Winter breeches - do we really need them?

Winter breeches have been trending strongly for a few years now, adding to the range of riding apparel. At first glance, warming breeches make sense, after all, in winter even in Germany temperatures often fall below 0 degrees. Nevertheless, opinions differ on the subject of winter breeches. Many riders swear by the warming pants, while others find them completely unnecessary and prefer to wear their normal breeches. But what exactly are winter breeches?

What kind of winter breeches are there?

There are many different types of winter breeches, which we would like to introduce to you briefly in an overview:

• Padded breeches keep you especially warm and look like normal breeches
• Softshell breeches have become very popular in recent years. Due to their material, they are particularly water- and wind-repellent as well as breathable. Softshell breeches also look like normal breeches and are available in a summer and winter version. Winter breeches made of softshell are additionally equipped with a light fleece lining on the inside, so that the warmth is stored. Visually, softshell winter breeches are in no way inferior to normal breeches and are therefore perfect for anyone who also attaches importance to a trendy appearance
• Thermal breeches are perfect for particularly cold days due to their thick lining. They are comparable to classic snow pants and are worn over the normal breeches. The overcoat breeches can be easily put on and taken off through side zippers

Winter breeches - for and against

We think that winter breeches can be useful without a doubt. Whether you really need them depends on your individual situation. Important is: How do you keep your horse and what does your daily stable routine look like in winter?
Are you self-sufficient and do you keep your horse in an open stable? If you are busy with stable work and feeding your horse in winter, warm winter breeches are definitely worth considering. Similarly, if you're a rider who does a lot of trail riding, even in low temperatures, and may even get caught in the odd rain or snow shower, winter breeches are definitely worth considering.
In our experience, winter breeches are less useful if you are an adjuster in a riding stable and train mainly in the indoor arena in winter. When training together with your horse, you will automatically get warm - often even too warm with winter breeches. In addition, many riders complain about the limited freedom of movement of winter riding pants, although the wearing comfort has improved greatly in recent years. Especially the softshell winter breeches are to be mentioned here.
Whether the purchase of winter breeches is worthwhile for you, ultimately depends on you. For frostbite, the winter breeches are definitely worth considering!

Where do we stand on the issue?

We do not have special winter breeches, but wear all year round our riding leggings. After all, in normal everyday life next to the horses we walk around with the classic jeans even in winter and do not wear special winter pants. If the temperatures are particularly cold, we put warming ski underwear under the riding tights. This has the advantage that the wearing comfort of the riding tights remains, it still fits like a second skin and warms sufficiently due to the onion principle with the ski underwear. A big plus when working in the stable and in the saddle! 
From our point of view, it is much more important to wear sensible winter riding boots with proper riding socks. After all, nothing is more unpleasant than having cold feet. The warming outfit is perfectly complemented with winter riding gloves and a great winter riding jacket! Through this combination we are well equipped for the cold winter.

Our conclusion

Winter breeches have without question their reason to be there. After all, everyone feels cold differently and the demands on clothing in the stable could not be more different. Therefore, everyone should decide for themselves whether they want to wear winter breeches in the cold season or whether the normal breeches are still sufficient. What about you? Do you own winter breeches or maybe even several? What about your experience? Feel free to write us a comment!