As eventing season gets underway for 2019, depending on your region you may experience cooler temperatures as you enter at A, halt and salute at X. On those cool morning as you make your way to the jumper ring or the startbox, full of anticipation, imagine if you could bury your hands in soft warmth of your favorite barn puppy’s fluff. That’s the feeling comfort you’ll get from Hauke Schmidt Fine Riding Gloves.
You know when you try on a quality pair of field boots and the leather is soft and supple right out of the box? These gloves are just that. The pair I tried was insulated for springtime showing, and my hands stayed deliciously warm without overheating. But they have a whole range of colors and styles, from traditional class, to a hint of bling!
According to their website: “Hauke Schmidt Finest Gloves is a family business based in Germany with a fine pedigree in equine competition. Hauke’s father was a very successful, international show jumper with over 200 wins to his name. All products are produced under the personal supervision of Franz, our glove maker.” Many of the best products I’ve discovered are designed by equestrians, because they know what it takes to bring quality to the table. These gloves are just that.
I tried the Nordic Dream Gloves with Thinsulate, and they are perfect for early spring showing. The leather is soft and warm, and the gloves provide excellent grip. As for sizing, the gloves I tried were a size 7.5. They were just a bit long in the fingers on me, so a size smaller would likely fi t… well … like a glove. I’m a petite 5’4″ with smallish hands, but as my sister says, “muscular, man hands that run a farm.” My hands are not very long, but sometimes when I get a perfect length, my fingers are too “meaty” to squeeze all the way in. These gloves have the perfect amount of stretch and give to allow an excellent fit. The nice thing is on their website they have a measuring chart for “Ladies & Gents,” so you can be sure you get the correct size for your exact hands! (I’ll be honest, I did not measure my hands — this would be a better idea in the future!)
The Haute Schmidt gloves come in a range of colors and options, including black/white/navy/mocha and even “A Touch of Magic Patches” (read: super classy bling for a hint of style!) Some are designed for cooler weather in spring and fall, others expertly ventilated for the heat of the summer. They even have bright pink/orange gloves for kids and adults when you’re schooling or on cross country! The Touch of Magic are my absolute favorite. I adore bits of sparkle on my helmet, hints of style on my custom spur straps, so of course I want a touch of bling on my show gloves! See all the options here.
The pricing is comparable to other quality show gloves, but these offer a greater range of options for every personality. And the patches are interchangeable so you can pick a different look for each phase! You can be sure I’ll be wearing Hauke Schmidt gloves in the upcoming Buck Davidson Clinic in March in Kansas City, and my first event of the season at the Kentucky Horse Park in April (not THAT event … I wish!)
Find Hauke Schmidt on Facebook & Instagram (UK Insta here).
And be sure to follow Frantisi on Facebook and Instagram – they are the reason we have access to these gorgeous gloves from Hauke Schmidt and loads of other equestrian products in North America!
Final Review (Out of 4 Stars)
Cost: $$
Excitement: **** 4 Stars
Durability: *** 3 Stars
Variety: *** 3 Stars