Outerwear for riders – FAQs

1. From which cup size do I need a sports bra when riding?

2. How often should I wash my riding sports bra?

3. Can I also wear my normal underwear when riding?

4. Which riding outerwear is suitable for heavy sweating?

5. Which material is best suited for riders who suffer from allergies or neurodermatitis?

6. Can I use my everyday jumper for riding?

7. How do I care for my functional riding top?

8. How can I tell if my functional top is suitable for riding in winter?

9. Why do I sweat in my fleece jacket when I’m riding, even though it’s supposed to be so breathable?

10. What is the difference between knitted fleece, sherpa fleece, teddy fleece and normal fleece?

11. Which riding jacket is best suited for winter?

12. What is the difference between soft shell and hard shell?

13. I would like to avoid down in my riding jacket but still have a warm jacket for the yard. What alternatives are there?

1. From which cup size do I need a sports bra when riding?

The female breast is only equipped with a small amount of supporting muscle tissue, which means that additional textile support is necessary to protect the breast from the smallest injuries to the tissue during intense exercise. With a well-fitting sports bra, the breast is compressed and is no longer at the mercy of the up and down movements that damage the tissue. Wearing a sports bra also has an effect on athletic performance thanks to the improved wearing comfort. It doesn’t matter whether you have an A-cup or a D-cup. While a sports bra without underwiring can be a good choice for smaller cups up to B for intensive training sessions, you should opt for a sports bra with underwiring for cup sizes C and above, as it encloses the breast better. You can find out what else you should look out for when buying a sports bra in our guide.

2. How often should I wash my riding sports bra?

Ideally, you should wash your sports bra after every wear, especially if you have sweated a lot. Where body heat meets sweat, bacteria and sometimes even fungal spores are not far away. The underwear you wear when riding is therefore at the forefront when it comes to the risk of skin infections. Frequent washing therefore prevents the formation of a bacterial environment in the underwear.

3. Can I also wear my normal underwear when riding?

Most people wear cotton or lace underwear in everyday life. However, both variants are rather unsuitable for use in the saddle. Although cotton is skin-friendly and comfortable to wear, its breathability leaves a lot to be desired. Cotton absorbs sweat rather than wicking it away from the body and allowing it to evaporate, which can lead to an unpleasant feeling of wetness. Lace underwear, on the other hand, is usually made from breathable synthetic fibres, but detailed lace trims can rub against the body and cause sore patches of skin. It is therefore essential to wear functional sports underwear that has as few seams as possible and guarantees optimum breathability.

4. Which riding outerwear is suitable for heavy sweating?

Synthetic fibres are often not recommended for everyday wear for people who tend to sweat a lot. In a sporting context, however, cotton tops should be avoided if you sweat a lot. Cotton absorbs sweat and dries very slowly. Riding tops then become wet and feel heavy on the skin. Synthetic fibres such as polyester or viscose are actually more suitable for high levels of physical exertion, as they do not absorb moisture, but instead wick it away from the body and allow it to evaporate on the outside. This keeps your skin feeling dry even when you are sweating profusely. One disadvantage: synthetic fibres absorb odours quickly and extreme odour build-up can occur with very heavy sweating. Merino wool riding tops are therefore still the best choice. The wool coat of merino sheep has a natural antibacterial effect and is odourless.

5. Which material is best suited for riders who suffer from allergies or neurodermatitis?

Allergy sufferers and neurodermatitis sufferers often have to contend with sensitive skin that tends to be dry and itchy. In most cases, certain items of clothing and materials, such as synthetic fibres, are not well tolerated. Riders who are prone to sensitive skin should therefore look out for skin-friendly textiles such as cotton. Our TWIN OAKS Bamboo tops are the perfect choice for anyone who doesn’t want to do without the functional properties of their riding tops but is still looking for a skin-friendly item of clothing for equestrian sports. Not only are they highly breathable and quick-drying, they are also hypoallergenic and naturally antibacterial.

6. Can I use my everyday jumpers for riding?

The jumpers and tops you wear in everyday life are usually made of cotton. If you are going for a leisurely walk with your dog or horse or simply doing some groundwork, you can largely do without functional clothing. For intensive training with your horse or if you work up a sweat when working at the yard, you should wear breathable clothing that also dries quickly. Outerwear made of cotton dries very slowly and feel uncomfortably heavy on the skin. Functional tops and other equestrian clothing with functional properties make you feel comfortable – even if you have a high activity level – and protect you from evaporative cooling, which causes your body to cool down more quickly, especially in the colder months.

7. How do I care for my functional riding top?

One of the most important requirements for preserving your riding outerwear is to follow the washing instructions on the label. The care recommendations for each item of clothing differ depending on the material composition and textile properties.

