With all the different types of horse-riding gloves on the market these days, it can become overwhelming to try and find the right pair to suit your needs. We put together this list of in-depth reviews to help you find the perfect gloves!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
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Best Overall
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Mashfa Ladies Horse Riding Gloves |
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Best Value
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FitsT4 Horse Riding Gloves |
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Premium Choice
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Noble Outfitters Riding Gloves |
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Heritage Performance Riding Glove |
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Weatherbeeta Dublin Mighty Grip |
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The 7 Best Horse-Riding Gloves — Reviews 2023
1. Mashfa Ladies Women Horse Riding Gloves — Best Overall
These horse-riding gloves from Mashfa are lightweight, inexpensive, and comfortable, making them our top choice overall. The gloves are made with tough reinforced stitching that can withstand the rigors of riding and ensure extended durability, and the pinky, thumb, and forefinger are reinforced for an increased grip of the reins. The fabric is stretchable and breathable and has elasticated wrists for a tight yet comfortable and flexible fit, with soft cloth-lined edges for added comfort.
Several users claim that the glove’s interior fabric is rough and scratchy, and the cuff elastic stretches easily and soon becomes useless for tightening. Also, these gloves are not ideal for cold weather or rain.
2. FitsT4 Horse Riding Gloves — Best Value
The best horse-riding gloves for the money according to our tests are the FitsT4 horse riding gloves. They are made from flexible and comfortable nylon and spandex material with added Lycra for superior breathability. The gloves have PVC dot-patterning on the thumb, forefinger, and pinky for superior grip during wet conditions, with a hook-and-loop wrist closure to allow a flexible yet snug fit. They are also machine washable and will not shrink during washing.
The PVC dot-patterning does not provide as much grip on the reins as you’d want, and the low-quality craftsmanship resulted in several customers reporting the gloves tearing at the seams soon after purchasing. These small caveats keep these gloves from the top position on this list, but they are great for occasional riding.
3. Noble Outfitters Riding Gloves — Premium Choice
If you are looking for a pair of premium horse-riding gloves that can withstand the rigors of daily riding, look no further than these riding gloves from Noble Outfitters! The gloves come in a wide variety of different colors and patterns to match your unique style and are made from a soft, breathable jersey material. The palm, pinky, forefinger, and fingertips are all reinforced with “Suregrip,” a double-layer synthetic suede for superior grip where you need it most, and there’s an adjustable Velcro wrist cuff for quick and easy adjustment. Best of all, the gloves are reported to be touchscreen compatible for smartphone use while out on a ride, if you want to snap a picture or two!
While they can work on a screen, it is with great difficulty and is probably easier to just take them off. Other than that, it is only the high price that keeps these gloves from the top two positions on this list, but they are well worth the extra cost.
4. Heritage Performance Riding Glove
Made with synthetic grain leather, these riding gloves from Heritage Performance are sure to endure the rigors of regular riding, and they look and feel great too! Synthetic leather is lighter than real leather yet is arguably just as durable. The palm portions are made from tough synthetic leather to provide grip on your horse’s reins, while the outside is constructed from stretchy spandex material for a great combination of durability and comfort with optimum breathability. The outward seams are double stitched for extra strength and have elastic wrist cuffs with an adjustable strap for a tight and snug fit.
Several users report that the synthetic leather is tough but not grippy and slips fairly easily off the reins. The stitching also didn’t last long for many users and came apart after only a few uses.
5. Weatherbeeta Dublin Mighty Grip Riding Gloves
As the name suggests, these riding gloves from Weatherbeeta are made for use in any weather conditions, with insulating, tough synthetic leather for cold and added perforations for breathability on hot days. The inserts are stretchy for a tight, flexible, and comfortable fit, with flexible knuckle panels for superior functionality. The wrist cuffs have a convenient touch-tape closure for a snug fit, and the gloves overall look great!
However, these gloves are expensive compared to some other gloves on this list. Also, the thumb insert is too long, measuring almost as long as the fingers, which can cause serious control issues while riding.
6. Tuff Mate 1301 Gloves
The “Cutting Horse” Gloves from Tuff Mate were made with functionality and durability in mind. These simple yet effective gloves are tough and made to last, with a grained goatskin palm panel for superior grip and durability and an inset thumb. The wrist cuffs are easily adjusted with an elastic for a snug fit and have a soft and comfortable feel on the hand. These gloves are a classic among equestrians and for good reason, as they will outlast most other gloves on the market.
While they are tough, these gloves do not offer much in the way of breathability, and your hands can quickly become sweaty in hot weather. They are also fairly loose-fitting, which may cause a loss of functionality.
