jeudi 13 février 2014

Jodhpurs Have Been Around For A Long Time

By Jerri Perry


Jodhpurs are known primarily as riding pants, but they began as traditional garb in oriental countries and India. Since their introduction to England in the late l9th century, these pants have been used for riding, as military uniforms, as police uniforms, and as high fashion wear. Hollywood movie directors used to love them, and they are still the most practical wear for child equestrians.

A jodhpur pant has always been tight-fitting from knee to ankle but flared or loose-fitting above the knee. This gave freedom of movement to the hip and thighs while helping a rider cling tightly with the legs. Modern stretch fabrics have caused the distinctive flare to be abandoned, and today's riding pants conform to the rider's shape from the waist down.

Sir Pratap Singh, an avid polo player from the Indian province of Jodhpur, brought his team to England for the Queen's Jubilee celebration. The players wore their traditional garb, which became a fad for polo-playing English. They preferred their tall boots, however, and adapted the style, keeping the flare but changing the legs to end at mid-calf, to allow tall boots to be pulled over them. These are called breeches and are still used for riding today.

The English adaptation became the norm for formal equestrian wear in England and then in the rest of the world, especially as women began to abandon the sidesaddle and ride astride. Perceived as upper-class wear, it became a symbol of military and police authority as well, being used in many uniforms. Hollywood movie directors liked to strut around in them, too.

Full-length pants are good for children, because they grow too fast to make buying high boots practical. Instructors also say that this style of riding pant lets them see the position of the leg, thus helping children learn the correct position. The riding world is fairly strict on etiquette, and many horse enthusiasts prefer to see children dressed in jodhpurs even if money is no object.

Adults also often wear them with low boots and half-chaps or leggings, which protect the lower leg from chafing against the stirrup leathers. They make good work clothes around the barn. Riders seldom want to wear their tall, highly-polished boots for stable chores.

A jodhpur pant is made with seams on the outside, to minimize leg irritation, and a reinforced knee panel to help the rider grip the saddle. Some also have seat patches of leather suede or some other non-slip material. Many modern styles feature complete seat and inner leg insets. New fabrics enable four and five-way stretch construction to give maximum comfort to the mounted rider; these non-binding fabrics have led to the loss of the traditional flare. Todays styles are form-fitting from waist to ankle.

The most common colors for jodhpurs include beige, cream, and white, although saddle-seat riders wear flare-cuff styles in dark colors. Today, riding gear for casual wear comes in many colors, but competition generally calls for traditional beige or white. Go online to see styles, colors, and variations that follow the current fashions.




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