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A good pair of horse riding gloves is something every equestrian needs. Riding gloves go through a lot so it is a challenge to find a durable and long lasting pair. This article reviews the best, highest rated and most commonly recommened gloves for riders of all disciplines, to make your choice a lot easier.
The Top-Rated Gloves for Horse Riding
- Editor’s Choice – Roeckl Womens Riding Gloves
- Budget Pick – AFE Ladies Horse Riding Gloves
- Luxury Pick – Roeckl Malia horse riding gloves
- Best Winter Gloves – Roeckl Unisex Adults Winter Polartec Riding Gloves
- Best Summer Gloves – Uvex Sumair Riding Gloves
Uvex Sumair Riding Gloves
Very breathable and moisture absorbing summer riding gloves.
Roeckl Womens Riding gloves are our top pick for multiple reasons. These gloves make an ideal pair of riding gloves thanks to their material and properties. They are also one of the top recommended gloves by equestrians on the internet and social media. First and most important roeckl riding gloves are super comfortable to wear (tested personally by myself and many of my equestrian friends). The comfort is achieved by high percentage of elastane in the material, they basically tightly wrap around your hand. Inner lining is soft making them a pleasure to wear. Outer layer imitates leather. The material is breathable so these gloves can be used in the summer too without causing excessive sweating. Roeckl gloves come in such big variety of colours that everyone will find something for themselves to fit their likes. Some of the most common colors include: black, brown mocha, caramel, beige, white and marine blue, but many more are available. The sizing range is wide too so a person of any hand size will find a well fitting pair. In addition these gloves are machine washable and touch screen compatible.
Uvex Sumair Riding Gloves
Very breathable and moisture absorbing summer riding gloves.
AFE Ladies Horse Riding Gloves look professional and expensive but in reality are super cheap. They are a decent quality though and recommended by many equestrians. They are made out of cotton and synthetic leather (grip). Cotton keeps the heat nicely so I would lean towards getting these for the autumn/winter season. Might be too thick to be used during the hottest days if your hands sweat a lot. The material is stretchy and fits to the hand size nicely. They come in four different colour variations.
Uvex Sumair Riding Gloves
Very breathable and moisture absorbing summer riding gloves.
Roeckl Malia Riding Gloves is one of the most luxurious pair of gloves any equestrian could have. The gloves are made out of elastic lycra and highly breathable micro mesh. The gloves are so comfortable, they feel like a second skin. Outer material has an additional layer of quick drying and UPF 50+ sun protection. It reduces the absorption of the heat radiation and noticeably prevents heating up. Roeckl Malia therefore will made a perfect pair of equestrian gloves for the summer months. They are equipped with a velcro wrist closure. Thanks to their pretty design they could also be used as show gloves with no hesitation. The grip is made out of a silicone material providing a good grip on the reins. The gloves are made out of a touchscreen compatible material.
Uvex Sumair Riding Gloves
Very breathable and moisture absorbing summer riding gloves.
Roeckl Unisex Adults Winter Polartec Riding Gloves are by far my personal favourite pair of winter gloves. Material is soft, and elastic with amazing heat insulating properties. The gloves are slightly stretchy to fir the shape of your hand perfectly. The soft inside fleece material keep your hands warm even when riding outside in the middle of the winter season. The material around the wrist is tight to prevent the heat from escaping. These gloves are also super durable, my pair has been with me for three winter seasons straight and still has a lot of life left (despite being intensively used). The sticking has never failed me and the material doesn’t tear even at the points of contact. The grip is surprisingly decent for such a thick glove thanks to the slip stop silicone patches. They come in three colours: black, brown mocha and anthracite grey. Bear in mind that unfortunately these gloves are not waterproof and will probably not be the best choice for riding in the rein. For more winter gloves, have a look at our complete guide to buying The Best Winter Horse Riding Gloves.
Uvex Sumair Riding Gloves
Very breathable and moisture absorbing summer riding gloves.
