26 July 2017
 Categories: , Blog

Vacationing at a luxury dude ranch can be an excellent way for a family from a big city to experience the thrill of horseback riding. In fact, heading to a dude ranch in the wild, wild west is the latest trend for city slickers. Not only do you get to spend time in the great outdoors, but you get to take in the sights on an equine friend. If you are planning a trip to a dude ranch and have never been horseback riding, you may not know what to pack for your family. While luxury dude ranches do have a ready supply of riding helmets, they leave the rest of the clothing and accessories up to you. Here are a few suggestions. 

Sun Protective Shirts 

Since you and your family are accustomed to spending time in the concrete jungle, your skin will need to be protected against the harmful sun. Pack clothing that is designed to offer sun protection. That way, your skin doesn't burn while you're out enjoying an excursion on your horses.

Of course, the best sun protection clothing will have long sleeves, which can also keep your body cool on the hottest days. The reason for this is because wind and sunlight will cause sweat to evaporate far too quickly from bare skin before the sweat is able to do the task it was meant to do, which is to keep your body cool. If sweat doesn't stay on the skin long enough to keep your body cool, you can risk overheating. 

By the way, choose colors that are bright, particularly if there are any horse riding trails that go through the woods. This will help you to keep an eye on your children and other family members or friends, so you can easily spot them meandering through the woods on horseback. For help with finding protective riding clothing, contact companies like Kastel Denmark.

Long, Sturdy Pants

Jeans are a staple in the wild, wild west. The material of jeans is sturdy and rugged enough to handle whatever you and your horse put them through. However, you'll want to avoid jeans that have thick pockets, especially if you expect to spend a significant amount of time in the saddle. The extra material of back pockets may be uncomfortable after some time. 

If jeans aren't your preference, consider purchasing horseback riding breeches from an online retailer. Breeches are equestrian pants that are tight-fitting and designed for maximum comfort, as they are made of material that stretches, such as spandex. When searching, look for breeches that have a full seat of the gripping material, which will help you stay in the saddle. Be sure to take body measurements before selecting the sizes you'll need for yourself and others on the trip so you can get the correct sizes and lengths. 

Footwear

Riding boots are important because they are designed to provide much-needed ankle support for riders. Also, riding boots have the proper heel and tread for horseback riding because the boots need to fit properly and securely in the stirrups while providing grip. Thin socks are appropriate for horse riding boots, especially if you plan on wearing breeches that extend to the ankle. The reason for this is to prevent discomfort from having too much material against your ankle inside the boot. 

Boots should be properly fitted, so you'll need to locate a retailer in your area to be fitted correctly. If there are no stores in your area that sell horseback riding boots, don't fret. The dude ranch where you will be vacationing may have some boots for your use. 

Of course, there will be times while at the ranch where you won't be riding horses, so you'll also want to pack other footwear as well. Since you'll likely be working with horses or traipsing through the ranch, you'll want to avoid wearing open-toed shoes, anything with a high heel, and flip flops.