Equestrian At Hart Blog Hop: Equestrian wardrobe

L. Williams' graphics are the best.

Hillary of Equestrian At Hart has taken up the blog hop mantle, and I am thrilled. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know fellow horse bloggers through these things. Plus, it never hurts to have a topic to write about (or an excuse to put a tacked up dinosaur logo on the blog). 

Hillary asks: I want to know about what you ride in and why? 

My winter equestrian wardrobe is a good deal more stylish and interesting than my summer one. In the summer, my primary objective is to not have a heat stroke while I'm at the barn.

Ariat field boots, Falcon Northwest hat, Dublin breeches,
Adidas Climalite socks, AriatTek polo

Ariat field boots, Polo hat, OnCourse breeches, AriatTek
polo

Ariat field boots, Polo hat, OnCourse breeches, Oil Capital
of the World tee from Boomtown Tees

Ariat field boots, Safeguard hat, Dublin breeches, Old Navy
tee

As you can see, I always wear field boots and breeches when I ride, even when it's painfully hot out. Why? Years ago, I begged my parents for a pair of half chaps because I was young and thought they were super cool. I received a beautiful pair of Ariat half chaps for Christmas and spent many enjoyable hours riding my horses in them. Then I went to the first show of the spring, and my lower leg slid all over the place because my boots didn't have the wonderfully grippy suede that my half chaps did. I was terribly uncomfortable, and from that day forward I swore I'd school in the same things I'd show in.

I'm also really into hats. The disgusting, faded Polo cap is my favorite by far; I have at least two dozen others that I wear sparingly. I try to match my hat to the rest of my outfit. Wearing a hat catches a lot of sweat and keeps the sun out of my face. I wear a helmet when I ride, but you'll find me in a hat if I'm not on a horse.

As for shirts, I like technical fabrics, so I'll frequently borrow Nike DriFit shirts from my running gear. The AriatTek polos are fantastic- lightweight, flattering, and comfortable. I snagged these two from Tack of the Day about a year ago.

The Adidas Climalite socks are excellent; they're on the thick side, but keep your feet dry and cool through even the longest, hottest days at the barn. I also like the Tredstep Pure UltraCool socks, which are thinner than the Adidas.

And, of course, I can't write about what I wear to the barn without mentioning my faithful sunglasses and Croakies.

These are a cheap pair of aviators from Buckle. I've managed to keep up with them for a whole year thanks to the Croakies. I never lose them, because they're around my neck. I never sit on them. I never put them somewhere a horse can step on them. Plus, I always look super freaking cool. And that's what's really important, right?!