DefinitelyDressage.com

So, I've been noticing a trend towards these high-tech grippy breeches. Back in the day I think real leather or deer skin was the end all in stick, but now it seems to be moving toward these little gripper things often made of silicone or the like. For example, Smartpak just started offering the Piper's with these grippers. Has anyone tried this type of breech? Is it that much stickier than regular full-seats? Any experiences thus far?

Examples:
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/pikeu ... term=22316

http://www.horze.com/full-seat-breeches ... ArW28P8HAQ

https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/piper ... tpak-13073

I dislike sticky breeches intensely. It is my experience that the breeches stick but the skin slides so you get hugely increased skin abrasions.

I do not understand how people like them. Maybe I simply have sensitive skin.

I find fits to be pretty sticky, they were expensive and are still nearly brand new. I hate wearing them.

There pipers are not as bad as the Fits as the fabric is quite comfortable against the skin. I like the slightly higher waist and not bulky calf.

Each to there own but im another whos not a fan. I recently started riding back in leggings and im loving the freedom of movement....well least after the first few rides when i realised i had to ride better. I now have 6 or so expensive breeches in my draw being unused in favor of my $7 leggings.

Love my fits breeches and the equissentials. I need the "stick" for my very quick moving and now sometimes spooky new mare.

I always liked just the clarino seats but for safety Purposes, I need the extra grip leather gives.

Lol, hayburner, however if you find them comfortable, and enjoy riding in them, then its fabulous for you.

nikki, often jump on in my yoga pants and half chaps.

Wouldn't be interested as I am another one that dislikes 'sticky'. Too much loose skin that moves if the pants don't (or allow the skin to slide).

I really like my clarino full seat Tropical Riders. Gives a bit more grip but breathable and allow the breeches/tights to wear better.

Susan

I have no experience with them, but I'd be curious to try them (or at least try them on - none are in my price range for casually giving a go ).

Super-sticky full seats are a no-go for me (I have big thighs - I can't WALK in them to get to the horse, no less ride effectively in them. Tried. Failed.) But where those that you linked to have a patterned sticky element, instead of the entire full seat... might be a bit different.

(Sorry - none of that really answers your original post...)

I haven't tried the sticky ones either; guess I'm 'suspicious' of them, or something. Leather full seats suit me just fine.

(Astral, I LOLed over your comment. Somehow, I got a mental image of a rider with her legs stuck together at the thigh, unable to move, and her fully-tacked horse looking on, amused and bewildered, from the arena.)

I find it very difficult to ride in sticky breeches! Clarino seats are fine, though. I think it is very personal.

I'm not good with too sticky breeches either. I have fat thighs and what happens is, as I bounce up, the sticky breeches get stuck and I end up sitting on my thigh fat!!!
I'm pretty sure that's what contributed to my fall off my big horse a while ago. I was riding in kerrits, on a suede wintec, that didn't fit either of us. Horse is VERY bouncy, so I was bouncing like crazy, sitting above my horse on inches of thigh fat (LOL) and then when he extra bounced (bucked) I just fell off.

I have a pair of the sticky seat ones http://stickyseat.com boot cut (because I am lazy and don't like having to put on tall boots, nor do I have a pair of tall boots anymore!) winter ones and I love them. Only issue is if I sit on our leather couch I have trouble getting up:). I have just ordered a pair from Smartpak, the piper boot cut ones, will let you know.

I ride in anything from full leather to clarino to just knee patch breeches. I usually will not wear full seat breeches in the summer though but with newer technology they are more comfortable in Georgia heat now https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/kerri ... eech-10247 these in both boot cut and regular are good because of the perforations in the seat plus they are made similar to FITS (which BTW I do not like!).

Okay so I bought the new SmartPak pipers with the stick! First, let me say the pipers with the moderate rise cut are so much better than the old pipers it's silly. The old cut on the pipers drove me nuts. They were too low, tighter on the legs, and bigger in the waist, so they were constantly sliding down. The new ones are amazingly more comfortable.

SO...the verdict........... I LOVE the sticky seat!!! I was glued and I mean glued to the saddle. Love them.

The only caveat I can say is that I rode in them in my second-ever hunt seat lesson (taking hunt lessons for fun and to make myself more versitile) and they were terrible for that. In my dressage saddle they felt amazing. In the jumping saddle, they would stick and then it was hard for me to adjust my legs when necessary. Now I'm sure some of that discomfort was also because I am uncomfortable in general in a jumping saddle, but still I think most people would probably not care for them for jumping. Overall, though, I'm obsessed!

Some of the conversation at Rolex the last couple of days among my fellow saddle fitters was the damage that super-sticky breeches can inflict on a calf-covered saddle. Apparently, they are not a good match!

no.stirrups wrote:Some of the conversation at Rolex the last couple of days among my fellow saddle fitters was the damage that super-sticky breeches can inflict on a calf-covered saddle. Apparently, they are not a good match!

