The Best Horse Riding Pants for Women Over 40

Women Dominate

That’s a fairly bold little statement.

Let me clarify by adding in numbers, at equestrian events. Still too bold?

Let me clarify even further by adding excepting perhaps rodeo and cattle events.

As horse owners, women outnumber men 5 to 1 in Australia. Actually, according to research it’s a little more than that. Women represent 83% (Smyth and Dagley, 2015 ). Let’s make a presumption a good portion of those horse owners ride their horses.

Probably neither you nor I needed a research paper to tell us what a visit to any local equestrian event or horse riding clinic on any given weekend would – regardless of whether it be anything from Classical Dressage through to Natural Horsemanship. You may even notice that the majority of those women are … women of age (?), let’s say, women over 40.

If we can agree that most of these horsewomen are non-competitive riders and are ‘of age’, the question is, ‘what are they looking for in equestrian wear?’ Probably not jodhpurs, however they probably find themselves in jodhpurs of some description, or jeans because of the lack of an alternative.

I’ll go one step further and say, she’s not looking for ‘fashion’ either.

I’d suggest that she already knows exactly who she is (and who she isn’t), and that includes knowing her own style. She’s done with fashion, and let’s face it, most equestrian wear is designed with women somewhat younger in mind. Flick through any magazine and you’ll see it for yourself.

I know from research (and my own experience) that first and foremost she’s looking for functional riding pants, without compromising on style or comfort.  Riding pants that are flattering and can be worn to her own personal style. And she wants quality.

By now, she’s done keeping up with trends and her focus is on her horsemanship and riding.

She also wants practicality. She wants to dress for the day and be dressed for the day, not have to change into jodhpurs to ride and change out of them to go to the shops or meet her friends for coffee.

Am I speaking your language? Could this be you?

I have an alternative for you. Not jeans, not jodhpurs, but purpose-built riding pants, with all the features of a quality jodhpur, all the style of a fine pair of jeans and all the comfort of riding tights.

What’s the best horse riding pants for women over 40?

It’s a bootleg jodhpur and here’s my advice on styling them.

Wear them in a solid colour. No patterns, no stripes, just solid colour or tonal. Not too wide in the leg – they’re riding pants afterall.  Not too narrow either – otherwise you may as well wear a jodhpur. Just wide enough to create a flattering line. Narrow enough to avoid bulk at the lower leg. It’s a goldilocks thing – you need them just right.

Wear them as a fashion basic and consider them the equestrian equivalent of your little black dress.

You’ll find the perfect pair at Ride Proud – Bootlegs for Equestrians. The website is dedicated to offering this flattering alternative and we pride ourselves on offering personal service including 1:1 telephone consultations. I’m here to help you find the best fit and style suited to you.

And what to team them with?
Any damn thing you like in my opinion. It’s your horse, your ride and your style.

You’ll find some equally thought out riding shirts on the website. Again, they’re plain colours and loaded with features. We’ve got great riding shirts, but really, we’re all about the pants. 

PS:  This is, of course, my opinion only. (It's only one I can truly share with you). If you're a woman over 40 and don't fit the woman I've described, All the Power to You. If you're comfortable in joddies and you're rockin' them, I'm cheering for you.