Posted: 19th July 2019 | Back to news feed
Equetech is a British equestrian fashion brand with a heritage spanning over more than 25 years. In this exclusive feature, a fellow rider and Equetech's MD & Designer Liz Hayman explains how you can keep your cool in rising temperatures.
"As a rider myself, I have always loved competing in the summer months. Getting up early on competition morning (in daylight) and not being huddled in the lorry with 10 + layers on and sheltering against extreme weather conditions is, in my book, a massive improvement on winter. However, competing in the summer also brings its own challenges, including overheating, sweating and dehydration, none of which sound appealing!"
Check Your Equipment
Make sure you go through all of your tack and competition clothing in plenty of time before the event, to make sure it fits, is clean and isn’t worn out. Don’t forget to also check your transport. It is important to make sure your transport is safe, has fuel and you have breakdown cover, to give you piece of mind, just in case the worst should happen!
Allow Plenty Of Time
Try to travel earlier in the morning to your competition, rather than in the heat of the day. Arriving before the masses will also enable you to find a cooler spot to park the lorry. Also, travelling early also means that you and your horse won't be travelling in hot weather. Getting stuck in traffic is something we have all experienced at some point. Allowing extra time means that you also won't arrive hot and bothered. No one wants to get their horse off the lorry and hop straight on board to ensure that you don't miss your class. Travelling early is not always possible but well worth it if you can. Depending on your competition time, you may even want to look at staying locally the night before, so you don’t have a 4am start!
Snack Attack
After your horses' wellbeing, you also need to remember to look after yourself as well! So many riders bring plenty of water and hay for the trip for their horse and then forget to feed and water themselves! Grab a bite to eat before leaving the house. If competition nerves or time mean that you can't then pack cereal bars and bananas for energy and plenty of water for you too. Bringing lunch in a cool bag sounds like a lot of effort. However, if you are competing a lot, then that diet of bacon and egg baps is probably not the best athletes diet you could ever have! If it’s an all day trip, you may consider an electric cool box that can be plugged into your lorry or car. Also great for your horses ice boots, etc.
Stay Hydrated & Keep Cool
Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day (I know I hate port-a-loos too!). Staying hydrated will make a difference in your overall performance. Drinking water will also help you stay feeling refreshed as temperatures rise. A great tip is to put a bottle of water in the freezer and take it out when you leave the yard and put in a cooler bag. You'll have a nice refreshing ice-cold drink when you need one.
Post Ride
A water spritzer in your handbag can help you feel refreshed, and wet wipes are essential for sweaty foreheads and hands after your class. Keeping a baseball cap in your kit also protects your face from the sun (remember that high factor sunblock too) as well as hiding your hat hair!
Once you have finished riding, sometimes it's nice to change into fresh clothing. Packing a T-shirt, pair of shorts, short boots and socks won't take up an enormous amount of room, but will make you feel much more comfortable.
Technical Trends
I spend a lot of time researching technical fabrics each season so that our garments include the very latest and the highest performing functional materials on the market. All our shirts and training tops and breeches are machine washable so if you want have air-con in the saddle this summer, incorporate technical fabrics into your riding clothing including your competition wear. Some of our shirts have an SPF factor, which helps to keep the sun exposure down. If you wear make up, many offer an SPF rating too! Look out for breathable fabric; they feel cool against the skin and wick away moisture for the layers that sit next to your skin. Our competition shirts are designed to be worn on warm days, leaving you feeling dry and comfortable. Our Quantum Dressage Waistcoat is designed for warmer days, breaking up the white look, and ideal for dressage riders that want a more flattering look; a great alternative to wearing a competition jacket!
Winning Style
If you are lucky enough to go through to a championship later in the day, make sure you hang everything up in an orderly fashion. Being organised means that you can get changed back into your competition wear when you need to without scrambling around to try and find your tie-pin under a mound of clothes. It is always worth taking a spare hairnet, gloves and stock/ tie pin, just in case you lose them or they break.
Have fun this summer and good luck with all your competitions!
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