Winter riding skirts

[La_Chasse]

I have seen several people locally who have riding skirts to wear in cold or foul weather to keep you clean, dry and slightly warmer. They are fleece or flannel on the inside & waterproof or other durable material on the outside. The shape allows you to ride astride, they are below the knee & the waist is Velcro and wraps around you. A lady locally makes them but they are $150.

I was thinking of asking my mom to sew one but she needed a pattern or measurements.

Anyone who can help or know of cheaper options?

[NoSuchPerson]

Laser Equestrian sells a winter riding skirt/quarter sheet, but I googled it and it’s $200.

And, when I googled to find that one, I saw this one:

http://www.happyhorseriders.com/shop-online/riding-apparel/saddle-skirt

Also expensive - $130.

[HannahsMom7]

Suitability used to sell their own patterns and I remember some sort of skirt item
I looked them up and they no longer sell their own patterns but it may be worth it to check them out
http://www.suitability.com/

the skirt you are talking about sounds like your mom could take some measurements from your waist and hips and look for a A line skirt pattern?

or how about trying to find wide trousers/gaucho pants?

good luck!

[Doctracy]

How about using a quarter skirt designed to keep you and horse’s hindquarters warm? Check Dover.

[BeeHoney]

I don’t have any suggestions but I LOVE the idea. The Laser ones are lovely, and the Happy Horse one looks very practical. They don’t look like they should be too hard to make…

[red_mares]

Doesn’t look hard to make, but it looks big enough that it could be expensive to make. Fleece can be found fairly inexpensively, but waterproof fabric is not cheap. A nice codura can run ~$20/yard. I would bet that the one on Happy Horse took 3-4 yard to make. Unless you find some good sales, you’re likely looking at $75 - $100 in parts & fabric.

I’ve done some projects like this (not this exactly); it’s never as cheap as you think it should be.

[La_Chasse]

[QUOTE=red mares;7858196]
Doesn’t look hard to make, but it looks big enough that it could be expensive to make. Fleece can be found fairly inexpensively, but waterproof fabric is not cheap. A nice codura can run ~$20/yard. I would bet that the one on Happy Horse took 3-4 yard to make. Unless you find some good sales, you’re likely looking at $75 - $100 in parts & fabric.

I’ve done some projects like this (not this exactly); it’s never as cheap as you think it should be. :)[/QUOTE]

Too true. I’m not particularly crafty or handy with a sewing machine so any time I have decided to do a project, it always costs me way more than I would have thought. Thanks for telling me costs. Maybe getting one locally will be better after all.

The skirts are basically a big circle skirt, sorta like a poodle skirt from the 50s (way before my time so I could be wrong). The quarter sheets someone mentioned do work but you can’t wear them to tack up and they always seem to get in the way or slide Esp when posting.

I know some people just use a heavy twill (maybe, again I know very little about fabric) as the waterproof fabric is more expensive. Thanks for the suggestions about where to buy online too!

[Ruth0552]

This kinda reminds me of Daenrys riding dress in Game of Thrones:
http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20835154_20706918_21342605,00.html

The style is different from what you were just looking at but I think this could work too.

You might do best cost wise finding a heavy skirt that would suit your purpose and style, and then adding a lining to it.

This might sound odd- but I could see the shell from a discarded horse blanket being suitable for this project.

[MunchingonHay]

[QUOTE=NoSuchPerson;7857646]
Laser Equestrian sells a winter riding skirt/quarter sheet, but I googled it and it’s $200.

And, when I googled to find that one, I saw this one:

http://www.happyhorseriders.com/shop-online/riding-apparel/saddle-skirt

Also expensive - $130.[/QUOTE]

This link is worth checking out just for the little video about the saddle skirt. :lol: The guy doing the narrating, the dog…well, being a very friendly dog, and the look on the horse’s face are all worth the few minutes it takes to watch it.

[2foals]

I purchased one from Discovery Trekking recently and it is fantastic! Super warm, stays in place, looks nice.

www.discoverytrekking.com

I have no connection to the company, just super happy with my purchase.

