Breech Design

[ScarlettTrinity]

Hi All,

This might be a dumb question but everyone I’ve asked so far doesn’t have an answer for me so I thought I’d pop in here.

Why do adult breeches, especially show breeches, extend the gripping material to halfway down the rider’s calf when it will be in a tall boot? I understand with full seats providing extra grip if someone was riding in say, paddock boots, but it doesn’t really apply to show clothes. I’m guessing it’s something historical that never changed? And I completely understand it in kids breeches because they are usually not in tall boots and need all the extra grip they can get but that doesn’t hold true for adults who ride in tall boots. Even with the knee patch breeches, half the patch is in the tall boot.

Thoughts?

[Posting_Trot]

It might be that having at least some of the patch within the boot means that the fabric is less likely to hike up as you ride–the patch “grips” the inside of the boot or half chap and keeps the pant-leg in place.

I have long legs, though, and I often find that it’s only the very last half-inch of the patch is inside the half chap, so the design might just be a way of accommodating different leg lengths.

[ScarlettTrinity]

Do you think grip inside the boot really helps? I’ve never worn jeans or leggins and tall boots so I can’t answer that personally. I just think if you’re going for grip, why not extend all the way down instead?

With your long legs, do you feel like the knee patches are too short? I’ve seen some breeches that aren’t full seat but are extended knee patch. Just wondering.

[Posting_Trot]

I used to ride in jeans and tall boots, and I did sometimes have the problem of the jeans material on the leg getting twisted and hiking up a bit. I’d guess (really) that the problem has as much to do with the relative loose-ness of jeans as with a lack of a patch. But I’m guessing that even with the stretchy fabrics and gripper bottoms, the patch provides a little more grip to prevent the rucking up of the leg fabric.

I think for me and being tall, the problem isn’t so much that the patch isn’t long enough as it is that the legs of the breeches aren’t long enough. Even with “long” breeches (and not every manufacturer makes them), there’s a lot of variation between brands and sometimes within brands over how long that is.

[TC3200]

Even weirder is the saddleseat jods with the suede patches that start mid thigh and go down to mid calf or close to the ankle. Saddleseat riders carry their lower leg out away from the saddle and horse. The seat down to the knee is where traction is required. lol

[SecondInCommand]

I’m in the same boat as Posting Trot - I’m pretty tall, and the patch on some breeches clearly was designed for someone shorter than me. I have a pair of knee patch breeches that I won where the patch ends above my tall boot, which creates a nice little pinch in the right circumstances.