Technical excellence with Derriere Equestrian

Technical excellence

Anyone that has ridden in Derriere riding underwear knows that the garments are comfortable, practical and good looking - so much so that we forget we are wearing such advanced pieces of engineered apparel!

Based in north east Italy, our padding manufacturers, pioneers of technical excellence, are regarded as the world-wide leader in designing and developing insert pads for cycling shorts, and have demonstrated reduced compression in the gluteal, perineal and genital-urinary area zone - that’s our ‘Nethers’, to you and me - when such protective garments are worn. We have embraced this expertise in our horse riding underwear range.

Let’s be honest - who wants compromised blood flow, restricted movement, compression sores, bacterial challenges and uncomfy pants with itchy seams? No one - as horse riders, we want to be focussed on our riding and training, giving little thought to our clothing. 

We tend to only notice our riding wear when it is not fulfilling a need - such as breathability or un-restriction - and with Derriere riding underwear, our customers simply do not notice the excellent job that the under-garments are doing, because these technologically-advanced support-systems are doing all the work for us!

Advanced materials

We thought you may be interested to know that our DerriereEquestrian riding underwear is made from a breathable, micro-fibre fabric made from a Polyamide and Elasthanne blend with multi-directional stretch. Special, high density foam inserts are placed at key pressure points to provide maximum comfort and performance, while the outside edge of the inner pads have extra soft fabric, to eliminate any chaffing.

We are talking bonded, seamless technology with no abrasive edges and reduced stitched seam-lines, for supreme comfort when riding your horse or pony. Our manufacturing experts utilise single jersey electronic circular knitting machines, and when you unwrap your perfect pants, you can be safe in the knowledge that a talented band of textile engineers, chemists, technicians, designers and fabric selection experts have paved the way for your perineal perfection.

The range of Derriere Equestrian products go through more than 50 controls during their transformation in production, so you can be sure of a high-quality piece of sporting apparel that has breathable, bacteriostatic fabric (that prevents bacteria from reproducing). Our under-garments are ideal for flatwork training, horse riding holidays, leisure riding and hacking, and all competition riding, even under tight, light-coloured breeches, when your own derriere will be shrouded in a masterpiece of underwear engineering!

Key words

Riding underwear,horse, pony, flatwork training, riding holidays, leisure riding, hacking,competition riding, breeches, horse riding, riding wear

www.derriereequestrian.com

Ready for endurance with Derriere Equestrian

Ready for endurance

By Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Endurance Rider Katie Bedwin

Endurance riding is fun, thrilling and addictive. But for some people it can cause some physical discomfort while they are getting used to the longer distances and the adaptions they may need to make to their conventional riding position. This also applies to pleasure rides. Common issues for those new to longer distance rides are tension and pain in the lower back, and fatigue in the knee joints.

There’s an excellent article by American endurance rider Priscilla Lindsey called ‘Equitation for Distance Riders’, whereby Priscilla states that riding in harmony with the endurance horse's movement is achieved by riding in balance ALL of the time. “When the rider is not in balance, excessive muscle tension (grip) is used. This results in rider fatigue, and consequently ‘pounding’ the horse's back. Riding in balance requires only good muscle tone, rather than tension, to keep the rider light in the saddle.” Priscilla explains that the faster trot, gallop and up-hill rides require the rider's centre of gravity to be over the heel, with the rider’s shoulder AHEAD of the vertical line (the one that is drummed into us as beginners as being ‘ear/shoulder/hip/heel’. The endurance rider’s hip, when taking the ideal, forward, lighter seat, is behind the vertical line, counterbalancing the rider’s shoulder. The successful endurance rider’s pelvis in a true vertical position, neither tipped forward (e.g. where the rider has a hollow back) nor tipped backward (e.g. where the rider has a rounded back). If you can easily feel your seat bones, rock back and forth on them in the saddle until it feels like they are pointing straight down at the ground beneath your horse's belly, advises Priscilla in her article.

Once you have honed this adaptability with your riding, you will hopefully find that any lower back pain or discomfort in the knees that you were experiencing over longer distances is reduced as you begin to use your body differently.

