Thank you everyone for your helpful replies!!! I am going to go ahead and try out the TS shirts as well as check out some local sport stores for their “sunshield” versions that many of you have mentioned. 
I have the Dover shirt with IceFil. I was definitely skeptical as I tan and sweat easily. I’ve worn it in 70-80 and 80-90 weather and I have to say, I like it. Especially to protect my skin. I don’t think I feel any cooler while actually riding, but where I notice the big difference is in cooling down. Once I stop riding, the cooling effect is almost instant. It’s awesome! They also dry really fast so if you get wet hosing a horse off or whatever, the shirt will be almost completely dry 5 minutes later. I will definitely be buying more this year. The only downside I see is the white shirts are fairly easy to see through and since I can only find my fav sports bra in white, I won’t be wearing those unless it’s under a show coat.
I have both the Kastel and Tailored Sportsman and am hooked after thinking there is absolutely no way I’d want to wear long sleeves in summer.
Now I want to get a few more, but was wondering if the white or light colored mesh will get pit stains over time. Especially with the multi colors, which I love btw, it would be impossible to use bleach, which I am not sure whether it is even recommended with these fabrics. I would just be sadly disappointed to invest in these $$ for everyday wear to have them stained… Please, if the manufacturers see this thread, I’d love some khaki or more tan plus a contrasting color type options so when my horse sneezes all over me its not that obvious!
The Ariats have the white mesh underarms and I have yet to see any yellowing after one summer of wearing pretty consistently. I just wash often and with Oxiclean 
I have an EIS shirt. I am small, everything runs big on me and the EIS was the only one that fit me.
I personally ride in water shirts from Coolibar. I think that whenever something is sold as exclusively “equestrian”, the price goes up even if the quality does not.
Coolibar is pretty cool-- as you sweat, the fabric wicks it away from your body but also cools you. It’s also made to be soaked in water before you go out and ride-- which saved me when I used to live in S. Florida. It is also SPF 50.
It also comes in alot of colors/designs: http://www.coolibar.com/category/UV-Swimwear/Womens/pc/2223/2279.uts
I personally wear these: http://www.coolibar.com/product/UV-Swimwear/Womens/Long-Sleeve-Tops/Womens-Water-Jacket/pc/2223/c/2279/sc/2209/155524.uts
I like them because they are versatile. You can wear them to the beach; sitting on a boat; etc. It doesn’t have to be JUST for horseback riding.
I just ordered a bunch of these
http://www.bette-court.com/swing-cool-elements-1/
These are the original mesh shirts and I think they are cut more generous then the eis shirts.
These are not exclusive to horses golfer where too!
I love these!
I rode in the Smartpak Sunshield and I loved it! Kept me cool enough in 75 degrees and sunny, and most importantly kept me dry! I also tried a shirt from Uniqlo’s airism line. I don’t believe they have any sun protection but it kept very cool and dry in similar weather. At $13 a piece they are worth a shot.
[QUOTE=sweetpea;7586168]
http://www.bette-court.com/swing-cool-elements-1/
These are the original mesh shirts and I think they are cut more generous then the eis shirts.
These are not exclusive to horses golfer where too!
I love these![/QUOTE]
Thanks for sharing!! those are super cute! maybe I will try one next time!
Sale code for Coolibar (free shipping + save 10%) MEM10W
I just ordered a couple of the long sleeve 3/4 zip tops.
[QUOTE=Tudor;7585970]
I personally ride in water shirts from Coolibar. I think that whenever something is sold as exclusively “equestrian”, the price goes up even if the quality does not.
Coolibar is pretty cool-- as you sweat, the fabric wicks it away from your body but also cools you. It’s also made to be soaked in water before you go out and ride-- which saved me when I used to live in S. Florida. It is also SPF 50.
It also comes in alot of colors/designs: http://www.coolibar.com/category/UV-Swimwear/Womens/pc/2223/2279.uts
I personally wear these: http://www.coolibar.com/product/UV-Swimwear/Womens/Long-Sleeve-Tops/Womens-Water-Jacket/pc/2223/c/2279/sc/2209/155524.uts
I like them because they are versatile. You can wear them to the beach; sitting on a boat; etc. It doesn’t have to be JUST for horseback riding.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=sweetpea;7586168]
http://www.bette-court.com/swing-cool-elements-1/
These are the original mesh shirts and I think they are cut more generous then the eis shirts.