[CrowneDragon]

[QUOTE=MunchingonHay;7859283]
This link is worth checking out just for the little video about the saddle skirt. :lol: The guy doing the narrating, the dog…well, being a very friendly dog, and the look on the horse’s face are all worth the few minutes it takes to watch it.[/QUOTE]

“Zat dog is driving me crazy. I don’t act like thees. The horze looks patient. Sigh.”
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[NoSuchPerson]

[QUOTE=2foals;7926228]
I purchased one from Discovery Trekking recently and it is fantastic! Super warm, stays in place, looks nice.

www.discoverytrekking.com

I have no connection to the company, just super happy with my purchase.[/QUOTE]

I just looked at the web site. It says they have some size S prototypes on sale for $75 dollars. A steal, if you can wear a small.

[2foals]

[QUOTE=NoSuchPerson;7926316]
I just looked at the web site. It says they have some size S prototypes on sale for $75 dollars. A steal, if you can wear a small.[/QUOTE]

That’s the one I bought, the aquashell fabric for $75. The small is for a waist up to 34" and it is stretchy and adjustable.

I also have the Mountain Horse Polar Pants, and the skirt is better. It might be warmer than the polar pants and it is more comfortable to ride in because under it you can still ride in your same breeches & boots–there’s no bulky pant in between you and the horse.

Plus, it’s really easy to put on and take off even while riding if you are too cold/warm. And I love how it keeps my pricey winter breeches clean when I’m dealing with muddy horses and blankets.

[HungarianHippo]

[QUOTE=MunchingonHay;7859283]
This link is worth checking out just for the little video about the saddle skirt. :lol: The guy doing the narrating, the dog…well, being a very friendly dog, and the look on the horse’s face are all worth the few minutes it takes to watch it.[/QUOTE]

thanks for the nudge to watch the video-- priceless. The whole time I watched it I thought: “It’s Wilhelm !!”

I actually don’t think it looks simple to make-- if you don’t get the shape just right, it probably wouldn’t drape well while in use. I’d just get a quartersheet that covers the saddle and rider’s thighs. Seems like it does the same job, and they’re cheap.

[Hippolyta]

I agree that a saddle skirt would be way warmer than insulated pants- it is keeping both your heat & horse’s heat in a nice air pocket & there is less of your surface area getting blown over. My warmest outfit for super cold days in MN is a LONG wool kilt with wool tights & boots. And mittens are warmer than gloves…

Remember someone posted that wool cloak ala Ring Wraith/Grim reaper? It draped over horses but & made a tent. That would keep you SUPER toasty b/c all of the heat coming off the big muscles. I also want one so I can look scary.

[Sacred_Petra]

I know what my next sewing project is now! These look awesome.

[sophie]

These skirts sure do look nice and warm! Too pricey for me though even on sale. I’ll stick with my fleece-lined breeches.
And for hard rain, nothing beats a poncho, as I discovered on a very wet trek this summer. A true riding poncho with thigh or leg straps would have been even better.

[paulaedwina]

[QUOTE=CrowneDragon;7926240]
“Zat dog is driving me crazy. I don’t act like thees. The horze looks patient. Sigh.”
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:[/QUOTE]

I didn’t see the video, but went looking for it after your heads up. It’s brilliant Cool idea. I just ride in my Carharrt overalls when it’s cold.

Paula

[2foals]

[QUOTE=sophie;7928531]

And for hard rain, nothing beats a poncho, as I discovered on a very wet trek this summer. [/QUOTE]

I think I would end up abandoned in a puddle if I tried to ride my mare in a poncho.

[La_Chasse]

[QUOTE=2foals;7926385]
That’s the one I bought, the aquashell fabric for $75. The small is for a waist up to 34" and it is stretchy and adjustable.

I also have the Mountain Horse Polar Pants, and the skirt is better. It might be warmer than the polar pants and it is more comfortable to ride in because under it you can still ride in your same breeches & boots–there’s no bulky pant in between you and the horse.

Plus, it’s really easy to put on and take off even while riding if you are too cold/warm. And I love how it keeps my pricey winter breeches clean when I’m dealing with muddy horses and blankets.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for this suggestion. I ended up buying a skirt locally from a New Zealander who sells them. She doesn’t have a website and says she doesn’t want one because this would turn into her only business. They were $125 & lovely. Big thick Velcro & mine is fleece interior (leopard) with a chocolate brown tone-on-tone patterned top. I’ll have to figure out how to post a pic.