Other areas that affect rider comfort when tackling endurance or pleasure riders is tack and clothing. Gel, foam or sheepskin saddle covers or ‘seat savers’ are very useful, and the saddle itself makes a difference - if you’re not investing in an endurance saddle, a GP should suffice; choose wide stirrup irons to spread the weight distribution across the ball of your foot.

Consider investing in padded riding underwear like the Derriere range,as when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, there is less likelihood of compensatory misalignment of the spine and pelvis. Breeches-wise, look for garments without excessive seams. 

The Derriere Equestrian Treviso Training breeches work in harmony with the Derriere undergarments, ensuring all fabric surfaces come together in a symbiosis that completely eliminates chaffing, abrasions and discomfort in the saddle.

Key words

Horse riding,endurance, trot, gallop, endurance rider, seat bones, breeches, padded ridingunderwear, seat bones

www.derriereequestrian.com

Material Facts For Equestrians

Material facts

No one can have failed to notice that equestrian riding wear is now classed as athletic clothing. Few of us favour the uncomfy pants, floppy fleeces and shapeless jodhpurs of yesteryear, when there are form-fitting breeches and padded riding undergarments to be savoured!

Here are a few of the materials that you may see in your riding-wear labels - cotton and merino wool are natural fibres. The rest are synthetic fibres, which are more commonly used in active-wear. They are generally based on blends, and sweat is evaporated outside the garment:

Cotton

Ah, beautiful, natural cotton. What’s not to like? Well, we believe it isn’t the best material for active wear when used on its own. Cotton holds up to 25 times its weight in water, so isn’t ideal for sweating, and takes ages to dry. However, it smells less than polyester, so is OK for low-sweat activities like hacking. Look out for blends with Elastane and Microfibre in active riding wear and breeches. 

With underwear being the first layer next to the skin, it is essential fabric selection at this level is carefully selected. Avoid cotton in your underwear and seek fabric blends such as those used is the Derriere Equestrian range, these are all designed to be wicking and have featured fabrics with bacteriostatic properties.

Elastane (Spandex / Lycra)

Elastane fibres are usually branded as Lycra or Spandex - as an extremely stretchy material, it is often blended alongside other fibres for support. Elastane can expand to nearly 600 per cent of its size, and we are big fans!

Gore-Tex

You may spot this material in yard boots and jackets, as it is waterproof and windproof, yet allows the skin to breathe.

Merino wool

This is a nice choice of material as winter approaches - it’s warm, breathable, wicking, and antimicrobial. Perfect as a base layer beneath a heavier jacket or sweatshirt.

Microfibre

This is an all-encompassing name for synthetic fibres blended from polyester materials. Tough and durable, you will see this used in good quality breeches and Derriere Equestrian Underwear.

Nylon

This branded, synthetic fabric dries quickly and is breathable. Often seen in low-cost breeches.

Polyamide

We love Polyamide! A polymer blend akin to natural wool and silk - the brand Nylon is a polyamide. Polyamide materials are light-weight, yet strong. They’re also fairly dirt resistant. Found in good quality riding underwear and breeches. A feature found in the lead products of the Derriere Equestrian range.

Polypropylene

Like polyester, this material is made from plastic; you may see it in base layer ‘long johns’ or thermal ‘under breeches’.

Polyester

The workhorse of active-wear fabrics, it’s durable, lightweight, breathable, and non-absorbent. Keep it washed regularly however, to avoid odours. Often seen in show jackets.

Supplex

Supplex fabrics are breathable and fast-drying - they take the form of a stretch jersey, or thin woven material. They’re actually more commonly seen in stretchy horse hoods, but may be used in items like wrist warmers for riders.

Tactel

Tactel fabrics are fast drying, strong and lightweight. Usually made as a stretch jersey, and often seen in riding socks.

Derriere Equestrian’s choices

Derriere Equestrian riding underwear is made from a breathable, micro-fibre fabric made from a Polyamide and Elastane blend with multi-directional stretch. Special, high density foam inserts are placed at key pressure points in the riding underwear garments to provide maximum comfort and performance, while the outside edge of the inner pads have extra soft fabric, to eliminate any chaffing.

