15 Aesthetic Examples Of What To Wear Horseback Riding

Inside: 15 aesthetic examples of what to wear horseback riding. First timer tips and how to look cute while doing it.

Riding horses isn’t as common here in Texas as some of you may believe. I’ve grown up in the Dallas area my whole life, and anyone I met from out of the state or country just loved asking about my horses, if I rode them to school, etc.

Just because I’ve never owned a horse or ridden one to school doesn’t mean I haven’t ridden one at all, however. So I know a thing or two about your first time horseback riding and figuring out the typical do’s and don’ts for getting dressed for your first encounter with a horse. Or at least riding it!

As you get dressed for this, while you may think the standard equestrian style pants or your standard riding boots are the best moves for this event, the names of the styles can be deceiving. Let’s get into it and get you into the appropriate outfit for horseback riding.

What Shoes Should I Wear?

We’ll get to the outfits we need to wear while horseback riding here in a second, but we need to cover the most important one first: shoes.

Your shoes are the simplest but also the most important part of the outfit of what you should be wearing when you go horseback riding. Do you know how many people I’ve seen show up to a ride or at a camp with horses and hoping to go horseback riding but get turned away for wearing open toed shoes? So many. So many people.

You may already be well aware of this, as many places that plan to take you out on horses make sure that you know that you are expected to wear closed-toed shoes, no exceptions.

I know it makes sense sometimes to wear Tevas or Chacos or any of the athletic outdoor sandals that you would normally wear to explore outdoors, but with horses, you need as much protection from the elements and from the horse itself as possible. While you don’t need to go run out and get steel toed boots, the tougher the shoes you have the better. Just in case.

Usually sneakers will suffice for this, but if you really want to go all the way, shoes with any kind of boot heel are great for keeping you steady, sturdy, and stable in the stirrups.

So basically… go out and get yourself a pair of cowboy boots.

Kidding, but if you’ve got a pair, it’s perfect!

What To Wear Horseback Riding

There are a couple other rules when it comes to what to wear horseback riding. One is long pants. You always want to wear jeans. You can usually pass with leggings, depending on where you’re going, but remember that you’re still trying to protect yourself from the elements.

There’s a reason cowboys wear all over denim– It’s durable enough not to tear and wear out while you’re riding, and you also won’t get scratches and burns from the saddle. Something thin like leggings on a long ride may get pretty uncomfortable if the thick leather from the saddle is irritating your legs through the thin fabric.

Keep your tops fitted so as not to get tangled with all of the equipment or to let it get caught in the wind as you ride. It won’t exactly slow you down but it may not necessarily be comfortable either.

Don’t wear any loose waistbands that need to be adjusted constantly. Whether they’re loose or low-rise. Trust me, you won’t want to be pulling up your jeans all ride long. It’s never really going to work out well for you, you’ll ever quite get them up right, I promise. Wear pieces that you can trust.

Baggy pieces also ensure that if you’re to fall off of a horse, you could fall clean off rather than getting snagged on something.

Trust me, we’ll get into the cute outfit ideas, but keeping the technicals in mind will help when you move to the cute part! All of the rules about what to wear horseback riding are all about your safety and have been proven to be necessary for generations– so why wouldn’t you listen and abide? Horses are beautiful creatures but you always have to be prepared for what they could do next!

Random Tips

If you’re going somewhere dusty to ride, there’s also a reason that real cowboys wear bandanas. Bring one along to tie around your mouth and nose in hopes to not get too much of the dust from the trail in your mouth and nose. The more comfortable you can stay from the elements around you the more you’ll enjoy it. On that note, you might want some sunglasses too to block out the dust around you as well.

Yes wear jeans, but keep your wide leg and baggy jeans out of it. This isn’t the time to lock in the trendy baggy jean moment. Baggy jeans can get stuck in all sorts of places and it’s not a good feeling. Sorry to tell you, if you’ve already stored away your skinny jeans for the next couple of years, time to drag them back out. A fitted jean that can fit inside a boot is exactly what you need for this activity, and skinny jeans just about fit the bill.

Now let’s get on to the cute and aesthetic part– the cute outfits! Whatever the vibe is, wherever you’re going, you’re going to look so cute in any of these aesthetic outfits. Here’s what to wear horseback riding.

Summer Horseback Riding

1. Fitted
2. Muscle Tee
3. Graphic Tee
4. All White
5. Equestrian Tee

Equestrian

6. Preppy
7. Plaid Layer
8. Quarter Zip
9. Classic
10. Sweater

On The Beach

Every rule is meant to be broken on the beach.
11. Summery Outfit
12. White Jeans
13. Cut Off Shorts
14. Sundress
15. Bikini

Horseback riding is such a calming and soothing activity. Though I am a city girl through and through, I’ve always wished I had a horse just to ride around whenever I wanted and had the opportunity to have access to a horse and a trail anytime I wanted. The vibes are just so pure.

Not to mention how aesthetically trendy the old money equestrian aesthetic is. It’s so cute and very earthy while still staying in the boujee aesthetic. If this is generally your vibe, you’ll love these outfit ideas, even when you’re not planning to ride horses! Hopefully you found the perfect outfit for your horseback riding excursion and have the best fit planned out.

Whether you’re traveling to make this dream come true or you found a ranch near you to go take a little stroll with a horse friend, this is the perfect move for you.

Maybe you need another kind of earthy aesthetic. If you’re less into the old money vibe and more into the cottage core, I’ve got a post for you with all the outfit ideas you need for the winter cottage core aesthetic. Check it out here!