Suede vs Silicone Riding Pants: How to Choose

Ask three horsewomen how much grip they want in the saddle and you may receive three completely different answers.

One won’t ride without her full suede seat.

Another loves the reassuring contact of silicone.

The third wants nothing additional between herself and the saddle.

None of them is wrong.

A seat is a tool. The right choice depends on your horse, your saddle, the way you ride and - perhaps most importantly - what simply feels right to you.

Suede: Soft, even and familiar. A traditional full-seat feel with consistent contact across the saddle.

Silicone: Grippy, flexible and reassuring. Matte silicone adds contact while allowing the fabric beneath it to move with your body.

No added seat: Simple, easy and versatile. No additional grip material between you and the saddle.

There is no universally “best” seat. The best seat for you is the one that allows you to stop thinking about your pants and return your attention to your horse.

A full seat places the supportive or grippy material across the area of the pants that comes into contact with the saddle.

This provides more widespread contact than a knee patch, which adds grip only along the inner knee.

In Ride Proud riding pants, our full seats are also designed without a traditional inside-leg seam. Removing that seam helps reduce rubbing and bulk where rider, pants and saddle meet.

Both suede and silicone can provide a full-seat experience, but they feel different.

For many riders, suede is the full-seat feel they already know and love.

It provides soft, consistent contact across the saddle while remaining flexible as you ride. It is familiar, beautifully tactile and has earned its loyal following for good reason.

Some riders appreciate the traditional feel. Others like having support spread across the whole seat rather than concentrated in smaller areas. For many women, suede is simply what they have always worn—and they already know it works for them.

Our current suede collection includes four different riding styles.

Trail Riding Pants are designed with long hours and practical adventures in mind, including a concealed thigh pocket and a small D-ring for keeping essentials close.

Trainers Riding Pants combine a full suede seat with practical cargo-style pockets—particularly useful for women moving between horses, lessons, stable work and riding.

Equitation Riding Pants offer a more refined, high-rise fit with a contoured waist, rear adjuster and concealed pockets. They are a polished choice for clinics, competitions and occasions when you want your riding pants to look particularly composed.

New Horizon Riding Jeans bring the full suede seat into four-way stretch denim, combining riding security with the familiar appearance of bootcut jeans.

Each has its own fit and personality, but all four share the Ride Proud foundations of a full suede seat, four-way stretch, a seamless inner leg and our signature bootcut shape.

A note about suede availability

Quality suede has become increasingly difficult for us to source.

Stocks across the Ride Proud suede collection are now limited, and future availability remains uncertain. We cannot promise when - or whether - every suede style will return once the remaining sizes sell out.

If suede is your non-negotiable, now is the sensible time to see what remains in your size.

Silicone deserves a fair ride.

I avoided silicone for a long time because I imagined it would leave me feeling stuck in the saddle.

The truth is, I had formed a firm opinion without ever actually riding in it. Apparently, my backside had become a textile critic without conducting any field research.

Then I tried it.
And I loved it.

I don’t feel stuck. I feel settled.
That distinction matters.

Silicone is often misunderstood by riders who have never tried it.

The word “grip” can conjure up an image of being glued into one position, unable to adjust your seat or move naturally with your horse.

That has not been my experience.

The matte silicone used in our Tribute Riding Pants adds useful contact with the saddle while allowing the four-way stretch fabric beneath it to remain flexible.

It does not prevent me from rising, adjusting my position or moving with my horse. What I notice is less sliding, less unnecessary bracing and a more settled connection beneath me.

Silicone isn’t there to ride for you. No pair of pants is quite that talented.

It simply provides another point of support—particularly during moments when you want to sit quietly and stay with the movement.

This is the concern we hear most often.

The honest answer is that silicone does feel different from suede or a plain fabric seat. That is the point—it adds grip.

But additional grip is not the same as being locked into position.

The amount of grip you feel will also be influenced by your saddle, your horse’s movement and your own riding position. Someone riding a broad-moving horse in a smooth saddle may experience the same pants differently from someone riding in a deeper or more textured saddle.