We offer bonded, seamless technology with no abrasive edges and reduced stitched seam-lines, for supreme comfort when riding your horse or pony. Our manufacturing experts utilise state of the art, single jersey electronic circular knitting machines.

The range of Derriere Equestrian products go through more than 50controls during their transformation in production, so when purchasing, you can be sure of a high-quality piece of sporting apparel that has breathable, bacteriostatic fabric (that prevents bacteria from reproducing).

Our under-garments are ideal for flatwork training, horse riding holidays,leisure riding and hacking, and all competition riding, even under tight,light-coloured breeches! Browse our catalogue today.

Key words

Equestrian riding wear, athleticclothing, jodhpurs, Cotton, Elastane, Polyamide, Derriere Equestrian, sportingapparel, breathable, bacteriostatic, under-garments, breeches, riding underwear

www.derriereequestrian.com

Shhhh.....it’s personal

Shhhh.....it’s personal

Can we get personal with you? It is the unspoken element of horse riding... ‘personal discomfort’ in the saddle.

Many of us with such discomfort may be sitting in the saddle in a certain way to avoid this displeasure; for example, if you can feel a pressure in the area of your tailbone or coccyx, you are probably tipping your pelvis too far back in an effort to free up the area between your thighs - if you’re a woman, this will almost undoubtedly cause your shoulders to ‘hunch’. If you are compensating at all in your posture, you may experience misalignment of the spine and pelvis, resulting in an ineffective riding position.

Let’s look at the horse rider’s seat:

Many trainers refer to a three-point seat when riding horses and ponies, which is the triangle formed when you sit on your seat bones with the pubic bone at the front. It is important to bear in mind that ladies have wider seatbones than men, a much wider pelvic girdle and hip sockets, and a shorter coccyx that tips backwards a little. The ‘classical’ lengthened riding position is physiologically easier for men, as they can flatten their backs more when tilting their pelvis. When a man is in the saddle, he’s closer to being balanced evenly, e.g. in the middle of his seatbones - a woman tips more naturally forwards. If she hyperextends or hollows her lower back, she tips even further forwards, and downwards onto the crotch area. Ouch!! There’s your personal discomfort.

Dr. Deb Bennett speaks eloquently about male and female anatomical rider differences in her paper ‘Who’s Built Best To Ride’, for anyone who is interested in reading further. In her articles, Dr. Bennett talks about men’s ability to ‘slouch’ down into the saddle - typically seen in the riding position of male polo players on their ponies, when men ‘sit on their pockets’. Women are generally unable to sit in this way on a horse, with a straight or rounded lower back. (Which is no bad thing, as it can result in rounding of the shoulders, and that undesirable ‘chair seat’!)

Image with credit to chronof horse

So in summary, without going into too much anatomical detail, personal discomfort from horse riding in women is often caused by a hollowing of the back, or a general immobility in the lower back, which causes a forward-tipping motion, and rubbing; while for men, it can be caused by an unexpected tipping forward onto the genital area (e.g. a horse spooking), or a lack of balance (or even too much ‘bracing’ of the back) that causes rubbing or bruising. In both cases, it may also be caused by wearing underwear with stitched seams.

If you are suffering from personal discomfort when riding your horse or pony, there are options. Look at your saddle - do you need for example a larger saddle seat, or one with a narrower twist (the width of the section under your thighs); could you benefit from a leisure activity like Pilates to aid mobility and core strength; or would riding lessons help you to mobilise your pelvic area, and achieve a better riding seat? Consider padded underwear like the Derriere range; remember - when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, there is less likelihood of compensatory misalignment of the spine and pelvis, e.g. altering the body position to avoid pain to the sensitive crotch areas. And a comfy ‘personal area’ means a more effective partnership with the horse!

www.derriereequestrian.com

Key words - Saddle, crotch, riding position, rider, rider’s seat, three point seat, horse, pony, underwear