Review of Three Budget-Friendly Breeches

breeches make a difference

I may be a tack ho of the best variety, but that does not extend to the breech collection. It KILLS ME to pay $200+ for pants that I will wear out in the sun and rain and mud and snow and destroy. Kills me. I can't do it.

I'm told that more expensive pants wear better, but I'm pretty sure the law of diminishing returns comes in to play in a hurry. Plus it seems that people who are most impressed by durability actually do the least things, you know? Like "omg these breeches lasted me 10 years!" but they only ride one horse for 20 minutes twice a week.

Full disclosure: I spent the past couple years working in a pro situation, which meant 8+ hour days on the regular, all in breeches. I'm currently LOVING the ammy life and I ride my one horse 5-6x a week and do practically no barn chores.

I want a breech to be stretchy enough to not unduly restrict me, firm enough that any unacceptable lumps are smoothed out, durable enough that I can use them for 1-2 years, AREN'T LOW RISE, are front zip, and have sock bottoms. Need normal rise. Hate velcro bottoms. Don't need hips looking wider/more awkward (here's looking at you, side zip).

Tredstep breeches in action

Bachelor #1: Tredstep Symphony Nero Breech in smokie pearl

List price: $89.95
What I paid: ~$75

I was in desperate need of breeches last year and hit a 20% off sale at Bit of Britain. I like Tredstep half chaps, the breeches were well reviewed, and I needed SOMETHING.

I'm normally a 34, I got the 34 and they fit fine. These breeches have a nice sock bottom and an ok rise. The color is fine. They are definitely pants.

That said, they are my least favorite breeches of the lot. The fabric doesn't really have any give to it, which means it's constantly pulling at my knees. It "stretches" out quickly and looks unattractive. The breeches slide down even with a belt on. And despite being stiff and uncomfortable, they really don't flatter anything. I guess the durability is fine, in that I only use them when I desperately need to do laundry, so they're unlikely to wear out soon.

I would not buy these again. It's possible the top fo the line tredsteps are much improved, but if you can't impress me at $90, I'm not shelling out $200.

Equine Couture in action

Bachelor #2: Equine Couture Brittni Knee Patch Breeches in chocolate

List price: $89.95
What I paid: ~$75

These are the product of the same Bit of Britain sale. I basically picked things with a price I could stomach and color I could deal with and clicked order.

Again, got 34 and the 34 fit fine. These breeches also have a sock bottom. It's double layered and doesn't really have a seam at the bottom, which makes them smooth under paddock boots, but it's a minor PITA to put on. Not a deal breaker.

I actually quite like these breeches--they smooth what needs smoothing, give where it matters, and look sharp day in and day out. They don't sag or wear strangely and I really love the grippy silicone knee patch thingy. It grips without making me hotter, which is fantastic.

That said. They are low rise. Not the lowest rise ever, but HELLOOOOOOO MUFFIN TOP. You'll note I only ever wear them with baggy shirts because wow yeah, no one needs to see that. If you are a short-waisted low-rise-loving person, these are the pants for you.

I might buy these again, but I wouldn't pay full price. They do come in nice colors. They have also started to pill somewhat, but since they work twice as hard at the Tredsteps (at least), I'm not too concerned.

sadly no fantastic in action shots yet

Bachelor #3: Smartpak Equine Piper Knee Patch Breeches in ALL THE COLORS

List price: $79.95
What I paid: ~$64

I'm the queen of the 20% off sale. What can I say? Even with cheap breeches, I can't stomach full price.

I have reviewed the Piper breeches before. I kind of liked them. After I wrote the initial review, I liked them less because I was working in a barn and the pipers definitely have a crotch sag issue (no bueno) and they wore out pretty fast.

old pipers in action

But hey! That was almost two years ago.

So here's the updated review.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors. Who doesn't? Fun colors, good price point. My objection to the old fasteners is gone--they covered the painful metal things with fabric and it's all good there.

The Pipers hit every single one of my must have list in breeches--the rise actually works for my long-waisted self, the sock bottoms are spot on, etc.

So what's not to like?

another old piper shot.

Well, the crotch sag is still a thing. It doesn't matter when I'm riding because obviously there's a whole horse+saddle to hold them up. Since my habits no longer include long working barn days, I'm not really concerned about it. And yeah, they'll wear out eventually, but again, riding one horse means that I'm not putting a ton of wear on them.

I will also say that while this fabric is fantastic for the first few hours, it does sort of stretch out and look less flattering after a while on long days. It snaps back when you wash it, but if you're an industry pro, I wouldn't choose these breeches.

As a one horse adult ammy, I pretty much love them.

also not buying more of these

As a size 34, I don't expect breeches to make me look like a 24. I just want them not to make it worse. Maybe someday I'll cave and buy really, truly expensive breeches. Until then, I remain the budget breeches queen and I am not ashamed.

So there you have it. Three kinds of breeches under $100 each. It can be done.

Product Review: Smartpak Piper Kneepatch Breeches

Smartpak Piper Breeches
List price: $79.95
What I paid: $65.00ish

Since I have a horse to ride again, I thought it was worth my time to own more than one pair of breeches. I have a pair of Rompf kneepatch breeches that I love, but they run about $100 a pair and my local store was out. Instead of getting more of the same, I decided to try the Pipers because they were so well-reviewed in the blogosphere. It helped that Smartpak was running a 20% off promotion and that I qualified for free shipping by buying two pairs.

What I think:
I've waited to write this review because I like to put products to the test before I say too much about them. I purchased them back in August and have a solid month's abuse on both pairs now, so I think I can talk freely.

For $60, I think they're alright. They fit me well, but I am long waisted, so the higher rise actually suits me perfectly. I absolutely love the sock bottoms (no annoying velcro, huzzah!). Either I have freakishly narrow ankles or the sock bottoms are cut pretty wide, because they're loose on me.

