Winter? how do you stay warm in the saddle?

[_Teddy]

Hey guys! looking for recomendations on the warmest winter gloves, breeches, socks etc…

I need some nice warm stuff when It gets cold I hurt more and get extremely stiff(which doesnt help my riding)

What do you recommend/wear to keep warm?

I would love to be warm and not worry about being soo stiff I can’t bend over or flex.

Thanks!

[cadriver]

Well I can’t say it gets to cold here on the Central Coast of California… Which is one reason I live here no mud or ice to deal with. But I do drive in the evenings after work. Since I am paralyzed and have no circulation in my legs they get very cold and then the cold sinks in once I stop driving and go inside, very hard to warm my legs back up. I tend to wear those polar fleece stretch pants, you can get them in riding pants also, but I get the ones from Cabella’s. I need pants that can handle transfering from chair to carriage etc. And nothing to bulky.

Diane Kastama

[leslie645]

http://www.brookstone.com/catalogservlet?categoryId=207361&productId=8391937&bkiid=categoryLandingPage_Outdoor_Living_Cold_Weather_Gear|C4CategoryProdList1FDT|8391937

[leslie645]

ooops bad link
Anyways its Brookstones heated, windproof, water resistant jacket.

[sayyadina]

I’m in Maine, and it got down to around -20F here last winter. We’ve been in the 30s at night for most of October, and 1 night in September as well. We also got our first snow/ice storm on October 18.

I have a pair of Carhartt coveralls that I wear for farm chores, and a pair of Sorel boots.

I also love Patagonia’s Capilene long underwear. When its really cold I wear Capilene 3 under Capilene 4, which are the 2 warmest, and it does help. I also have fleece pants and jackets, from Patagonia & LL Bean. And I have a down jacket from Patagonia and down vest from North Face.

I just got myself some new gloves & liners, which I hope will keep me warm. Also, socks, gloves, hats & scarves made from alpaca fiber are wonderfully warm & soft.

I’ve heard that Mountain Horse’s Polar riding pants are good, and I’m planning on getting a pair this winter.

One pair of glove liners I have is Thermasilk, which is made by Terramar.

Another thing that helps me get through the winter is hot epson salt baths.

Will probably find out more soon about how this will work for me.

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

I LAYER.

Tuffriders coolmax long underwear - thin, fits well under layers. Then breeches (and I progress to fleece, and then fleece lined, and if necessary cover over that as well!) And turtleneck, polartec pullover & jacket. Balaclava under the helmet, and polarfleece gloves.

When I get home I hop in a hot shower and make a running leap for under the covers.

[Tiffany01]

Ride Bareback

[Simkie]

I have Raynaud’s, so staying warm is important and I get very cold very easily.

I have not found ANYTHING better than Patagonia R1 fleece. It’s a “technical” fleece that you either wear as your base layer or on top of your long underwear. It is AMAZING, and I’ve not found anything to equal it.

It can be costly if you buy new, but it shows up on ebay regularly. No fabric softener and it can’t go in the dryer.

[cadriver]

You guys make me cold just thinking about what you have to wear!! I will no longer call 38 cold… I have no idea how you even move with all those layers.

Diane Kastama
Arroyo Grande, CA

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

I do look (and ride) like the Michelin Man.

[_Teddy]

Thanks! I will look up those products!

Im currentlky looking for a jacket I can ride and wear regularly so fitted.

Bareback wouldnt work well on a high withered warmblood:lol:

[Invite]

Major layers

I love Under Armour for my first layer. It keeps me snug and sweat free…as if I would be sweating!
LL Bean Polar Fleece is fantastic. You need the thick stuff, not the lightweight.
My Mountain Horse jacket is very warm. I am one of the coldest people around (temperature, not personality) and I sometimes have to take it off while riding.
SSG Rancher gloves with the lining have been my favorites so far. I also like the SSG Mane Event gloves, but I think the Ranchers win.
I wear one of those ugly fleece covers over my helmet…they do actually work.
Winter riding boots along with those little warming packets you put under your toes. I cannot feel my feet getting cold so I have to be extra careful b/c of frostbite.
Polar fleece neck warmer
When it is super cold, I do not ride. My body has trouble regulating its temperature and I will sometimes get colder than I should or get overheated without realizing…it is rather messed up!

