As we step into 2020, we can't help but look back and think about the amazing decade of technological breakthroughs for equestrians.
Our team member Lizzie Lengling & I teamed up to give you a quick look back at all the new styles and concepts introduced during the decade that we now wonder how we ever lived without! The twenty-tens were without a doubt the era of sun protection for equestrians!
Wide Brim Helmets
Early on riders although apprehensive eventually embraced the look of the wide brim sun shielding helmet & detachable sun visors for traditional helmets. In the name of sun safety, these helmets & visors now dominate in popularity over classic brim helmets.
Then came the sun shirts, long sleeve shirts with mesh sleeve panel designed with a fabric that SPF sun protection from the sun! Genius! It seemed as though nearly overnight riders went from short sleeve polos shirts & sunburned arms, to long sleeve quarter zip sun shirts for riding. Sun shirts were quickly given an upgrade when Icefil hit the scene. Icefil fabric is treated with xylitol. Sweat reacts with xylitol to create a refrigerant effect lowering your body temperature up to 5 degrees. Most current sun shirts are made with Icefil, making these shirts the bees knees. Sun protection & cooling fabric - We all fell hard for these shirts in solids & prints.
Icefil Breeches
Not to be ignored, schooling breeches suddenly appeared in Icefil fabric. The perfect summer schooling tights were a huge hit for riders of all english disciplines. The demand for a high quality show breech was taken seriously & by the end of the decade 2 companies were brave enough to answer the call. The Ariat Tri-Factor Icefil Breeches & Kerrits Affinity met the demand for a front zip tailored show breech in Icefil Fabric.
Trophy Hunter Breeches
This one may be borderline but the introduction of the trophy hunter / aka euro seat breeches definitely took off during the twenty teens. This was a mind blowing design upgrade that shook up the style of traditional knee patch breeches by moving the major seams to the outside of breeches away from your inner leg. It’s not full seat, it’s euro-seat! You’d be hard pressed to find current style breeches not using this design.
Sock Bottom Breeches
Sock Bottom Breeches! Buh bye velcro bottoms that manage to snag on everything, not to mention the bulk in my boots. Sock bottom breeches hit the scene from Europe and by the end of the decade, velcro was nearly a thing of the past!
Wrap Collar Show Shirts
Wrap Collar Show Shirts, no more losing the collar off of your ratcatcher, Essex released the wrap collar CoolMax show shirt and there was no looking back. Instantly we were grabbing these shirts off the hangers as fast as we could. Just like the dinosaur, these shirts are nearly extinct, replaced by TalentYarn!
Talent Yarn Show Shirts
But wait, then Essex blew us away again with TALENT YARN show shirts! Perforated lightweight stretchy show shirts with a mesh vented sleeve, wrap collar and quarter button up placket. Tied up in a pretty package with contrast collar and sleeve linings. The requests of riders heard around hot summer show rings was granted.
TechLite Show Coats
Speaking of hot summer show rings, I don’t think anyone was happier to see wool show coats hit the road in exchange for form fitting high tech machine washable fabrics than us! Techlite show coats gave wool and wool blend coats the boot making riders more comfortable in these tailored breathable stretchy fabrics. Like Coolmax, these coats paved the way for perforated & mesh show coats.
Mesh Show Coats
Just as we were all settling in to the stretch comfort of techlite, what should arrive but MESH show coats!! Stretch mesh show coats hit the market early in the decade but needed some tweaking & boy did they get it! By the end of the decade the AA Motionlite from Horseware was on the wish list of most riders. R.J. Classics rolled out their Harmony mesh show coat, which has solid plackets combined with mesh to offer a more structure for those wanting to keep that highly tailored look to their coats. Not to be left behind, the classic formal shadbelly found it’s way into mesh fabric by the middle of 2019. We can’t wait to see who brings their mesh “A” game to 2020.
Tech Friendly Gloves
Gloves also got an upgrade - tech friendly finger tips! Gone are the days of having to rip off your gloves to respond to a text or answer your phone. These warm tech friendly gloves make checking the weather, confirming lessons & working around the barn a snap.
Tan Through Gloves
Riders around the country were also thrilled to ditch the summertime ‘Mickey Mouse’ look when the Roeckl solar grip tan through gloves hit the scene. Maybe tan through breeches won’t be so far off! Then our legs can match our arms in the summer!
One of my personal favorites of the twenty tens was the release of Ariat’s V Sport. These boots have a subtle perforation to the exterior allowing them to breathe like no other boot! Summers in the south east are blazing, these boots make riding a bit more comfortable & the price is great too!
Lets not forget new things that our horses enjoy too!
Horseware Amigo Mio Line Of Blankets
Horseware brought us the Amigo Mio line of blankets, the perfect compromise of Horseware fit & styling at a lower denier without all the bells and whistles of the Rambo to make it more budget friendly.
Repellent Treated Fly Sheets
Horseware also brought us the Bugbuster! Fly sheets treated with bug repellent to help your horse pest free in warm weather. Good for up to 10 washes, these sheets made horses much happier.
Ogilvy
Everything Ogilvy! Half pads, saddle pads customize everything in your favorite colors. Ogilvy hit the scene hard and riders everywhere are loving all the styles and options Ogilvy offers.
Huntley Bridles
Huntley leather is still new to the scene but their bridles & leather goods are making their mark in hunter rings.
PS of Sweden brought us the amazing hackamore sport bridle as well as traditional bit bridles with ergonomic designs relieving horses of pressure points found in traditional bridle work. PS of Sweden bridles sit perfectly on the horses head allowing for maximum comfort while working.
Equifit Pack & Stick Hoof Tape
for every abscessing horse out there there was an owner struggling with foot soaking and then packing the foot & wrapping it up with diapers and duct tape. Equifit to the rescue! The Equifit pack & stick hoof tape has cut the hassle of hoof wrapping in half with pre sized easy to use tape sheets.
With so many great things brought to us over the last decade, we are sure to have forgotten some! Comment below what your favorite thing was from the twenty teens!