Nevertheless, there are a few basic things to bear in mind when washing riding outerwear:

1. You can’t go wrong with temperatures between 30 and 40°C.
2. Please do not use fabric softener for functional textiles! As this, for example, affects the breathability of the fibres.
3. Wash as little as possible, but as often as necessary. Clothing that is worn directly on the skin should of course be washed after each wear for hygienic reasons. If you have a thick knitted jumper or a fleece jacket, you can wait to wash it as long as the clothing does not smell unpleasant or has not become dirty.
4. Not every item of clothing is dryer-compatible! Wool and knitted jumpers in particular react very sensitively to the heat, can shrink or simply lose so many fibres that the material is no longer as cosy as before. Functional tops and fleece jackets, which dry very quickly anyway due to their properties, should also not be put in the tumble dryer.
5. Before you put your riding clothes in the washing machine, you should make sure you fasten any zips, hook and loop fasteners or press studs so that the material is not damaged by small snags. Top tip: tie a knot at each end so that the drawstrings on hoods don’t slip inside during washing and you have to pull them out again.
6. Use a suitable detergent! Our SHOWMASTER detergent for clothing and breeches is tailored precisely to the needs of riding clothing and preserves the functional properties of the materials so that you can enjoy your riding outfit for as long as possible.

8. How can I recognise that my functional top is suitable for riding in winter?

Did you know that we have functional tops that are especially suitable for use in winter? Many of our long-sleeved functional tops are slightly textured on the inside. The textured fibres create additional „air chambers“ that act as the perfect heat insulator.

FUNCTIONAL TOPS FOR THE WINTER

9. Why do I sweat in my fleece jacket when I’m riding, even though it’s supposed to be so breathable?

You are probably too warm in your fleece jacket when riding. Textiles are only breathable to a certain extent. If you are dressed too warmly, your body will automatically start to sweat. If there is simply too much moisture to wick away, the material will reach its limits and it will remain uncomfortably warm and damp under your jacket. Sometimes it can also be the case that the layers chosen underneath are not breathable enough and heat and moisture build up underneath. The external conditions also play a role – if the humidity is already very high, for example, the water vapour escaping to the outside can no longer be absorbed well. Even at higher temperatures, the removal of sweat no longer works as well.

10. What is the difference between knitted fleece, sherpa fleece, teddy fleece and normal fleece?

There is a wide range of fleece variants that are suitable for different weather conditions depending on the material properties. On the one hand, fleece is divided into different weight classes from 100g to 300g (per sq m). The 100g fleece is also known as summer fleece and has a light and airy quality that is often used for summer jackets and fleece undershirts.

However, the 200g fleece, which has a medium thermal performance, is most commonly used.

The material composition and texture can also be used to adjust individual properties such as thermal performance or wearing comfort.

In our guide, we have already learnt that the higher the pile of the material, the greater the thermal insulation due to the air chambers created. In particular, we can mention the cosy sherpa fleece and teddy fleece, which are often used on cold winter days. In the production of sherpa fleece, particular attention has been paid to a sheepskin-like structure and feel, which makes the garment particularly cosy and soft. Teddy fleece with its long fibres is also pleasantly soft and keeps you warm. The long-pile fleece variants are a real alternative to real fur, which hardly plays a role in the clothing industry any more. Sherpa or teddy fleece jackets also have the advantage of being lightweight.

Knitted fleece jackets, which are basically just a fashionable variation on fleece, are also very popular among riders. They are knitted on the outside and classically textured on the inside. This retains the usual warmth of fleece material and creates a more elegant look on the outside than conventional fleece tops.

11. Which riding jacket is best for winter?

In very cold and challenging weather conditions such as icy wind, snow or rain, the so-called shell layer – the weather protection layer – is the most important layer of riding clothing. This should be adapted to the respective conditions. In winter, your riding jacket should not only provide good warmth and breathability, but also have a waterproof and windproof membrane or coating to reliably protect you from the wet and unpleasant wind. You can find out which riding jackets and coats are available and how to find the best style for you in our riding jacket guide.

12. What is the difference between soft shell and hard shell?

Many riders swear by soft shell jackets. But what does soft shell actually do? It is a garment that largely covers the properties of the mid-layer and shell layer – thus acting as a thermal insulator on the one hand and also serving as a weather protection layer to a certain extent on the other. Soft shell jackets are very breathable, lightweight and therefore very comfortable to wear. They are also windproof and water-repellent, which is perfectly adequate as a shell layer in mild weather with little precipitation.

A hard shell jacket is the classic shell layer as we know it. For equestrian purposes, the jackets are usually windproof and waterproof and therefore offer optimum protection from the wet and cold wind.

13. I would like to avoid down in my riding jacket but still have a warm jacket for the yard. What alternatives are there?

If you want to avoid down as a filling for your riding jacket, you’ve come to the right place at Kramer Equestrian. Padding made from modern synthetic fibres is now just as efficient as down, which used to be popular for warm winter jackets, and even offers the additional advantage of being easier to care for. This is why we have not used real feathers in the production of our riding jackets for years! In our shop you will therefore only find winter riding jackets and coats that are filled with imitation down and therefore do not contain any parts of animal origin!