Question 1

Cotton, performance fibre or wool: which shirt is best for riding?

Julia Lühr · Accepted Answer

For sweaty riding lessons, performance fibres and merino wool are usually more comfortable than pure cotton. Wool can absorb water vapour up to about 35 percent of its own weight, around twice as much as cotton and many times more than polyester.

This means the skin under wool stays dry for longer. Polyester hardly absorbs any moisture and dries quickly. Cotton, on the other hand, soaks up moisture and feels wet. A polo shirt made of performance fabric is a good compromise in summer.

Question 2

Why do some sports shirts smell more quickly?

Julia Lühr · Accepted Answer

Because sweat and bacteria become more firmly trapped in some fibres. In a study from New Zealand, wool fabrics retained 66 percent less body odour than polyester and 28 percent less than cotton.

Wool binds moisture and odour molecules inside the fibre, which is why wool shirts stay fresh for longer between washes. With polyester shirts it helps to wash them straight after riding instead of leaving them lying around sweaty.

Question 3

What do I wear as a man at a competition?

Julia Lühr · Accepted Answer

Under the show jacket you should wear a shirt or shirt-like top with a tie, combined with light-coloured riding breeches. This is what the German competition rules (LPO) specify, for example, for show jumping classes, and at higher levels light-coloured gloves are added.

The requirements differ depending on discipline and level, and the schedule can stipulate special rules. The current FN equipment rules for the LPO are binding, so it is worth having a look before your first competition.

Question 4

How often do I need to wash a merino wool shirt?

Julia Lühr · Accepted Answer

Much less often than a shirt made from synthetic fibre, because merino wool is naturally odour and dirt repellent. Often it is enough to air the shirt after wearing it.

When you wash it, use the wool cycle or wash by hand with wool detergent and follow the care label. Dry wool shirts flat and only put them in the tumble dryer if the label allows it. This way they keep their shape and softness.

Men's Shirts

Tommy Hilfiger Equestrian Men's Polo Shirt Fresco, desert sky

Pikeur Men's Polo Shirt Ties

Kingsland Men's Shirt KLNasim, navy

Kingsland KLNoval Men's Training Shirt, black

Amigo Polo Shirt Pikeur

Cotton, performance fibre or wool: which shirt is best for riding?

Why do some sports shirts smell more quickly?

What do I wear as a man at a competition?

How often do I need to wash a merino wool shirt?