Finding Appropriate Attire

How To Care For Your Riding Breeches

10 February 2016 by Bojana Graus

If you ride horses regularly, chances are good that you will have accumulated the clothing that you need to ride your horses more effectively. However, if you have purchased a pair of pikeur breeches, you might be at a loss as to how to properly wash and care for them. You might have spent a lot of money on an appropriate pair of riding breeches that fits well and you don't want to risk ruining the breeches by damaging them or shrinking them until they are unwearable. Here are some care tips for your riding breeches to prevent such situations.

1. Use a Cold Wash

First, you are going to want to be sure that you only wash your breeches in cold water. Breeches can be made out of a variety of fabrics with varying levels of shrinkage when heat is applied and washing them in cold water will allow you to be sure that you avoid accidentally shrinking your pants.

2. Don't Wash Your Breeches on an Aggressive Cycle

Be sure that you use as gentle a cycle as possible for your breeches. In order for you to ride your horse effectively and reduce the amount of drag that you cause, you want your breeches to fit tight to your skin. If you wash them on a heavier cycle setting, you increase the chances that they are going to wrap around something else in the washer and get stretched out. A gentle wash decreases the chances that they become inadvertently tangled and stretched.

3. Line Dry

Finally, be sure that you line dry your breeches in an effort to further prevent shrinkage. This can be a hassle because it will take your pants longer to dry, but it will also allow your breeches to last for a long time. Buy a second pair if you are worried about not having enough time to wait until the breeches are totally dry.

4. Check the Knee Pads

Many pairs of riding breeches have pads or patches on the knee. If you have such a pair of breeches, check to make sure that the knee pads are totally dry before putting the breeches away. If you don't, water could become trapped their and cause the space between the breeches and the patch to mould. This would cause your pants to start smelling bad.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in riding breeches.

Share