Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.
Check out that extra sticky grip - Photo by Lorraine Peachey
Sometimes I just have a day when I feel like things are just a little off–like maybe it just really isn’t my day at all. Maybe I hit snooze one too many times when my alarm went off. Maybe I have to clean Mark’s poo-ed in water bucket. Maybe the sweater (that I’ve only worn once before) has a snag in it. But never fear, I can throw on my sparkly new pair of flats to brighten up my day.
Things are looking up…until I dash out to the kitchen to grab my travel mug, and proceed to feel my feet slipping every which way. Because my totally glam new shoes have a smooth soles. Unfortunately for me, on an “off day” I probably need to wear actual shoes with traction. Sadly, on those days, the glam flats come off and are traded in for a sensible pair of cute boots. Ones with excellent traction, but of course.
The moral of the story is that function is important – because slipping and falling on my face would definitely loose me cool points. And it just wouldn’t feel very good either. And traction is definitely one of those features that is important in my shoes and boots. Though it is also a quality that is prized in my riding breeches as well.
Just last year I first became familiar with Stickyseat breeches – and my first thought after hearing about them was that it was quite an interesting concept. And the name was quite catchy to boot. So I looked up Stickyseat and browsed around their website to check out their line of breeches.
One of the first things that I noticed was that all Stickyseat breeches are MADE IN THE USA (which, as you may recall, I am definitely a big fan of). Upon further reading, I also came to find out that Stickseat products are made out of sustainable fibers and that they even donate 10% of proceeds to help horses in need. Suffice to say, I was eager to try a pair.
The fabric of the Polartec WindPro Leg Tread Tights is a pairing of a low pile fleece interior lining with an exterior that is both wind AND water resistant…but it still breathable and pulls away moisture from the skin – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
So this season, I’ve been wearing the Polartec WindPro Tights from Stickseat as part of my rotation of winter breeches. When I pulled them out packaging for the first time, I noticed that the fabric of the tights was substantial feeling, but not overly bulky. And I liked that it was also smooth to the touch.
The Polartec WindPro Leg Tread Tights are made with…you guessed it, a Polartec WindPro fabric. But what benefits does WindPro bring to the table? Well, the fabric actually pairs a dense, low pile fleece interior lining with an exterior that is both wind AND water resistant…but it still breathable and pulls away moisture from the skin.
In addition to protecting your skin from the elements, the Polartec WindPro fabric is also abrasion resistant – which is a good thing since I always find myself bumping into things around the barn. Besides holding up to scuffs, the fabric also seemed like the would be easy to clean since it felt smooth and slightly slick. It also does have a nice amount of stretch to it, as it is made out of 95% polyester and 5% spandex.
When I pulled the pair of tights up to try them on for the first time, I was definitely pleased with how comfortable they are. They are a pull-up style pair of tights, and they stretched and contoured to my frame nicely. I found that I really liked how soft the inner fleece lining felt against my skin, and also took note that the fabric did not feel overly bulky while I was wearing them.
Since the tights have a smooth and slightly slick feeling to the outer shell, I was really interested to see just how they felt when in the saddle. To offset the smooth fabric, the tights also contain Stickyseat’s own patented grip leg. The grippy area starts on the back side of both of the legs, and stretches down to also cover the inner sides of the knees.
From the time that I swung up into the saddle, I was flat out amazed at the amount of grip that I was able to get with my seat…all thanks to the grip leg – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
Wearing the tights to ride in was quite the experience. From the time that I swung up into the saddle, I was flat out amazed at the amount of grip that I was able to get with my seat…all thanks to the grip leg. In fact, as soon as I landed in the saddle, I made the comment, “Holy *fill in the blank here*, these are really THAT grippy!”. Yeah–they really are. And I’m not saying that lightly either.
I was really impressed with the amount of grip that I was able to get thanks to Stickyseat’s own grip leg. While the grippy area did it’s job really well, I think it was also the placement of it that really helped it function so well. I like that the grip area covers the back of my legs, because it is great to help with getting a nice seat. Especially during a windy day when my horse throws in some overly enthusiastic antics.
I also like to wear the Polartec Windpro tights even when I’m not riding – they are terrific for doing barn work on cold days. The fleece lining helps to keep me warm, while the outside protects me from wind and rain (and snow). Plus, it is also a big plus that I’m able to brush hay and dirt right off the outside as well (because nothing is worse than tights with hay stuck. All. Over. Them.)
Stickyseat’s Polartec Windpro Fleece Winter Riding Tights are still available in limited sizes – they retail for $98.00, and you can find them here. You can also find the Stickyseat Powerstretch Fleece Eventer Tights, which are the exact same design as the Windpros, except they are made out of a more heavyweight fabric that is very warm – they are available to order now, and you can find them here.
Go Breeches that are just THAT Sticky. Go Stickyseat. Go Eventing.
