Which Summer Riding Skirt do I need?
{Yes, All Weather Riding Skirts are for summer, too.}
Actually, summer is when you're least likely to be prepared for bad weather, and most likely to be far away from help.
Goodbye winter, hello summer riding season! I bet you're already hitting the trail, gliding down those green-lined winding paths on your horse and embarking on those backcountry riding and horse camping trips. Can I get an AMEN?
Now, I know, I KNOW, we all don't want to be thinking about bad riding weather when that sun is shining through our horses's ears but it's still out there.
Lurking at the tail end of that perfect summer afternoon's ride (when you're hours away from the trail head), or showing up in the middle of a backcountry riding trip you've been looking forward to for months (watch what happened to on a 17 mile backcountry trip in the video below).
In addition to ruining a perfectly glorious day of riding horses, rain and wind during the summer can put you into serious health danger if you're not prepared.
Did you know you can get hypothermia in the summer? Yes ma'am.
Actually, hypothermia occurs more in the summer than in the winter.
Yes, you read that right! Folks head out in hot weather, and then get caught out in rain/wind and dropping temperatures and can be in serious danger in a very short time.
Now, imagine you're hours from shelter on a trail ride or backcountry trip and the weather comes in...
Here's a decision tree to help you decide which summer riding skirt you need:
Arctic Horse offers three perfect summer All Weather Riding Skirts to keep you dry and warm no matter what mother nature throws at you.
Option 1 & 2: The Mesh or Fleece-lined Tongass Rain Riding Skirt
Enter our best-selling, multi-season, hero of a riding skirt, the Tongass Rain Riding Skirt! You're going to wonder how you ever did without it.
Wear over your riding breeches or jeans, the Tongass Rain Riding Skirt is 100% waterproof + breathable and is the definition of essential riding gear. When you're not using it you can roll it up and put it in your saddle bag or tie it to your saddle.
You don't even have to get off of your horse to put it on- you can put it on/off while mounted.
There's a reason Horse Illustrated called it, "the unlikely invention that could save your life."
Here's Sylvia (she's so smart) caught out in a downpour staying perfectly dry and warm on a hack in her plum Tongass Rain Riding Skirt.
As the Tongass Rain Riding Skirt come either lined with mesh or micro-fleece, we consider them two separate skirts.
Most colors of the Tongass Rain Riding Skirt come lined with a micro-fleece, while the Ocean and Currant colors, come lined with mesh instead.
Believe it or not, most women opt for the micro-fleece lined version even in summer, because if its cold/rainy/windy enough to use it, you're likely going to want that little bit of extra warmth.
Option 3: The Backcountry Trail Riding Skirt
The Backcountry Trail Riding Skirt is delicious. No, you can't eat it, but it's so beautiful and buttery, you might want to. Made from American-waxed canvas, the Backcountry Trail Riding Skirt was developed as an alternative to chaps, and offers water and wind protection to boot.
This skirt unzips up the back, so it doesn't cover the back of the horse or saddle bags like the Tongass Rain Skirt does. Waxed canvas is technically water-resistant, which means it will keep you dry for some time, but would soak through if you were out in hours and hours of rain.
Samantha P rode 1100 miles on her mustang in this skirt, and said "every serious trail rider should have one." It's really that gorgeous and useful.
Chaps are tight, difficult to put on and off and don't fit if you lose or gain weight.
The Backcountry Trail Riding Skirt goes over what you already like to ride in, can be put on/off while mounted, and with a 2" stretch in the waistband, will fit if you gain or lose weight.
Below is a quick comparison of our two multi-season riding skirts, the Tongass Rain & Backcountry Trail:
Now you're ready to hit the trails!