I've gotten plenty of compliments on how they look, especially the tan pair with the teal contrast stitching. The belt loops are wide enough to accommodate a 1" to maybe a 1.5" belt. The material is soft and stretchy. I don't think it holds everything in place as well as my thicker and a bit stiffer Rompfs, but it's still respectable. They probably won't be great cold weather breeches, but they are great for summer.

They have held their shape well, and I don't feel like anything is out of place at the end of another long day in the sun. 

Except...

Here's what I don't like:

Cuz that feels really good

The top of the breeches close with two hooks (fine). However, the inside of the loops are inside the breeches, meaning that the metal is cutting into my stomach. That's fine on dress pants, since no one actually does anything in them, but for athletic wear? Ouch. In addition, there is a seam on the outside of the lower leg in both colorways that digs into my skin. My half chaps are pretty loose, but when it's hot, my legs hurt when I take these breeches off, from that seam. That puts them into a tricky weather category--too lightweight of fabric to wear when it's cold, but they take your skin off when it's hot.

I should add that I use the snot out of breeches. I probably spend the least amount of time in them riding--I run errands, feed horses, clean stalls, buck hay, and scrub water tanks. To their credit, they haven't stained or looked ratty, but I noticed that they take snags a lot easier than makes me comfortable as far as long term use is concerned.

The Final Outcome: 

That said, for the casual rider (or someone who only wears breeches to ride, then changes to do chores), they are a great choice for any budget. 


Noted: I was in no way compensated to write this and I had to buy the breeches on my own. I'm simply sharing information to benefit the blogger community.

Also noted: If you want to compensate me to write something, let's chat.

Thoughts on Leg Protection

Izzy has approved this message.

Since my review of the Eskadron Climatex Wraps, we've had a little discussion about the appropriate use of leg protection and it's application. I figured that I might as well discuss my theory and practice on that topic instead of summarize another stirrupless dressage ride (although I did have my best sitting trot ever!!).

I see leg protection as specific to an individual horse. In my case, I'm dealing with a mature-bodied diva mare who really doesn't interfere much under normal circumstances. Since she is a horse, normal circumstances involve standing in the pasture, moving around the pasture, and eating a lot of the pasture.

Thus, when I ride her and she is standing around, eating, and moving in a generally straight direction, I see precious little need to boot or wrap.

However, not all of our rides are trail rides.

I believe in leg protection for rides on which I'm asking her to do something new or difficult that would increase her chance of injuring herself. In addition, I always weigh the risk of leg protection gear vs the risk of bare legs.

For example, Izzy is pretty new to the whole trail thing, which would qualify us for leg protection EXCEPT that I think the risk of heat buildup and sand/weeds accumulating under the boots and rubbing her is greater than the risk of the occasional misplaced hoof.

When we had our absolutely fabulous dressage ride on Saturday, I had her wrapped all around. I knew that we were going to be going at a much faster clip than usual, and with the addition of lateral movements, I wanted that extra bit of protection.

I always boot for jumping. I use open fronts so that she can feel the rail if she knocks if, but if anything else knocks her, she should have protection. When doing grid work or cross country, I will boot all around. If we're just jumping single fences, I see front boots as plenty.

All that is held in the balance with the current weather. I live in Idaho, and it is warm in the summer time. Heat build up is a major risk for soft tissue injuries, so I always weigh the risk of that versus the risk of the activity we are doing. Generally, I'm more worried about heat than an occasional knock. Then there's winter. We get that here, albeit a lot less than most of you. That means that I switch almost entirely from wraps to boots, because my fingers are too cold to wrap properly, and an improper wrap is definitely worse than no wrap at all.

In case you're looking for product recommendations, here are mine:

Eskadron Climatex, obviously. Best hot weather polos on the market.

Classic Equine 3DX Bell Boots. The high neck gives gives extra protection and they are sized for actual horses, so they fit Izzy.

Roma Open Front Boots. They're cheap, they look good, they fit Izzy. I actually had Eskadrons here and sold them because I just didn't care for them.

Tack of the Day dressage boots. Don't have a link because they're only periodically available, but they cost $20, look like the more expensive models, hold up well, and are easy to clean.

PSA: If you do not know how to wrap, just don't do it. Boots are easier and safer.

So... thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

Rethinking Smartpak

I believe I blogged before about why I use Smartpak for Izzy. Basically, it's cheaper and super convenient, since the feed/tack store is on the opposite side of the valley from where Izzy is. It's an extra hour of driving to and from, plus then I'm at the only viable tack store in the area which is never good when I'm already looking to spend money. You know how that goes.

Anyways. Through Smartpak, I got what I wanted (Ugard and an omega 3 supp) for way cheap and didn't have to pay shipping. It was a great system. The only problem is that now, Smartpak has changed their policies. They have free shipping for all Smartpaks over $40. I'm sure that's amazing for Denali's Mom and Marissa, whose horses are somewhat higher maintenance, but for Izzy, whose monthly total was $21, it's not as good of a deal. Oh, and they raised the prices on most of their supplements. I am not complaining about that--it's a business and they have to make money, BUT now instead of paying $21 a month, it's $32. That's $132 a year. I know, small potatoes to some of you (and not even a month for the Wild Pony Beast's Smartpak), but enough for me to explore new options.

Then again, Smartpak is super easy to use, I do love their customer service, and as one friend pointed out, "You could just increase your supplements until they cost $40". Haha, not likely, but it's a thought.

So. I am planning on keeping the Ugard, since it makes Izzy's tummy happy and is pretty inexpensive. What's your favorite skin & coat/omega 3 supplement?