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time
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Underpants. Decades of riding and I still have not found the perfect underwear that don’t show. Sometimes I wear small men’s boxer briefs, and others I wear a thong. Of course the thong looks better but I am forever haunted by the time I had one shift weirdly and caused quite an injury to my lady parts…
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Yes. Time.
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Consistent sizing info, in inches. I suppose you can call it whatever you want, but PLEASE at least give me a chart to reference, in inches!
All clothing companies play games with sizing names because they think sales will increase if we think we are thinner. I wish they wouldn’t. No one is going to fool me about how fat I may or may not be. Calling my size a 10, 11, 12 or whatever, instead of a 16 or whatever, to get a sale is just an insulting lie.
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- What is the hardest thing about being an equestrian?
I was going to say “The Ground” and be witty, but I’ll be serious instead. Plus someone already said that I saw. 
The hardest part for me is feeling like I’m not progressing, and everyone around me is doing so much better.
- What is the hardest thing about finding riding apparel?
I’m 4’ 11" and 70 pounds, (very petite for a 14-year-old – Hopefully I get my growth spurt soon!) and all the stuff my size is either jods or tights. I’ve ordered some pipers by smartpak, a lot of people told me they’re good for tiny people like me – And they come in nice looking colors, so I was excited to go away from tan.
But nope, they’re saggy in the bum. Breeches for me are tough to find.
Don’t even talk about tall boots, it took me forever to find mine. I can’t have nice, grown-up looking stuff that everyone else has. I have to look like a 9-year-old, while everyone else looks nice. It’s frustrating!
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1 - distance. Lessons/trainer are 2 1/2 hrs away, lameness specialist 6 hrs away, farrier 2 hrs away. Everything takes careful planning and most of a day for hauling… and shows are 2-6 hrs from home. Before kiddos I didn’t mind the travel, but it’s almost impossible at this point to pursue any competitive goals due to geography.
2 - inconsistent sizing. Once I’m familiar with a brand it’s easier to order a size that will likely fit, but I’ve used measurement charts for show jackets with really bad results (sizes off), and I would never order boots online without being fit for then before hand.
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Expense. I have a wonderfully talented horse. I am unfortunately not a good enough rider for her. To progress, I really should be riding schoolmasters but my horse budget is only so great.
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Not having stuff in local stores. It’s such a pain to order stuff, try it on, and have to return it. Also I hate paying for shipping.
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Thanks, everyone for your help and insight!
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time and money - This is one of those hobbies/sports that literally expands its hole as you fill it. So no matter how much time or money you seem to put in, there is always room for more. But maybe that’s also part of the joy of it all too.
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I outlined all my issues already in your other post - for me, the hardest thing is finding anything locally. Since discovering online stores, now the hardest part is finding boots that fit me. Since I have to resort to men’s sizes for my boots because nobody does a size 12, I don’t get to play with the more fun options, and I’m limited to really cheap or really expensive products. It would be nice to see a more serious market for equestrians in the US like they have in Europe. But I think a lot of that is just culture and will likely never change.
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The ground. (Also, it’s fricking expensive.)
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Finding something that fits comfortably and will last without being so expensive I reserve it for the “show-only” collection. Theoretically I shouldn’t have any trouble because I’m not super tall or super short and don’t need a plus size option. The reality is I’ve been wearing the same 6 pairs of riding pants for 10+ years because they’re the only ones that fit me well. I’ve tried to add to my collection but keep having issues. They give me rubs, I have to pull them up or down constantly, or they fit okay but feel cheap and thin so I worry about every little thing tearing them or staining them.
I would love an equestrian version of Stitch Fix. Let me select what type of riding clothes I’d like to try on, put in my measurements, select a price range, and you send me 6 pairs to try. I would literally buy anything and everything that fit and gladly pay shipping to send everything else back. My local riding shops don’t carry enough variety, plus trying on clothes in a tack shop is even worse than going to a department store. They need that floor space for all the displays so there’s a single, poorly lit room that half the time only has a curtain for a door.
I realize the equestrian world probably lacks the $$$ for a start up like this to get going, but I can dream. I know, I can use Smartpak, or any other store that will take returns, but a place literally built around trying things on and returning everything would relieve my inner guilt at “using” them improperly.
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It’s really interesting to me that both on this thread and on the plus-sized thread, the leading cause of irritation about clothing is fit.
Who are these magical people that the companies think are wearing their clothes??
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I think it just shows what companies are up against, because there are few standard people, we are all wonderfully eccentric in our own ways. Making clothes that fit women with muscles would be a good start point though. Also maybe keeping in mind the more mature rider, who has curves, and wants to cover up, and hold it in, maybe those with the most disposable income.
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No, we all are not standard, but if they gave us accurate, standard sizing, that stays the same, we would be able to find what fits us. But they keep playing size games with us! A 12 here, is not a 12 there, and won’t be the same 12 tomorrow!
I may find -a piece of clothing- that fits, but I never have surety that another, ostensibly the same, will be fitting the same way. It’s all a Cr@p Shoot!
And there’s way too much thin, cheap stuff out there, not just in riding cloths, but in general. Some of the fabrics I see are so thin it seems indecent. And they don’t last.
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This is very true! 
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