What should you wear for your first horse riding lesson?

Have you recently booked your first horse riding lesson? Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, horse riding can be an immensely fulfilling hobby. 

Still, before you rock up to your first session, you’ll need to know what to wear. While you can throw on some trainers and leggings for most sports, horse riding attire requires a little more thought. To help you feel confident for your first lesson — as well as comfortable and safe during your session — here are our tips on the best equestrian wear.

Basic equestrian wear

For your basic top and bottoms, we recommend wearing a comfortable long sleeve top and leggings that cover the length of your legs. Make sure you choose fitted garments rather than baggy ones that will flap around and get in the way of your riding. 

Leggings that are too thin or not long enough can result in the saddle and stirrup leathers rubbing your skin. We would always recommend our MU Core Performance Leggings, which are flattering, full-length, and come with a supportive high waistband.

A helmet

Whatever horse riding level you’re at, it’s crucial that you wear a well-fitted helmet whenever you’re out on a horse. Unfortunately, accidents happen. And when you’re high off the ground, riding an animal that has the capacity to be unpredictable (often at speed), you don’t want to make the mistake of not wearing a helmet. 

Thankfully, your riding school has a legal obligation to ensure you’re wearing a helmet during your lesson. Most students don’t have their own helmet when they are a beginner, so don’t worry about not having one just yet. Your riding school should have helmets in a range of sizes that you can borrow. If in doubt, call your school ahead of time to check.

Keeping warm

As you’re not moving around as much as with other sports, you can get pretty chilly while horse riding — especially when you’re out in the UK countryside. We recommend wearing a comfy hoodie (or at least bringing one in case you get cold), like our Autograph Navy Unisex Hoodie. As mentioned, your helmet is a crucial piece of equestrian wear. However, in the colder months, you might also want to take a hat with you to put on once your lesson has finished. 

Gloves

If it’s really cold, you’ll also want to bring a pair of riding gloves. This can be a good idea anyway when you’re starting out, as they will help you keep a firm grip on the reins and prevent skin abrasions from the friction. Just ensure your gloves are well-fitted and not too big for your hands — otherwise they can actually cause blisters! The fabric should also have some grip.

Sensible footwear 

You’ll want to wear strong boots, preferably ones with a small heel that will help you maintain a secure grip on your stirrups. Hiking boots aren’t ideal as they are slightly too grippy on the sole of the shoe while lacking heels to provide support with the stirrups. 

Your riding school might be able to lend you some short, heeled riding boots for your first few lessons. Alternatively, they might let you wear simple trainers while you’re starting out (so you don’t need to splash out on expensive boots). Just make sure you check with your riding school before your lesson.

English riding apparel from Mucky Unicorn

At Mucky Unicorn, we are an equestrian brand delivering beautiful, high-quality clothing made by equestrians, for equestrians. Browse our cute riding outfits, waterproofs, technical wear, accessories, and more.

Explore our equestrian women’s clothing today to find practical, stylish garments for horse riding, spending time out in the yard, or relaxing off-duty.