Uvex Adult’s Sumair Riding Gloves is a high quality pair of gloves designed with the hot summer days in mind. The upper hand and the thumb material is a breathable mesh that allows a good ventilation of the hand. The material used under the palm and between the fingers provides a good anti slip grip, but is simultaneously pretty thin to prevent overheating. What is worth noting is that the design of the gloves is beautiful and stylish. A mix of mesh, faux leather (both in mate and lacquered), as well as the more technical materials produce an ascetically pleasing combination. It is also worth noting that Uvex, along with other brands like Roeckl are the leading brands of riding gloves in Europe and have years of experience producing such products. Uvex cooperates with multiple professional riders in the equestrian sports like Isabell Werth, to produce the highest quality products for everyone.
What to Look for in Horse Riding Gloves
Here are some things to consider when finding the best riding gloves for yourself.
Good Fit
One of the most important things to consider is how well do the gloves fit your hands. The material should comfortably wrap around your palms and fingers, without causing discomfort. You do not want gloves that are too big as such gloves provide a poor grip on the reins and do not keep the heat in the cold. On the other side, avoid gloves that snuggle your hand too tight, as a tight material restricts a natural blood flow and causes numbness and makes your hand cold in the winter.
Grip
It is important that the gloves have a durable material in places where they come in contact with the reins (palm and fingers). A material should be such that provides friction and lets you have a confident contact on the reins. My personal favourite grip is a silicone grip, but many equestrians also go with a leather grip. Avoid gloves that have no special grip because it will most probably result in your hands sliding around the reins and constantly loosening the contact.
Material
Pick a material that is breathable to prevent excessive sweating. Go with air wicking materials, such as mesh. If you are looking for a pair of warm gloves, go for gloves with a fleece lining from the inner side. I would suggest staying away from materials like faux leather or leather as they make your hands sweat a lot and do not absorb that moisture well. Leather materials also feels ‘colder’ so might not be the best choice during autumn or winter seasons. Lastly the material should be durable, especially in places of contact with the reins. Anything that feels bridle and delicate will probably fall apart after a few rides.
Colour
Choose a colour according to your likings and preferences but bear in mind that certain disciplines require white colour gloves during a competition (such as dressage). Always double check with the current FEI rules.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some of the most common questions users ask when choosing Horse Riding Gloves
Is it OK to ride without a pair of gloves?
It is fine to ride without gloves, but I would not advice anyone to do so. Your hands might get scratched, bruised and you might end up with painful calluses and ugly looking skin deformations. Also, at a certain level of competition gloves are an obligatory piece of the riders outfit.
What to do if my hands are getting cold in the winter?
It is a common problem of equestrians that do not have access to indoor areas during the cold season. It is worth investing a good pair of winter riding gloves, but if that is not enough for you, buy yourself a single use hand heaters or thermal cuffs for your hands.
Other Riding Gloves We Reviewed
We looked at two other Gloves for Horse Riders. Even though they didn’t make our top 5 list, they’re still some of the market’s best.
Best Horse Riding Gloves for the Rainy Days
If you are looking for gloves that do not soak trough and keep your hands dry and warm during the wet days, MacWet Climatec Gloves might be just the right pick for you. The outer layer is made out of a water resistant polyurethane, inside layer is a relatively thick windproof polyamide and the inside is lined with a fleece lining to keep your hands warm. The grip uses aquatic technology, ensuring a good grip even if you come to contact with water. The glove is short and finishes at the wrist, where it has a thick, long and elastic cuff for a perfect fit and to prevent water from getting inside the glove. As the gloves are highly breathable, they can be used throughout the whole year in all weather conditions.
Best Riding Gloves for the Show Ring
Dublin Dressage Gloves are a good choice to complete your competition look. Firstly, they come in two different colors: black and white. Obviously if you are a dressage rider you probably want to go with the white colour, but black is a good option for other disciplines. What is so special about these gloves that they appeared on this list? Well, you could potentially use any other pair of gloves for your competitions, but Dublin Dressage Glove has a unique wrist design, that has a ‘u’ cut. It is perfect if you are wearing a watch, which personally for me is a crucial part of my competition outfit, during tacking up, warming up or a cross country course. Dublin Dressage Glove wrist design lets you read your watch without a problem. In addition to that, these gloves have a good grip (designed in mind with double bridle reins) and are very breathable.