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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

A Hot Weather Find

4/25/2018

 
Back when I was endurance riding, I only wore tights. And frankly, the shinier and louder they were, the better. 
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Electric blue - Montoya DSA at the Cuyama Oaks XP Pioneer Ride (50 miles a day for 3 days) in March 2003.
I also needed them to be fairly cheap as they took a beating.
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Big hole on top of thigh - Mickey Dee scouting out trail on the Lost Padres trail in May 2004.
Once I moved on to dressage, I realized that my loud and weird-colored tights looked out of place in a dressage court. I switched to sensibly colored breeches and simply endured them during our brutally hot summers. No more. 
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A few weeks ago, I discovered the Horze Juliet HyPer Flex Full Seat Tights from the Riding Warehouse. As soon as I put them on, I knew they were a winner. These things are much nicer than the tights I wore when endurance riding.

They actually felt like yoga pants. They were stretchy in all the right places without being baggy. I find that stretchy stuff tends to get stretched out. I figured the same thing would happen to the Hyper Flex Full Seats so I gave them a thorough test. I rode in them (and did barn chores) three days in a row on some pretty warm days. 
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Still brand new.
Each day that I scooped them off the floor, they fit snugly without bagging behind the knees like some tights will do. Not these babies. They kept their stretch and maintained their original shape. On top of being comfortable, they also kept me much cooler and drier.

Lately, it seems as though all of the breeches I look at have a silicone seat. I haven't been very interested in trying them out. I've touched a few pairs of them, and they seemed really sticky. Recently, a friend was wearing a pair, and I asked her how she liked them. She felt like they were so sticky that her pants stuck to the saddle so much that she was left sliding around on top of them. Uh, no thanks.
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Not sticky.
I worried that the silicone on the Hyper Flex tights would have that same sticky feel to them. If you're looking for super grip, these aren't for you. The silicone on these tights feels more like suede rather than the plasticky stuff you sometimes see with silicone.

The first time I rode in them, I sat in the saddle with a bit of trepidation. I was concerned that they would mar the leather of my saddle. The second my butt hit the saddle, I completely forgot that I was wearing them until I hopped off. The silicone was never an issue.

There were two things about them that I wish could be changed. First, they are a bit of a high rise; they sit over my belly button. Frankly, with the extra fluffiness of my middle, it's probably good that they're keeping everything in place. Secondly, they only have one of those mini pockets on the inside. While I do barn chores, I like to shove my phone in a back pocket. These don't have a pocket. I don't hold it against them though as most tights don't usually have pockets.

I am definitely ordering at least one more pair of these, and probably two. They come in black, green, and gray. Riding Warehouse sells them for $59.95, but I always have a discount code that will knock them down to at least $50.95 which still gets me free shipping.

Since it's already in the mid-90s here, these tights are getting moved to the front of the rotation. I better get another pair soon!
lytha
4/25/2018 08:13:18 am

I used your coupon and got my wonderful Irideon Wind Pros --- and it's not Winter so they'll have to wait. I tried them on and instantly my legs were burning up - they are meant for driving rain and snow.

But a friend gave me a pair of Kerrits Ice-Fil and they are much like what you show here. But with two large side pockets for cell phones. They are meant to keep you cool and so far so good. It's been so long since I've ridden in dressage breeches, but I remember that awful wrinkling around the knees that left burns.

I complimented a rider last week on her tights and she said, "Actually these are my running pants." I said, "That's all endurance riders wear, and I'll never go back."

So far the Riding Warehouse purchases I made have been even better than expected - the lead rope you recommended took a trip through the wet sand when my horse panicked and ran off rodeoing, but after I washed all the sand out, it looks new again. The new Toklat woolback memory foam girth is amazing (but the extra padding makes the sizing tricky - it needs to stretch out I think). Thanks so much for your help!

Bakersfield Dressage link
4/26/2018 12:22:52 pm

I am so glad you liked your purchases!!!! I don't really wear tights anymore, but now that I've found some that I like, I'll be on the hunt for others. :0)

Justine
4/27/2018 01:19:13 am

Tights ar really popular in Australia too (could be something about the heat do you think...), and I have seen some that come with a pocket on the thigh.
http://www.goneriding.com.au/performa-ride-lara-riding-tights-with-thigh-pocket-and-sticky-seat-and-knee.html
An Austrlaian link, but you can see the product...

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/2/2018 05:41:51 am

Those are really nice looking tights! I haven't bought tights in a long time, but now that I see how nice they're getting, they're definitely back on my radar. Thanks for sharing!


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.
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    Photo by Lori Ovanessian

    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)

    About Izzy

    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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    March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)

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  • Home
  • About
  • My Horses
    • Horses
    • Imperioso
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Local
    • Shopping List