In brief 💡
- On horseback, the cold wins mostly when you're still: grooming, waiting in the arena, long stretches at a walk. For male riders, the heated outdoor fleece takes over.
- Layering up isn't enough: one layer too many squeezes, makes you sweat, and the sweat then chills you.
- Keep the upper body warm first, with the women's heated riding vest under a women's heated light jacket that blocks the wind.
- On the reins, thinness comes before thickness: thin heated gloves. In the stirrup, OUTDOOR heated socks keep your feet warm without squeezing them.
At G-HEAT, the horse riding selection brings together heated clothing designed for riding all winter.
7:30 a.m., a December morning. The stable smells of hay, the thermometer reads 1 °C.
You start grooming. Brush, hoof pick, rug to fold. Ten minutes later, your fingers sting and the cold creeps down your back.
So you add a jumper, then a fleece, then the big jacket. In the arena, you're stiff in the saddle, and you're still cold.
Sound familiar? This guide explains how to choose your winter riding clothes, moment by moment: in the stable, in the saddle, hands on the reins, feet in the stirrups.
More layers, more warmth? The myth that leaves riders cold
Should you pile on layers to ride in winter? No: three well-chosen layers beat five stacked ones. Each has a precise role, from wicking away sweat to stopping wind and rain.
You wore your thickest jumper, and you were still cold. That makes sense. On horseback, the body alternates between effort and stillness, and a fixed outfit can't keep up.
Three layers, three roles
- The first layer, next to the skin, wicks away sweat. It must be breathable and quick-drying.
- The second layer holds the heat. It does the work during grooming and waiting.
- The third layer protects from wind and weather, without restricting movement.
For the first layer, heated base layers add active heat right next to the body, where fabric alone only holds it in.
One layer too many, and the cold comes back
Too many layers squeeze the shoulders and arms. The rider loses freedom of movement, and circulation slows in the extremities.
Above all, an outfit that's too warm at the trot makes you sweat. Damp clothing insulates less well than dry clothing, as INRS, the French occupational safety institute, points out. Back at a walk, the sweat cools on you.
Also read: Why is cotton a bad choice in extreme cold?
Back getting cold when you stop?
A heated vest under your jacket, for the long minutes standing still
When you're still, the upper body gives up first
Why do you get so cold in the stable? Because when you're still, the body produces little heat, and INRS points out that without physical activity, heat loss quickly exceeds the heat produced.
The body then protects its core. Hands and feet receive less blood.
Grooming, waiting at the edge of the arena, a hack at a walk: these are the moments when the upper body cools down. So that's where the heat needs to go.
The riding vest, the piece you forget you're wearing
In the saddle, a slow pace quickly chills the upper body and hands. The women's heated riding vest is designed for exactly that moment. Its reinforced quilting insulates even with the battery off.
Its arms stay free for the reins. The heat goes to the middle of the back and the pockets, to warm your hands between exercises.
For male riders, a unisex heated fleece
The riding vest is a women's model. Male riders can turn to the heated outdoor fleece, unisex, in sherpa.
Its shoulders and sleeves are reinforced, where a fleece wears out first. Three zones heat the back and the pockets, for your hands during breaks.
Over the vest, a jacket that blocks the wind without restricting the arms
Which riding jacket should you choose for winter? One that blocks the wind and sheds the rain, without hampering your movements in the saddle. It goes over the warm layer, not instead of it.
Three types come up at the yard. The softshell jacket, supple, follows your arms at the trot.
The parka, longer, protects the lower back while waiting in the field. Lastly, the quilted jacket warms you without keeping out the rain.
Back to the arena. Grooming is done, you mount up.
At the trot, cold air gets under loose clothing. Météo-France, the French national weather service, points out that wind lowers the feels-like temperature.
Length, collar, water-repellent: the three criteria
- Length covers the lower back without disturbing your seat.
- A high collar shuts out the wind that comes in at the neck.
- A water-repellent fabric lets drizzle run off. For proper rain, keep a waterproof hooded jacket within reach.
The women's heated light jacket follows this logic. Water-repellent, fitted cut, high collar against the wind. It's worn on its own at a slow pace, or under a waterproof jacket when the cold sets in.
That leaves the neck, where the wind slips in at the trot. The heated neck warmer, in soft stretch fleece, heats the front and sides of the neck. Its battery sits in a built-in pocket.
"On a riding vest, I think about the arms first: they have to stay free for the reins. So I put the heat in the back and the pockets. And the button stays at the bottom of the vest, where your hand finds it without leaving the saddle."
Product engineer, G-HEAT
How does a heated jacket take over when the pace slows? In the short video "G-HEAT heated jacket: how does it work?", the brand shows the heating zones, the button and the battery.
On the reins, thinness comes before thickness
What gloves should you wear for winter riding? Gloves thin enough to feel the reins, with warmth that comes from somewhere other than thickness. A glove that's too thick makes you lose contact with the horse's mouth.
The reins slip between your fingers, damp with dew. With big mittens, you can't shorten them cleanly. With an ordinary thin glove, your fingers give up after half an hour.
