Horseback riding?

[Allan Thomson]

I'm curious about why buy a kilt with horse riding in mind? If you wish to show your ancestory & ride a horse why not commision a pair of tartan riding breeches - sure the original style trews yould be ideal for this or even a true pair of knee breeches? This is more traditional on horseback.


If you're wanting a kilt bhorseback.for off the horse wear, but wear breeches for riding if you're wanting a purpose designed garnment and wear the kilt off the horse.

Or if you must have tartan whilst riding but don't want trews then wear normal riding breeches and a plaid either worn as a fly plaid cloak style or belted and kilted over the top of them. Or alternatively a pair of riding breeches and a jacket and or waistcoat made in your clan tartan (similar to baggot's hussars, indeed a kilt cut jacket may be better suited for riding than a normal length one?

Bith options are more true to tradition than wearing a phillabeg on horseback?

[Oilverland]

I'm curious about why buy a kilt with horse riding in mind? ...

Well I looked at the kilt, and with plain panels in the front but pleats in the back I thought it was designed with horsemanship in mind.

Going off-topic a bit:

As for saddle comfort, I don't know about the Scots, but other cultures have used sheepskin and the like as a saddle surface or cover. Today's western style saddles are particularly uncomfortable, although some come with padded seats. There are contemporary "seat savers", I think they are called, that can provide a real or artificial sheepskin on top, and some also have foam under that. That two layer version is what I use, and boy has it saved my tukas and other parts.

The well know horsemanship educator, Julie Goodnight, while doing a clinic I was at, reminded riders to sit straight and not rotate one's pelvis forward in the saddle. As Riverkilt notes above, one must learn to sit the horse. Julie went on to say "this is not a problem men usually have".

I'm only wishing I could ride at all. I'm from eastern Washington and am way sensitive to smoke, so I had to leave for a while. It's too hot for the horses in August anyway. If you don't know about the fires (the news focuses on California) check out this https://www.fireweatheravalanche.org/fire/ or https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

[Allan Thomson]

Well I looked at the kilt, and with plain panels in the front but pleats in the back I thought it was designed with horsemanship in mind
https://www.fireweatheravalanche.org/fire/ or https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Whilst I can see your line of thought that's not the case. Whilst there may be occasional examples of highlanders riding in kilts the convention was even in traditional highland society that trews or breeches would be worn whilst riding. Also amongst Highland Regiments mounted officers or troops engaged in mounted duties would wear breeches or trews throughout their history (regardless of whether they were riding horses, mules or bicycles).

Even in the Jacobite forces where the wearing of Tartan and Kilts became a sort of uniform the mounted troops were in breeches.

My Brother keeps horses and rides but would never wear anything other than breeches despite owning a kilt.

The kilt evolved to meet the needs of a population who largely travelled on foot over rough and wet ground.

[Oilverland]

Well I did eventually get on a horse in the kilt. To make it doable for me, I had on lycra bicycle style shorts, and a seat-saver pad on a western saddle. Was quite comfortable until I tried posting a trot - that resulted in some rubbing on the parts of my leg that were still bare (I was wearing kilt hose and some tube like things on my knees). Overall this was more comfortable than jeans, with all their seams and wrinkles. Real English style riding breeches might be best - I have some but they have seams too, and there are no equestrian shops at all close that stock anything for me to try on that might be better. Men's English style riding gear is hard to find.

Yah so this is a novelty act and I have no shame about doing that! The women at the stable liked it. It's getting cooler so I think I'll try some tights as a first layer, so there will be no more bare skin. There's a reason women wear tights while riding. But given the looks of my body, tights on me should be covered!

[Riverkilt]

Welcome to the Kilted Cavalry!

[Deirachel]

The archaeological evidence supports the idea trousers were invented specifically because horse riding became a thing.

As a few have said, the kilt is great, but not always the right garment for the activity.