Thursday, February 27, 2014

Jodhpurs In The History Of The World

By Jerri Perry


Jodhpurs are known primarily as riding pants, but they began as traditional garb in oriental countries and India. Since their introduction to England in the late l9th century, these pants have been used for riding, as military uniforms, as police uniforms, and as high fashion wear. Hollywood movie directors used to love them, and they are still the most practical wear for child equestrians.

The traditional jodhpur was roomy at the hip and tight-fitting from knee to ankle. It's a good cut for riding, as it provides freedom of movement for hip and thigh but helps to give a good grip for the lower leg. Modern stretch fabrics have changed the need for the flared hip, which has totally gone out of fashion; today the styles are form-fitting.

Sir Pratap Singh, an avid polo player from the Indian province of Jodhpur, brought his team to England for the Queen's Jubilee celebration. The players wore their traditional garb, which became a fad for polo-playing English. They preferred their tall boots, however, and adapted the style, keeping the flare but changing the legs to end at mid-calf, to allow tall boots to be pulled over them. These are called breeches and are still used for riding today.

The English adaptation became the norm for formal equestrian wear in England and then in the rest of the world, especially as women began to abandon the sidesaddle and ride astride. Perceived as upper-class wear, it became a symbol of military and police authority as well, being used in many uniforms. Hollywood movie directors liked to strut around in them, too.

Full-length pants are good for children, because they grow too fast to make buying high boots practical. Instructors also say that this style of riding pant lets them see the position of the leg, thus helping children learn the correct position. The riding world is fairly strict on etiquette, and many horse enthusiasts prefer to see children dressed in jodhpurs even if money is no object.

The long pants can be used with half-chaps or leggings, which cover the lower keg and strap under the paddock boot. This helps prevent rubbing against the stirrup leathers and give a neat look to a rider when mounted. The practice of wearing informal clothes for training and exercising saves expensive, highly-polished tall boots from excessive wear.

A jodhpur pant is made with seams on the outside, to minimize leg irritation, and a reinforced knee panel to help the rider grip the saddle. Some also have seat patches of leather suede or some other non-slip material. Many modern styles feature complete seat and inner leg insets. New fabrics enable four and five-way stretch construction to give maximum comfort to the mounted rider; these non-binding fabrics have led to the loss of the traditional flare. Todays styles are form-fitting from waist to ankle.

Jodhpurs in all colors are acceptable for informal occasions, but competition usually requires traditional beige or white. Saddlebred show riders wear a special style with a flared cuff that comes low over the heel, always in dark blue or black.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment