What is important in a good riding glove?
As with any riding equipment, good riding gloves depend on quality and accuracy of fit. The gloves must not get in the way of fine rein control and the connection to the horse’s mouth. At the same time, the rein reinforcement must reliably protect against blisters in the spaces between the fingers. What other criteria should you look for before buying riding gloves and what influence do the materials have? That’s what this section is about.
The ideal fit of a riding glove
If you do without riding gloves, the friction of the reins – no matter what material they are made of – can lead to unpleasant blisters on the palms and between the fingers. In addition, serious burns can occur if the horse literally snatches the reins from the rider’s hand, e.g. in a moment of fright.
Measuring glove size
1. To measure your glove size, place the tape measure below the knuckles and above the thumb and wrap it once around your hand.
2. Now compare the hand circumference with the measurement chart.
Make sure that the tape measure fits loosely around your hand and that you do not tighten it too much. Alternatively, instead of using a tape measure, you can use a string or a ribbon that you put around your hand as described above and then measure the length with a ruler.
However, wearing riding gloves only protects the hands reliably if the gloves fit perfectly when you buy them.
Therefore, pay attention to the following points when trying them on:
- When trying on, move your fingers, clench your hand into a fist, touch an object, fold your hands into each other.
Do the gloves slip when you move? Do they wrinkle a lot? Does your sensitivity blur when touching an object? Is there too much slack at the cuff? In the case of hook-and-loop fasteners: can the fastener be closed within the hook-and-loop area or does the hook-and-loop fastener protrude? Then the riding glove is clearly too big.
Do you already have problems putting on the riding glove? Do you feel restricted in your movements by the riding glove? Does the material stretch? Do your fingers have enough room? Can the glove not be pulled down completely between the fingers? Does the riding glove stretch uncomfortably when you spread your fingers? The riding glove is too small.
The rein reinforcement as a quality feature
An important criterion for a good riding glove is the rein reinforcement, which runs between the fingers according to the rein guide. Synthetic leather or leather is sewn on to reinforce the glove so that the material does not wear out so quickly and the hands are even better protected against blisters.
Not every glove has a reinforcement, which is why special attention should be paid to this when buying. Also, not every riding glove with rein reinforcement has reinforcement on the ring finger.
Breathability is essential for a good riding glove
Hands quickly sweat when wearing gloves, which is not only uncomfortable, but can also lead to unnecessary friction and blisters. In addition, moisture in the glove leads to cold fingers, especially in winter. Depending on the season and intended use, you should pay attention to the material when buying riding gloves.
For summer riding gloves, the main focus should be on light, breathable materials. For example, soft shell or a material mix with mesh fabric are suitable.
Winter riding gloves are often lined with fleece, as it absorbs moisture and thus prevents the hands from cooling down. Riding gloves made of leather are also breathable and therefore ideally suited as all-season riding gloves.
The different materials of riding gloves
In order to ensure the wearing comfort of riding gloves, the material is decisive in addition to the accuracy of fit.
Riding gloves made of leather
Advantages: robust, supple, non-slip, durable
Disadvantages: difficult to care for, too much moisture makes the leather stiff and brittle, more expensive than other materials.
Caring for leather gloves
Wet leather gloves should be dried in the air and not on the heater to dry them properly. Afterwards, it is recommended to use a leather care product to maintain the suppleness of the leather.
Riding gloves made of imitation leather
Advantages: easy to clean, elegant look, inexpensive, tear-resistant
Disadvantages: low breathability
Riding gloves made of synthetic materials
Advantages: high wearing comfort, easy-care, low weight, inexpensive, elastic, very high breathability
Disadvantages: less durable than leather
Winter material fleece
Fleece is particularly suitable for winter gloves, as the material is both breathable and warming. It is fluffy soft and pleasant to wear on the skin. However, fleece gloves are not waterproof and windproof, which is a disadvantage especially on wet and cold days. Fleece gloves also attract horse hair like a magnet and offer almost no grip on the reins. Better: Fleece as a lining is the perfect companion in the cold season.
Riding gloves made of natural fibres (e.g. cotton):
Advantages: absorbent, cuddly, sensitive.
Disadvantages: Material can tear quickly under high stress, therefore unsuitable as a working glove, long drying times.
The price of a good riding glove
Of course, price also plays an important role when buying good riding gloves. Comfort and safety should always come before price when choosing a riding glove. The price range of riding gloves is from £5 to £60. Inexpensive models are often made of cotton, which does not always meet the high demands of equestrian sports due to the natural material properties.
In the medium price range, riding gloves made of artificial leather or synthetic materials are popular, which have been specially developed for sporting use and thus enable high breathability and an optimal wearing feeling.
Glove models in the upper price range are made from different types of genuine leather. Particularly exclusive riding gloves are studded with genuine Swarovski stones.