These are not exclusive to horses golfer where too!
I love these![/QUOTE]
I just ordered two today - One in Crimson in one in Jade! Can’t wait to try them out. I bought them off Essex Golf, as they have a 10% off of them and free shipping over $100.
I got the ones with a polo collar on them. I like them more than the turtle-necky zip up ones. Just looks a little more tidy to me. I wear an equivisor + sunscreen on my neck, so I am not too concerned having it exposed.
I love the Bette & Court shirts too! Thanks karasha for the 10% coupon tip
The Ariat sun shirts are too long on me. I have some Under Armour, Columbia icefil, and Athleta shirts I like too, but I think the Bette & Court shirts are cooler.
I love them! I have the Tailored Sportsman one, in navy, and a couple of the Dover cool blast shirts and they are amazing. I actually show in them as well and they seem to be very popular at the show I was just at for the jumpers. They really do keep you cool.
The only negative I have found about the two types is that I had to go up a size so they were long enough to tuck in. It may just be me, but the right size seemed a bit short as it was and I was worried after I washed them if they might shrink. I never put them in the dryer because of it so not sure they would.
This thread is great! Another question: Which of these are the best at hiding sweat? I get major chest/cleavage sweat and after riding in my pink Ariat sun stopper shirt the other day had a wet mark right over my boobs :eek:! Plus, it was mid-80’s and I didn’t notice the Ariat shirt being any cooler than the polos I usually ride in. Gonna have to try some of the other brands mentioned…
[QUOTE=SugarCubes;7590306]
This thread is great! Another question: Which of these are the best at hiding sweat? I get major chest/cleavage sweat and after riding in my pink Ariat sun stopper shirt the other day had a wet mark right over my boobs :eek:! Plus, it was mid-80’s and I didn’t notice the Ariat shirt being any cooler than the polos I usually ride in. Gonna have to try some of the other brands mentioned…[/QUOTE]
I would like to know this too. I wore a Bette & Court swing shirt doing some gardening last year. I sweat like a beast, and that shirt sure showed it all (it was a periwinkle blue)! However, as mentioned above, it did dry quickly and I did feel a bit cooler.
This is the reason I usually stick to dark colored normal shirts, I’m wondering if the same holds true with the sunshirts
I bought one of the ex officio shirts thanks to testimonials here, and I now have four of them. Super comfortable and practical.
I love my sunshirts! I just ordered one from Dover so I’m excited to add it to my reviews of them on my blog (http://dressageaholic.com/2013/08/27/my-new-best-friend-sunshirts/). I haven’t seen any from the Wellington Extreme Air line but I liked them much better than my EIS one (more expensive and tighter fitting). Does anyone know where I can get them?
The quality of the air extreme is not good enough ,
Stick to eis or swing I have the air extreme and do not prefer
I just bought two of these.
For less than $35! Roomy fit and long enough to tuck in breeches.
I am a giant (6 foot, broad shoulders, long arms, slim torso) so was very skeptical that any of these shirts were going to work for me. I tried on the Ariat, Riding Sport and Ovation models without any success (too short/boxy in both arms and sleeves) and resigned myself to farmer’s tans all summer.
Then I was at a show this weekend and was absolutely dying in my polo (not to mention getting an awful sunburn despite repeated applications of sunscreen!) I ducked into the tack truck to see if they had any sun shirts and was strong-armed into trying the Tailored Sportsman Icefil in an XS. I was very skeptical, being that I had just tried on the medium at Dover and found it baggy and much too short in the arms and torso, but the XS fit like a glove! They really have a lot of give to them and are meant to be worn tighter - the shoulders, torso and sleeves all gave and the sleeves were actually almost too long for me, which is a first in my life.
So, PSA: I think some of these shirts actually work better if you size down, not up.
As for how cool I stayed, it admittedly wasn’t the hottest day (75-80 degrees with full sun) and I got a little warm standing in direct sun but I didn’t feel my skin searing like a piece of meat plus the wicking/ventilation really helped me stay dry so I didn’t get all humid from my own sweat. :eek:
I mainly got mine so my translucent Irish skin wouldn’t burn to a crisp and for that alone I adore it. I will definitely be purchasing more.
