These Mountain Horse Flora Tech riding tights are lightweight and practical, ideal for summer on the yard. When I first put them on, they had an almost slippery, silky feel – which is very nice on the skin but I was concerned they would not be robust enough for a day’s yard chores and riding. They felt ideal for whizzing out on a run! But despite their lightweight appearance and feel, they stood up well to all a day’s work and were comfortable both in and out of the saddle.
Comfort
A highlight is how comfortable these tights are. With the wide elastic waistband, they are easy to pull on and it’s a bonus in hot weather particularly not to feel constricted round the waist. They are very stretchy, so although they look tiny when you pull them out of the packaging, they conform nicely round the leg and bum. I was surprised how flattering they are given they so lightweight, but they are supportive in the right places!
The elastic waistband and stretch fabric make the tights very comfortable
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For summertime they are ideal, because the lightweight fabric doesn’t overheat you despite being close-fitting.
Mountain Horse Riding Tights: in the saddle
Riding-wise, my concerns over their slipperiness were quickly allayed. The silicon grip pimples extend right from the seat down to mid calf, and do their job well. I unintentionally brushed past some brambles and branches and the fabric stood up well with no snagging. An additional bonus was when I was washing my horse down afterwards and spraying myself accidentally, the fabric dried almost immediately.
There is silicone grip on the inner leg and the seat
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There are mobile pockets on each leg, and I found them to be at a suitable position not to be noticeable when riding, but within easy access. They held firmly without sagging when I was mucking out, too.
There is a well-positioned phone pocket on each side
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The look
These are a flattering pair of tights, but they are quite thin and lightweight for those who prefer a more robust look in their riding wear. The dark navy colour is smart and I’d be happy to wear these both on the yard for every day and for lessons or clinics in summertime.
Sometimes riding tights come up a bit short, but these are a good length, going down to the jodhpur boot. I tried a size EU36 (UK 8 or S) and found it to be spot-on. I am a UK8 and while I wouldn’t want them any smaller, they fitted well.
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Verdict
A great pair of summer riding tights. They are lightweight and stretchy, so you feel well supported within a snug fit. They have a silky feel when you put them on, but the silicone grip gives you good security in the saddle.
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.
These are our first impressions of a piece of kit or clothing based on spending some time with it. We will have had our hands on it and given it a really thorough going over before trying it on ourselves or our horses and using it. The information we can give you after this first look will give you some sense of what it’s like to use, even if it’s only an initial view. As soon as we’ve given it a more thorough test, we will update the review with a full scoring and additional thoughts.
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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.
