WINTER CLOTHNG.
WHEN THE
NorthWind BLOWS...
HELEN TRIGGS TAKES A LIGHTHEARTED LOOK AT HOW TO KEEP WARM AND DRY THIS WINTER AND COMES UP WITH SOME USEFUL TIPS ON THE LATEST TRENDS.
A
t some time this winter you are going to be wet and cold and probably both. Much as we love our horses, it’s no fun to be riding outside in the rain or even in the indoor school which turns into a refrigerator as soon as the temperature drops. Sometimes just chucking another Jack Russell on your lap while sitting down and teaching isn’t the answer. It might be time to evaluate your wardrobe and add a few carefully chosen items to keep you toasty when the temperature drops. The body loses heat through conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation. So if you sit on a cold surface you will get cold. Put a cushion on your seat if you are teaching in the cold! Wind or water strips away the microclimate of warm air that’s next to your skin so choose wind-resistant clothing. Cover your skin so that the heat which radiates from your body is trapped by your clothes. Wear an appropriate layer of clothing so that you keep warm without sweating profusely, so you don’t lose heat through evaporation. Equestrian clothing manufacturers produce a wide range of different winter items which are designed specifically with riding or yard work in mind. While you have the option of popping into Primark or your local outdoor store for something cheap, their clothes don’t have the specific elements which make equestrian-designed garments more practical or comfortable – like extended linings on the cuff s to keep the hands warm, fl at seams to prevent chafi ng, elasticated foot stirrups on leggings etc. It’s not true you lose half your body heat from your head. But this does not mean a head cover is a bad idea and noses and ears can be very sensitive to cold and even prone to chilblains. You could try an Equetech hat liner which covers the ears and neck, and shoulder areas. LEFT: A LONG WATERPROOF COAT CAN BE A GREAT BUY IF YOU ARE OUT AND ABOUT IN ALL WEATHERS. BUT CHECK THE WATERPROOFING OF A PROSPECTIVE PURCHASE. THIS LOIRE LONG RIDING COAT FROM LEMIEUX USES WATERPROOF MATERIAL WITH A HYDROSTATIC HEAD TEST RATING OF 8000MM AND A MOISTURE VAPOUR PERMEABILITY (MVP) RATING OF 3000MVPA, ALONG WITH THE TAPED SEAMS, DOUBLE FRONT CLOSURE AND WATERPROOF SEALED POCKET ZIPS .