7. SSG Pro Show Grip Gloves
Worn by showjumping Olympic star Beezie Madden in her 2004 victory, the SSG Pro Show gloves are great for beginners and pros alike. They are made with an Aquasuede palm for superior grip and durability where you need it most, and a Coolmax Lycra back for optimum comfort, breathability, and flexibility. A hook-and-tab loop on the wrist cuff allows for quick and easy adjustment and a tight, snug fit. The gloves are breathable and great for use in warm weather but durable and grippy enough for wet weather too.
Several customers report that these gloves are grippy at first but quickly lose that grip after only a few uses. They also came apart at the seams quickly for some users and are comparatively expensive.
Buyer’s Guide
A good pair of gloves is a staple item in your equestrian wardrobe. While gloves are not always essential, they are definitely useful, as they can keep your hands dry, comfortable, and protected while riding. Some riders feel that gloves hinder your feel of the reins and thus, your connection with your horse, but with the right pair of gloves, this shouldn’t be the case. This is especially true if you have a difficult horse that pulls at the reins frequently or if you are going on a long ride.
When choosing the right pair of riding gloves, you will need to rely on personal preference, as you’ll need to walk the line between durability, comfort, and feel, and this is largely dependent on your unique riding style and your needs from a riding glove. That being said, there are important factors to take into consideration before buying.
Material
Riding gloves are made from a wide variety of materials nowadays, most commonly, a blended set of different materials to ensure a good combination of strength and flexibility. In the past, they were traditionally almost exclusively made from leather due to its availability and superior strength. However, leather lacks breathability and flexibility, and while it is still largely in use today, some other materials have taken over the market.
A combination of the above materials is ideal, as it can offer the comfort of spandex, polyester, or cotton and the strength of leather. There is typically more stitching on combination gloves, though, which always has a good chance of coming apart.
Comfort and breathability
Comfortable gloves are not only essential to keep your hands free from chafe but also for safety. Your gloves should be tight-fitting enough that you can maintain control of your horse, as loose gloves can easily slide off with a quick jerk of the reins. The gloves you choose should also have tight-fitting and easily adjustable wrist closures to help keep them in place. These are typically made from plastic, Velcro, buttons, or a combination of these.
Breathability is important for both comfort and safety too. If your gloves are not breathable enough, they will cause your hands to sweat, especially in hotter months, and potentially cause you to lose grip on the reins. Gloves with mesh built in are great for summer, but even in winter, your hands may sweat on long rides, and warm gloves should still have some form of breathability.
Grip
Naturally, you’ll want your riding gloves to have some grip on the palm and fingers, namely the thumb and forefinger. They should be grippy enough that the reins don’t easily slide from your hands but flexible enough to be able to close your fingers around the reins too. Leather gloves are usually grippy enough all on their own, but other materials will need either a leather grip pad sewn in or rubber or PVC grip dots or pads to ensure a good grip. The grip is an essential factor in the safety of your gloves.
How to choose the right size
When picking gloves for everyday use, size is not usually a massive issue. But with horse riding, it’s important that your gloves are not loose-fitting and are as snug as possible, both for comfort and safety. It’s important to note that every time you buy new gloves, especially from a different manufacturer, you’ll need to measure and fit the glove again and not take the given size for granted, as sizes can differ between manufacturers.
Gloves are mostly available in international sizes, like XS or XXL, and this is frustratingly inaccurate at times. Some sizes are given in inches, which is a far better way of indicating size. If the manufacturer just uses “XL” to indicate size, see if it has a sizing chart on the tag or on its website to indicate the dimensions of each size.
Sizing your hand is fairly simple: You’ll just need to measure the girth of your hands without your thumb. Measure the size around your knuckles, and then round up the measurement to the nearest half-inch: Gloves that are slightly too big are far better than gloves that are too small.
Conclusion
Our top choice overall of horse-riding gloves are the riding gloves from Mashfa. They are lightweight, inexpensive, and comfortable, with tough reinforced stitching and a reinforced pinky, thumb, and forefinger for an increased grip of the reins. They are also made with stretchable and breathable fabric for superior comfort and flexibility.
The best horse-riding gloves for the money are the FitsT4 horse riding gloves. Being made from flexible nylon and spandex material and having added Lycra for breathability, PVC dot-patterning on the thumb, forefinger, and pinky for superior grip, and a hook-and-loop wrist closure, these gloves are great value for money.
With gloves being such a vital part of your equestrian toolkit, finding the right pair can be a daunting experience. Hopefully, our in-depth reviews have helped narrow down the options so you can find a pair of horse riding gloves that are the perfect fit for your unique needs.
Featured Image Credit By: FitsT4, amazon