The thin heated gloves are stretchy, with a silicone grip on the palm that works even when wet. The heat sits on the back of the hand and the top of the fingers, where the cold sets in first. The index finger and thumb stay touchscreen-compatible for your phone.
A long day outside?
Heated clothing for all your winter outings
In the stirrup, warm feet without being squeezed
How do you keep your feet warm on horseback? First by avoiding compression: a foot squeezed in a boot receives less blood, and a crushed sock insulates less well.
Two thick pairs in a fitted boot? They often make your feet colder.
In the stirrup, the foot barely moves. It rests on the metal stirrup, often wet from the arena. It's the part of the body that stays still the longest.
The OUTDOOR heated socks are thick, with a high leg (43 cm in size 39/41, EU sizing), designed for boots and high shoes. The heat sits under and over the toes, and is adjusted remotely with a remote control.
Try them with your riding boots, not with slippers. A slightly wider boot leaves room for air to insulate. Other models are in G-HEAT's heated socks.
Find out more: How to choose and wear hiking socks in winter?
Lower body: winter breeches do half the work
Which riding breeches should you wear in winter? Thermal breeches, lined on the inside, that keep their grip on the saddle.
"Full grip", a silicone seat over the whole thigh, holds you in the saddle even in gloves. Winter riding breeches keep the warmth in without the creases of town trousers.
Thighs and knees touch the cold saddle for the whole session. Under winter breeches, a thin layer is enough, provided it doesn't crease.
Heated leggings go under your breeches on the coldest days at the yard or in the field.
A complete outfit is read moment by moment. Where do you get coldest on a day with your horse?
| Moment | What chills you | The layer that responds |
|---|---|---|
| Grooming in the stable | Standing still, hands in contact with equipment | Heated warm layer on the upper body, thick gloves |
| Waiting in the arena | Standing still, draughts | Heated vest on, jacket closed at the collar |
| Working at the trot | Wind chill, sweat | Breathable first layer, heat turned down |
| Hack at a walk | Low effort, hands and feet still | Heated thin gloves, heated socks |
| After the session | Sweat cooling down | Dry spare layer, heat switched back on |
After the session, sweat chills faster than the air
Why do you get cold when you dismount? Because the body sweated during the effort. Once you stop, it produces less heat, and the damp speeds up heat loss.
It's often the coldest moment of the morning.
The horse goes back to its stable, you dry it off, you put the tack away. Meanwhile, the damp T-shirt sticks to your back.
A must-read: From what temperature should you wear heated clothing?
Why choose G-HEAT for winter riding?
- Heat for the moments without movement. Grooming and waiting in the arena are treated as moments in their own right, not afterthoughts.
- Free arms in the saddle. The heat sits in the back and pockets, leaving the rider's movements intact.
- Heat you adjust without dismounting. Three levels, a button within reach, and your outfit adapts to the pace of the session.
- A complete outfit, from hands to feet. Vest, jacket, gloves and socks combine, each on its own zone.
- A French brand born from real cold. G-HEAT's product team designs its clothing so the activity can go on, and has it tested in external laboratories.
Conclusion: back at the stable at 7:30 without dreading the cold
Tomorrow morning, the stable will be just as cold. This time, the vest heats from the start of grooming, and your fingers stay sensitive on the hoof pick.
In the arena, you ride without a layer too many. The reins run through thin gloves, and your feet stay warm in the stirrups. The lesson can go on, and so can the hack.
Whatever the weather. G-HEAT.
FAQ: winter riding clothes
Can you wear a heated vest under a riding jacket?
Yes, that's exactly where it belongs: the vest keeps warmth close to the body, the jacket stops the wind and rain. Choose a jacket loose enough not to squeeze the vest, without flapping at the trot. Keep the battery accessible to adjust the heat in the saddle.
Is the heated riding vest suitable for male riders?
The heated riding vest has a fitted women's cut. For male riders, the unisex heated outdoor fleece plays the same role on the upper body. It heats the back and the pockets, and goes under a windproof jacket on rainy days.
How long does the battery last over a day at the yard?
For the riding vest, the product page gives 6 to 7 hours on low, 3.5 to 4.5 hours on medium, and 2 to 3 hours on high. For a long day, keep the high setting for grooming and waiting, then turn it down in the saddle.
Do thin heated gloves get in the way of holding the reins?
They're thin and stretchy, and their palm has a silicone grip that holds even when wet. The heat is on the back of the hand and the top of the fingers, leaving the palm free. Try them with your reins before the first cold ride.
Sources and references
[1] "Travail au froid : Prévenir les risques", INRS (in French)
[2] "Travail au froid : Accidents et effets sur la santé", INRS (in French)
[3] "Qu'est-ce que la température ressentie ?", Météo-France (in French)
[4] "Grand froid : quels risques, comment se protéger ?", Météo-France (in French)
[5] "Neige, pluie, gel : comment le cheval s'adapte pour affronter l'hiver", Fédération Française d'Équitation (in French)