Our intention with Tribute was never to produce the equestrian equivalent of Velcro.

It was to create a more stable saddle feel while maintaining the flexibility, comfort and movement women expect from Ride Proud.

One of our Tribute customers described them simply as:

“Felt nice and not too sticky and my favourite style so far!”
— Tracey A., Australia

Sometimes silicone’s reputation is considerably more dramatic than the actual ride.

Not every rider wants additional grip—and not every ride requires it.

Riding pants without a full seat provide the familiar feel of stretch denim or tights between you and the saddle. They can be an excellent choice if you prefer riding without added grip or want one pair of pants that moves easily between the saddle, stable, shops and the rest of your day.

Choosing no added seat does not necessarily mean that you are a more experienced or secure rider. Nor does choosing a full seat mean that you lack confidence.

They are simply different preferences.

If you are still uncertain, begin with what you already know.

Think about what you currently wear and how it feels while you ride.

If you already love suede and rarely think about it in the saddle, suede may remain your natural choice.
If you ride without additional grip but find yourself sliding or bracing more than you would like, silicone may be worth trying.
If you prefer the simplest fabric-to-saddle feel, a no-added-seat style may suit you beautifully.

Then ask what you would like your next pair of riding pants to change.

Would you like to feel:

• More settled and less inclined to brace?
• Free from an irritating inside-leg seam?
• Better supported through the waist?
• Better dressed when you leave the stable?
• Able to carry your phone without wedging it somewhere unmentionable?

The answer may involve the seat—but the waistband, seams, fabric and pockets all contribute to how good your riding pants feel.

This was the question I eventually had to ask myself about silicone.

I had decided I wouldn’t like it because I was worried about feeling stuck. Once I gave it a proper ride, my opinion changed completely.

That doesn’t mean every suede rider will become a silicone convert. It does mean silicone deserves to be judged by how it actually feels—not only by what we imagine it might feel like.

Suede, silicone and no added seat each offer something different.

Choose suede for its traditional, tactile and familiar full-seat feel.
Choose silicone for flexible grip and a more settled connection.
Choose no added seat for simplicity and easy versatility.

The right answer isn’t necessarily the option you have always worn—or the one with the most grip.

It is the one that allows you to stop thinking about your pants and give your attention back to your horse.

Is silicone better than suede?

No. Silicone and suede create different saddle feels.

Suede provides soft, widespread and familiar contact. Silicone offers flexible grip and a more direct sense of connection. The better option is the one that suits your riding and makes you feel comfortable.

Are silicone-seat pants only for nervous riders?

Not at all.

Riders may choose silicone because they ride a big mover, want to quiet their seat, appreciate additional contact or simply prefer the way it feels. Choosing support is a practical decision, not a confession.

Do experienced riders need a full seat?

Some do and some don’t.

Experience does not determine whether suede, silicone or no added seat feels best. Personal preference, saddle choice, horse movement and the type of riding all matter.

Can pants without a full seat still be proper riding pantsIs a silicone seat safe to use with my saddle??

Absolutely.

Seat material is only one part of riding-pant design. Stretch, waistband support, pocket placement, leg seams and how the pants behave in the saddle all contribute to their suitability for riding.

Is a silicone seat safe to use with my saddle??

Silicone-seat are not new or experimental.

Ride Proud was actually relatively late to introduce silicone. Riders around the world have been wearing silicone-seat breeches and tights across different disciplines for years.

We took our time because we wanted the grip to feel supportive rather than excessive. For Tribute, we deliberately chose a matte silicone that provides useful contact without the overly sticky or shiny feel some riders associate with silicone seats.

We have seen no damage to saddles during our own testing or through everyday use of Tribute.

As with any riding wear, dust and grit trapped between your pants and saddle can contribute to rubbing, so keeping both clean remains important. If your saddle has an especially delicate or specialist finish, it is always sensible to follow the manufacturer’s care advice.