Oh interesting. Now not to sound completely ignorant, but which brands of saddles are calf covered? Why does that type of leather have more issues than other types? I have no idea whether my saddle is calf covered (a Lauriche), but I will keep an eye out for damage for sure and report back if I see any.

I hate sticky breeches. Riding on a hot day and the breeches were still sticking to the saddle whilst I was trying to rise to trot. Grrrr.

I have a pair that are sitting in my closet after having been worn just the once... I went to get out of my truck which has leather seats, (and a bit of a lift, to add insult to injury,) and ended up face first in the parking lot when things didn't move and slide as I expected them to.

I always had this vision that if I got bucked off, my breeches would stay attached to the saddle and I'd be lying there, pantsless, in the dirt.

My favorites are the Bentex full seats that Eurofit breeches used to have. Stretchy, soft clarino. Expensive as hell, though.

Moutaineer wrote:I always had this vision that if I got bucked off, my breeches would stay attached to the saddle and I'd be lying there, pantsless, in the dirt.

HAHahaha...That seriously just made me laugh out loud. Hilarious.

I'm so in love with the Smart Pak Grip ones I can't help myself. I will say though, that every once in awhile you do stick to something your not expecting.

Also, I have to report, no saddle damage whatsoever thus far.

In terms of heat, the grips don't touch your skin, the pants are lined and then the grippies are on the outside. So, they grip to the saddle, but definitely not your skin. I'm going to order another pair from Smartpak in charcoal. I'm still interested in trying the expensive version from Pikeur, but I can't quite talk myself into spending that type of money for something I wear through every 6 months.

I just received a pair of Buckwild breeches. Love the fit and fabric - but they are seriously sticky. Too sticky for me. https://www.buckwildbreeches.com/
I will say they have great customer service too.

I bought some sticky seats too I don't find them too bad, however they are a bit high waisted for me so they slide down and the crotch goes a bit low!

lorilu - I've been emailing the owner of Buckwild. She said, "The damask and zebra are the two that are super sticky. All others are much less sticky." So, I'm pretty sure I'm going to order the black with leopard seat. Thank you, you enabler!

PS - maybe you should try the navy with peacock seat .

LOL. I have decided to just send mine back and she will exchange them for a pair of the high waisted ones - they only have "regular" microsuede seat.... the black and leopard as well!!

HafDressage wrote:In terms of heat, the grips don't touch your skin, the pants are lined and then the grippies are on the outside. So, they grip to the saddle, but definitely not your skin. I'm going to order another pair from Smartpak in charcoal. I'm still interested in trying the expensive version from Pikeur, but I can't quite talk myself into spending that type of money for something I wear through every 6 months.

Wow, really, every 6 months? I realized when I went to Ireland 18 months ago, that I took with me the same full-leather-seat breeches that I'd ridden in (in Ireland) 17 years before. 17 YEARS and still going. I couldn't fathom paying money for something that wears out that fast.

(tho maybe you ride a heck of a lot more than I do. At my best, it was only a couple hours a day. I didn't train horses or anything.)

boots-aregard wrote:

HafDressage wrote:In terms of heat, the grips don't touch your skin, the pants are lined and then the grippies are on the outside. So, they grip to the saddle, but definitely not your skin. I'm going to order another pair from Smartpak in charcoal. I'm still interested in trying the expensive version from Pikeur, but I can't quite talk myself into spending that type of money for something I wear through every 6 months.

Wow, really, every 6 months? I realized when I went to Ireland 18 months ago, that I took with me the same full-leather-seat breeches that I'd ridden in (in Ireland) 17 years before. 17 YEARS and still going. I couldn't fathom paying money for something that wears out that fast.

(tho maybe you ride a heck of a lot more than I do. At my best, it was only a couple hours a day. I didn't train horses or anything.)

lol. Okay so the crazy thing is that I typically ride 1 horse a day. I just run through breeches relatively quickly and most of them aren't real leather. I tend to either wear through the faux full seat in the crotch/thigh (they start to fuzz up) or The pants stretch out over time. Also, I always wash and dry them, so I'm sure i'm contributing to their short life with improper care. I also don't buy super high end breeches typically - usually middle of the road. So maybe that is part of the issue.

HafDressage wrote:

lol. Okay so the crazy thing is that I typically ride 1 horse a day. I just run through breeches relatively quickly and most of them aren't real leather. I tend to either wear through the faux full seat in the crotch/thigh (they start to fuzz up) or The pants stretch out over time. Also, I always wash and dry them, so I'm sure i'm contributing to their short life with improper care. I also don't buy super high end breeches typically - usually middle of the road. So maybe that is part of the issue.

No, no, no....wash with soap only, no softener and hang dry. Much less expensive

khall wrote: I have just ordered a pair from Smartpak, the piper boot cut ones, will let you know.

Any update on these? I didn't know they made them, but very interested in getting a pair.

At one point I bought some of the Kerrit's sit tight breeches, rode in them for 10 minutes and promptly got rid of them. Way too much stick in the full-seat. I could see these boot cut ones with the long knee patch working nicely though.