that could get caught like dangling earrings, bracelets or necklaces. Remember that, more than likely, you will get dirty so you wouldn't want to be wearing anything of value that could get dirty or lost.

  Finally, remember that you are going to the stable to see your horse, not to show off your new designer shirt. Horses get dirty and no matter how clean the stable is, it will never be dirt free. So wear things that will keep you comfortable, safe and that you don't mind getting dirty. You can always change into your designer brands once you've gone back home.

  So take the time to enjoy your horse and don't let anything you wear prevent you from having the best experience you can with him. Thank you for reading my blog and I wish you all a wonderful weekend.