subject: Understanding How Equestrian Legwear Contributes To Your Safety [print this page] As the lower half of our body is the most vulnerable when horse riding,it's little surprise that there are so many different choices when itcomes to your protection. Equestrian legwear has developed over thecenturies and a lot of the designs and solutions that we see today arebased on very functional considerations and the needs of the past. Whiletoday we often ride for pleasure and sometimes in competition, back inthe early days people would invariably ride as a matter of necessity, away of pursuing their next meal, or to fight off marauding attackers!
Chaps, derived from the Spanish term chaparejas, were originallydesigned to protect the rider's legs from the inevitable rough terrain,brush and what has become known in North America as chaparral. Inrecognition of the fact that the horse was also somewhat vulnerable tothese dangers, the original chaps would often be a very large piece ofleather that would be attached to the saddle and would protect the horseas well as the rider's legs.
You can find chaps for any number of different purposes today. Maybe you have a specific preference, or have a certain type of horse riding in mind. This is why you see those famous batwing chaps in use by rodeo riders today, for example. Due to the fact that they have a close cut from the knee to the hip and an open design further down, these products are very functional in the dramatic rodeo environment.
Half chaps have developed as a means of providing additional protectionfor those riders who select short boots. The half chaps can be attachedto the short boots and give the impression that the boots themselves arelong. For riders who choose short boots, these half chaps can providethat additional level of protection when out riding on the trail, forexample.
If you remember watching those early Western films, you might have seen woolly chaps, worn by riders who wanted to use the goat hair that was attached to help them deal with the worst of the cold weather.
While shotgun chaps are very functional and "show" chaps arespecifically made for use in horse shows or formal events, they all haveone thing in common. The actual leg protectors are attached to a beltand there is no protection or coverage in the crotch or seat areas.
Here's a trivia question. Did you know why chaps often feature fringesalong the edges? While today this is more for show than anything else,in the early days of horse riding (when everything had to have afunction) the fringe would act as a collection point for excess waterduring rainstorms. It would be far easier to get rid of this moistureand to allow it to evaporate rather quickly as the fringe blew freelyaway from the rest of the clothing.
While you might not come across any prickly bushes or chaparral when youare out riding, chaps can still give you that extra element ofprotection for your legs, helping you to avoid fatigue when riding forextended periods of time.
