You walk into the tack store prepared to buy a new pair of riding breeches. Sadly, you soon realize you’re not prepared for this task. There are mountains and mountains of different sorts of breeches with strange names like full-seat, knee-patch, euro seat and extended knee patch. You right away feel overwhelmed, but come to a decision to sort everything out then and there so you can have a new pair of breeches.

The Oldie but Goodie Breech

Knee-patch breeches are the most common type of breeches in the shops and they were possibly the 1st sort of breeches you owned. They have a suede patch which covers the inside area of the knee that runs to approximately 5cm above and below the knee. It is most widely utilized in the over fences divisions as it allows the rider to have some grip, yet still be in a position to get out of the saddle.

The Staunch Breech

If you want to be well placed to sit in your saddle to determine your horse’s movement, then the full-seat breech is the way to go. It has a patch made from suede, Clarino or leather which runs from slightly below the knee, through the inner leg and back to the seat. It is most well-liked with dressage riders because this type of breeches allows them to sit straight and not slide all over their saddle. Eventers use full-seat breeches in some phases, but they’re practically non-existent in over fences classes.

The New Kids on the Block

There are two new types of breeches making an appearance in arenas near you, the euro seat breeches and the extended knee breeches (also known as the dressage patch and 3/4 seat breech).

The euro seat breech has knee patches, and an extra seam which covers the seat, but doesn’t contain any material to help the rider sit in the saddle. It is becoming very popular in working hunter classes, because they’ve a reputation of being more comfortable, sturdy and stylish than the traditional knee-patch breeches.

The opposite is true with the extended knee patch breech. The extended knee patch breech looks like a full-seat breech without the seat patch. This breech is excellent for multi-discipline use as it gives riders on horses with bigger movement more grip and it gives dressage riders on smaller movers more freedom. Eventers like the extended patch breech as it strikes the ideal harmony between staying with their horses during the cross-country phase while letting them freedom to get out of the saddle.

You discover that shopping for riding breeches is a breeze once you have decoded those different styles of breech. You choose the breech that best fits your discipline and what you need as a rider. You walk out of the tack store triumphant with your new breeches in hand. Now if you could have somebody decipher those horse ads for you.

Ashley Kantter is an established independent author and columnist specialising in subjects connected with horses and equestrian matters.

Townend Online is an online equestrian clothing and tack shop for all competitive riders stocking a range of comfort bridles and breastplates and other expert equestrian hardware.