The Coldstream Kimmerston Quilted Coat is a beautifully warm short coat that keeps you snug without making you feel like the Michelin Man. The quilted panels are designed to retain heat with insulating faux duck-feather down.
What I really love about this short winter riding coat is how stylish it is. The overall look is flattering and smart, rather than wrapped up for winter at all costs, with no thought of meeting the fashion police. I tried this in the charcoal grey, which is almost black. Navy, taupe and Windsor wine are also currently available – as is a longer version. The silver zips and poppers, as well as the Coldstream badge on one shoulder, add to the chic appearance. I am a fan of the high “storm breaker” collar which you can pull up round the back of your neck to keep the wind out, and it looks good too.
The coat is warm and padded, but still streamline and chic
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Quilted coats can be very bulky, and often feel restrictive riding, but this one was great to ride in, offering plenty of freedom of movement. There also zip vents on the sides, but I didn’t find I needed to open these while in the saddle. The main full-length zip is two-way, so you can pull up the bottom zip when you’re riding to give more room for the pommel, but again, I didn’t find it interfered.
Comfortable in the saddle (even if the young horse refuses to pose nicely…)
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The fit is true to size – I tried a small which equates to a UK 10 (I’m size UK 8–10, 5ft 7in) , and it was perfect for me, allowing plenty of room for a thick woolly jumper underneath. I appreciated the length. Sometimes I find that short coats can be too short, but this is a decent length, ensuring you avoid cold draughts up your back. It is available in five sizes from XS–XL (UK 8–16).
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The pockets are great – two zip-up ones on the hips that can take a phone or a wallet. These are fleece-lined which is a bonus for cold fingers. There is also a zip-up chest pocket inside the coat.
I first tried this coat on a cold sunny day, so I can vouch for its excellent warmth and breathability. As well as the storm breaker neck to keep out the cold, it has a small faux fur collar, which is comfortable and adds to the cosiness.
A small faux-fur collar adds to the warmth-factor
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The manufacturer claims it is water-repellent, and although I didn’t test it in the rain, it looks and feels like it has these qualities.
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The coat is water-repellent
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Verdict
I loved this coat – it had all the cosy benefits of the down quilting, storm-breaker collar and faux fur, but without being bulky or heavy.
Martha Terry is Horse & Hound’s features editor. She has a horse and is at the yard every day. She is currently producing a four-year-old ex-racehorse with a view to eventing after several years off the circuit.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
