So we all know horses and anything to do with horses is expensive. Starting out with gym training can also be expensive, but what if one of those expenses could be cut out? Modern riding wear has become an awful lot like gym wear. “Riding Tights” are incredibly similar to gym leggings with the only difference that I can see is the grips for the saddle.

This made me think to myself “What if we just wore jods to the gym?” There are so many different styles of gym gear these days (it can nearly be a fashion show in itself, not that I’m complaining I love a funky pair of leggings) so a pair of Jodhpurs probably wouldn’t look out of place. 

As equestrians we struggle to invest in ourselves, so what if there was a way to make that investment a little less daunting, maybe we could even convince ourselves that it was “horse related”. If we just wore our jods to the gym it removes one of the many expenses that can come with starting training, as you probably have a section of your wardrobe solely dedicated to “horse stuff” already. You could even see a new trend starting in the gym! At this point, I think most style options have been exhausted so I’d say the designers would only be delighted for some new inspo.

Before I get sidetracked planning my new gym wear line, I have to address the elephant in the room (or should I say, the horse in the gym): my ulterior motive, which I’ll admit is 100% selfish. It gives me an excuse to buy horse stuff. My horse retired last year, so while the longing to go to a tack shop and come back with things I never knew I needed or the horse show shopping spree (seriously last year was depressing) has never faded...I’ve not really been able to justify getting anything. 

But this is for science so I have no choice but to buy a few pairs of jods/ Riding tights in order to test my theory! A sacrifice that I am willing to make! ( I am a true martyr I know)

When doing any sort of experiment, it is important that there are a set of parameters that each subject is measured on. They must all be judged in the same way and under the same conditions. For these reviews, I intend to judge each brand on:

1. Comfort - are they easy to move in, how do they feel during different exercises? Will these jodhpurs let me bust out lunges like a pro or leave me feeling like a constrained cowboy?

2. Breathability - there is nothing worse than when you are training and feeling really hot and sweaty. Can I sweat it out in these bad boys without feeling like I'm wrapped in cling film? Cos if not they won’t be back.

3. Squat test - There is nothing worse than training in a gym and realising that every time you squat/deadlift etc the whole gym can see what underwear you are wearing. This is something I like to test with gym gear normally so this will be no different. Nobody needs that kind of “exposure” in the gym”

For all of these tests, I intend to trial them on the dreaded leg day, my reason for this is that it is the toughest workout of the week so I sweat the most and have the most pressure on my muscles..It's also perfect for the squat test because well I’ll be squatting!

Now with all that taken into consideration. Onto my first review:

The Jods I wore were from Decathlon, they are a lightweight summer style, (I like to refer to them as my “spiderman” jods) the closest I could find to them on the website right now were these:

https://www.decathlon.ie/p/307137-68015-women-s-horse-riding-jodhpurs-150-with-grippy-suede-patches-dark-blue.html?queryID=2d51662ec7cff887379f89ebf795e50d&objectID=2777595

Firstly we start with the “Squat test” (cue dramatic music). After contorting myself into various positions and giving my rear end a thorough inspection in the mirror, (I’m so glad that I work in a semi-private gym and no one could see me doing this.) I can happily report that:

I can safely say that no matter the angle the jods didn’t give anything away (phew).

Onto training (the main event if you will, unless you just came for the squat test):

When it comes to comfort, They get a gold star. They have a nice high waist like all jods tend to have so there were no issues with them falling down. The material they are made from is very similar to gym leggings so they are easy to move in and there was no pinching from the leg grips.

They passed when it came to breathability too.  As they are for the summer being lightweight I didn’t overheat when training so all in all i would highly recommend them as gym leggings. 

Pricewise, which we have to admit is also a factor, this is for ourselves after all, not our horses where no price is too high. They fell between the €20-30 mark when I bought them and while they may not last the test of time if worn every day, for the casual rider/gym goer they would be perfect!

Overall I’m very happy with how these jods faired in the gym. They passed all the tests and, believe me, my current leg day is HORRIBLE (I need to fire my trainer) so they were definitely put to the test. As I said in the last paragraph my one reservation is that they are probably a little bit lightweight quality-wise so they may not last like other brands would.

Now with review one done.. I’m off to start shopping for my next pair of jods... At this rate, I’ll actually have to start horse riding again! The things we have to do for science, thankfully I’m here to do it so you don’t have to!