[whicker]

Invite’s puppy is getting bigger and more rambunctious by the day. He is on stall rest after a bit of surgery on his private parts and has to be “quiet”. I hope that Invite survives the week of enforced “calm” puppy tornado. It sounds like he is getting literary, though…

[whicker]

gerbing medical heated clothes

Gerbing will custom make battery heated clothing, if you don’t see what you want. It may be covered as a medical device, too. They have done clothes for the Iditarod and for the military in afganistan. They are suppose to be easy and empathetic to design with.

http://www.gerbing.com/Medical/

I just got one of their vests for the Paulien Albers disabled riders clinic in Maine this week. The vest was very well cut for riding, with stretch panels to give a svelte appearance over my layers and under a parka. I forgot I had it on, because it worked so well. It was a toasty 40 degrees F in the indoor. Outside was rain and wind. I rode in a hot chillies turtleneck base layer, a mountain hardware fleece pullover, and the vest. I actually got hot, but then I was working hard, too. I didn’t need to turn the vest heat on. It does a great job with wind, breathing, and rain. The pockets are big enough and there are many.

They make pants, too. Now we should whine to get riding breeches and pants. Cadriver, You should check these out for driving. I think you will like them.

[Capilet]

I layer too. My legs/feet FREEZE in the winter.

-Wicking baselayer from outdoor gear shops (weight depending on temp)
-SMARTWOOL socks, I haven’t found better yet and I’ve tried a bunch
-a windproof earband, that fits under my helmet (mine is Kerrits)
-Muck Co Brit Middie boots–insulated, comfy and easy to put on

I also use a quarter sheet I can velcro around me and my horse, which helps more than I thought it ever would!

[_Teddy]

I just won a pair off tropical rider toasties on ebay for a 1/4 of retail! Im looking foreward to trying them!

I havent found a coat/boots I can ride in that really keep me warm, for now I layer my top half and switch to my riding boots when im ready to ride…

Natalie A- I havent tried the thermal chaps buyt they look warm, I have a larger/short calf so my boot/chap options are very limited

[_Teddy]

Looks like im almost set! only thing im missing is good socks!

Toaties pants should be here soon
got that fleece helmet cover(19$? really?)
got some kerrits winter gloves(only ones made small and thin enough…and ended up 40$ eek
Elations winter jacket that has gussets so I can ride in it(that was another ding to my wallet but a new winter jacket was non debatable I neeeded it, and even better can ride in it and fit in a small!)

and a wool 1/4 sheet but that wasnt for me lol

I figured being warm was worth the ding to my wallet

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

Rick’s Heritage Saddlery is having free shipping over $50, 20% off and they have Ariat warm overpants/breeches on sale for $29.99.

[Nanerpus]

[QUOTE=Simkie;4464077]
I have Raynaud’s, so staying warm is important and I get very cold very easily.

I have not found ANYTHING better than Patagonia R1 fleece. It’s a “technical” fleece that you either wear as your base layer or on top of your long underwear. It is AMAZING, and I’ve not found anything to equal it.

It can be costly if you buy new, but it shows up on ebay regularly. No fabric softener and it can’t go in the dryer.[/QUOTE]

I"m with you on this one. Once my fingers start to tingle and feel like they are going “out” (or my toes) I’m like uh-oh.

So I keep those hand and toes warmers companies in business, and prepare myself by putting them in my riding boots and my mittens before I head out to the barn. You can buy them in bulk at Walmart.

[Lori]

I layer.
Depending on the cold, I start with either regular or expedition weight underwear (Campmor.com)
Iridion winter breeches
Sock liners (Campmor again) and cotton or wool socks on top.
Ariat frost or ice paddocks
wool sweater
Coat depends on how cold, but the warmest is my snowmobile jacket.
I have different weight winter gloves, but prefer the lightest as my fingers are too imobilized in the heavier ones.

My Stabilizer XTR lets off heat from the pony to me, so this is the first saddle I have had that I actually use in the winter. Otherwise, I just use a bareback pad and the heat of the pony helps to keep me warm.