Choosing an Equestrian Sports Bra

One of the best investments in comfort and looks for any female rider is a well-fitting, supportive sports bra.

WHY?
With every step your horse takes, shock waves travel through your horse, to you. Also, your horse’s impulsion, forward and up is also transferred through you… you, in essence, become an extension of your horse.

Most places in your body, the effects of all of this can be reduced by you with conscious effort using your muscles and ligaments. Your breasts, however have no anatomical means of limiting the effects of the pounding and the momentum. So, they bounce.

BOUNCE

Bounce can cause permanent tissue damage and can be painful and distracting. In most areas of equitation, stillness through control is a goal. Therefore, from a personal and a sport-related point of view, stilling the bounce is the objective of most women riders.

Bounce is greatly decreased by the use of a well-fitting sports bra designed for high impact sports. This should be considered as an essential part of your riding wardrobe.

HIGH IMPACT SPORTS BRA
Riding is a high impact sport. Therefore, when choosing a bra for riding, discount sports bras that are indicated for Low or Medium Impact sports. They just won’t give you enough support to eliminate the bounce - even if you have a small bra size. Lingerie/Fashion bras, equally, won’t do the job for you.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A GOOD EQUESTRIAN SPORTS BRA?
A good sports bra suitable for riding provides superior breast support, comfort, breathability and moisture control.

Support
A good sport bra minimizes breast movement in one of two ways: By compression, where the breasts are held against the chest wall to limit motion; or encapsulation, in which the bra is engineered to surround and support the breasts. Sometimes one bra uses both techniques .

If you’re a small- or medium-breasted woman (A to C cup), a compression style bra will offer support and comfort. Or if you prefer, you can choose a bra that offers encapsulation for shaping as well as support.

If you’re a larger-breasted woman (C to DD cup) you may find encapsulating styles that separate and support your breasts more comfortable and more supportive than compression bras. For maximum support, choose a sport bra that does both.

Comfort
A good riding sports bra should feel comfortable on, stay in place, and not chafe. The straps shouldn’t dig into the shoulders nor should they fall off the shoulders as you rider. Nothing is more distracting than having your bra strap slip while you are riding up to a fence! The band around the lower chest shouldn’t shift up or bind. Proportions and contours should be designed for the freedom of movement that you need while riding without binding, twisting or chafing. Soft, plush threads will minimize skin irritation.

Moisture Control and Breathability
Riding is a strenuous sport, and not matter what the weather, you will likely perspire while you ride. A good equestrian sports bra will wick sweat away from your skin and then dry quickly, and it will be breathable, allowing perspiration and excess heat to pass through. A good sport bra will keep you cooler and drier when it’s hot, and drier and warmer when it’s cold.

Good looks too!
An added bonus not mentioned on the label of most sports bras is the impovement in the overall look of the garments worn over the bra! You will find that your show jacket will fit better - sometimes a size smaller - particularly in one of the high compression bras.

Improved concentration
Another hidden benefit is better concentration! Sounds a little far-reaching? Not if you have had to contend with a serious bounce issue. The sheer relief of being able to concentrate on your riding, instead of the bounce, will be enormous.

Let your riding be the focus of the judge’s eye and awe the spectators with your equitation. Still your mind and the bounce with a good equestrian sports bra -the investment is priceless.

Fabrics
Today there are many different fabrics to choose from. Here’s a list of the most popular sports bra fabrics, along with a brief explanation of their benefits.

* Supplex® Nylon/Lycra® Spandex - Offers soft, luxurious feel and incredible fit, support and shape retention.
* Cotton/Lycra® Spandex - Soft, moisture-managing cotton combines with shape-retaining Lycra® to create a very comfortable fabric with just the right amount of stretch and support.
* CoolMax® Polyester/Lycra® Spandex - This high-performance fabric blend delivers you all the moisture-wicking benefits of CoolMax® plus the comfort, stretch and shape retention of Lycra®.
* Polyester/Cotton/Lycra® Spandex - This 3-fiber blend offers polyester and cotton for softness and moisture management while Lycra® provides optimal fit and support.
*
Polyester/Cotton - Classic blend provides gentle softness and powerful moisture management for all your workouts.

CARING FOR YOUR SPORTS BRA/LIFE SPAN
The functional life of your sports bra can be lengthened by several months or even years just by caring for it properly. The best way to extend the life of your bra is to wash it by hand and have it air-dry.

Washing machine cycles are usually too rough, and dryers can destroy the elasticity and support of the fabric. All sports bras have care instructions on a label attached to the bra, so read them carefully. Hand washing and air-drying will lengthen the life of your bra regardless of the washing instructions.

Some signs that your sports bra is at or near the end of its functional life are: (1) restriction against vertical movement decreases considerably, (2) the fabric begins to pill, or (3) the fit seems to be too loose or too big but your measurements have not changed.

SOME BRANDS AND BRAS TO CHOOSE FROM
Equestrian Collections features equestrian sports bras for a multitude of shapes and sizes.

Moving Comfort : You can choose from a wide variety of Moving Comfort Sport Bras. Each has been picked for their suitability for using in an equestrian environment. Every one offers comfort, moisture control and breathability.

Enell - No Bounce Guaranteed Bra: We have sold this bra for nearly 10 years - and this is at the pinnacle of bounce control. It is a high compression bra that has some encapsulation properties, so that you have some separation and lift. Comes in 8 sizes and is front fastening. The fabric does not have moisture wicking properties, but is actually very comfortable to wear, giving slightly as you get warm while riding. If you need serious bounce control… this is the bra for you.

Sporteze: Sporteze offers a range of compression sports bras, designed by a rider. They come well-recommended by testers and the line has just been updated with a Coolmax version for greater moisture control and breathablility.