What is a breech? It is a pair of pants that are designed to fit under tall horseback riding boots. The fabric of the riding breech is tapered below the knees so there is no extra bulk under your child’s boot to rub their legs. Children’s equestrian breeches either have Velcro just above the ankle, or elastic to hold the breech down so it will not ride up your child’s leg while you put on their boots. We suggest that they wear thin tall boot socks over your child’s breeches to make it easier to fit their boots over their breeches.

Correctly fitting children’s English riding breeches must first be comfortable to wear. The knee patches should be at your child’s knees, the waist should not gap at the back and the seams at the calf should be below the knee. Children’s breeches are available in many types of fabrics and styles. You should choose your child’s breeches based on a few criteria.

First, what are you using these breeches for schooling or training your child’s horse or are these breeches for a horse show? Breeches that are proper for showing your child’s horse usually come in a limited color variety. Correct children’s horse show breech colors for hunters and equitation are usually tan, beige, gray, and occasionally rust. Dressage riders compete in white. Ariat offers many choices in breeches. Color-coordinate your child’s breeches to your child’s show coat. Tan breeches are best paired with navy, black, brown or green show coats. Light gray or charcoal show jackets match better with gray breeches.

Schooling breeches, that are ideal for practicing for shows or just trail riding your child’s horse, come in any number of colors, and may be worn with half chaps and paddock boots. Many kid horseback riders like to show their personality in their riding apparel while schooling their horses.

Secondly, you must consider what style you want your child’s breeches to be, form fitting like tights, or looser like pants. Children’s riding breeches are also available in low rise and regular rise. The rise is the distance from the crotch of the pants up to the waistband. Relaxed fitting breeches can be very flattering for women with hips. We carry brands of breeches that can be tailored to improve how they fit. You can tell if your child’s breeches can be tailored by turning them inside out. Extra fabric in the seams indicates that the breeches can be tailored. Children’s breeches made from four-way stretch fabric usually cannot be tailored. Schooling tights on the other hand are always more form fitted and many are available in styles that pull on without a zipper. A comfortable fitting breech for schooling your child’s horse is the key.

Thirdly, what season will they be in these breeches? Do you need lighter weight for summer, or fleece for winter? Children’s breeches come in cotton blends and synthetics. Though cotton breeches can be very soft and comfortable, synthetics and blends are far more efficient at wicking away perspiration.