The Winter Nina Breeches go excellently with the Maya Padded Vest from Horseware. Photo by Owie Samuels.
While everyone is familiar with Horseware Ireland in terms of their excellence in blankets for horses, I for one was not acquainted with their line of clothing for people, and therefore was very excited to see what it was all about. Having used their turnout rugs for years now, my bar was set high for attention to detail, durability and comfort. Just in time for some cold weather, I received some of their Winter Collection, and wasn’t disappointed.
First I tried the Winter Nina Ladies Breeches, which are specifically designed to keep you cozy in the cold months with a light fleece lining on the inside. I’ve always been skeptical of fleece lined pants, as I’ve tried a few that made me feel rather bulky, and I was disappointed with the overall experience. These pants, however, are incredibly soft on your skin, and feel like the natural material of any other pair of breeches, but they definitely keep me warm. I wore them on several sub-20 days, and my thighs didn’t lose feeling once!
These winter breeches are also lovely on the outside, as they’re clearly constructed with intimate detail and durability in mind. They come in a blue jean color, but they also somewhat remind me of my favorite pair of slightly stretchy regular jeans in the fit, and I really liked that. They are mostly made of polyester material, but with just enough spandex in there to give you a really custom fitting feel.
A picture of the detailing on the back pockets. Photo by Owie Samuels.
I’m a breech snob, mostly because I wear breeches every single day all day except that one night when I go out into town and bother to change. Therefore, I’m into details that matter. I really appreciated that these breeches have seven evenly spaced belt loops, which means that your belt can properly do its job and keep your pants where you want them.
The loop on the very back is also wide reinforced, which means when you sit down, the pants do not pull back against a flimsy loop and leave you with the dreaded lower back gap (you know what I’m talking about). They fell about mid-rise on me, and while I always wear a belt with breeches, I think it would be recommended in general.
The Winter Nina Ladies Breech also comes with a variety of useful sized pockets, where you could feasibly store things and not regret it. A lot of breeches now come with only one or two pockets, and they’re only fit for three horse cookies at a time, but not this pair. There are two proper sized pockets up front, and two in the back, in which I can fit my entire hand. The zippers that you see on the picture above do not contain extra pockets, but with four functional ones, you should be pretty set.
The knee patches are made of a unique material called Daewoo. Photo by Owie Samuels.
These breeches come in either full seat or knee patch, and I tried the latter. I’m more comfortable in knee patch pants for the variety of horses I ride every day, and I really liked the soft but sticky material of the patches. It feels like a thicker version of suede, but in fact is a very specific material of Daewoo, which is unique to Horseware.
Another detail that I find important for all day comfort is how the bottom of the pants fits around your ankle. The Winter Nina Breeches followed my favorite design and have a section of material at the bottom that is of the softest stretchy fabric. If you’re trying to make sure thank your ankles and legs stay happy throughout the day, no matter what the weather, this is the best design to have underneath your chaps or boots; it causes no chafing, doesn’t get bunched up and always fits no matter what your leg size.
The Winter Nina Breeches are about mid-rise. Photo by Owie Samuels.
Overall I found these pants to be incredibly comfortable, warm for winter weather, and constructed with the same attention to detail and design for durability that we’ve come to expect from Horseware. I would recommend these to amateur riders and professionals alike, as they’re incredibly stylish and cozy, but are also built to withstand significant use. You can find your nearest Horseware dealer online at the Horseware Ireland website.