How to Match Your Jods to Your Equestrian Personality Profile June 02 2015

There are so many different types of jods available on the market; with new styles, fits, and fabrics for any preference surfacing all the time! However, not every type, style and fit will suit your needs.  Whether you are a casual rider or a weekly equestrian warrior, you’re going to need jods. So what jod type best suits your needs? Here is a basic rundown of the saddle seat jods you can find on the market today, and what type of a equestrian lifestyle they suit best.

The Work-Hard Play Hard Weekly Warrior Meets the Bomb-Proof Polyester

Do you not only ride, but work at the barn? Do you stack hay like a human forklift, then go practice your equitation like an elegant freaking swan? Well the bomb-proof poly/poly blend jod is for you.  Not only do these jods faithfully survive bleach splashes, but also the stress of even the most serious schedule of professional equestrian hopefuls everywhere. Poly and Poly blend jods are hardy, strong and generally speaking, high-waisted (even when they say “low rise”).  The main downfall of the poly jod is the lack of breathability.  Somehow, without fail, working in poly jods in the middle of the summer will make your legs stick to your jods, to each other, or to anything you touch shortly after having been in poly jods - there is absolutely no air flow in a poly jod. However this is what gave rise to the poly blend! All the durability of poly jods, except breathable - ahhhhh! Check out Ovation’s durable poly-blend jod here!

The Fetching Fashionista Meets the Kool Knit Jods

When you are at the barn do you still like to look like you care? Or maybe you stop to think about what it is you're wearing before you step out of the door? If so, then the recent emergence of alternative fabrics for jods has your name all over it.  This expansion into alternative fabrics has given way to the super comfy, fun colored jods with an endless variety of knee patch colors and styles.  While these jods are not necessarily safe from bleach splash, they are crazy comfortable and awesome for even the hottest days on the farm.  Check out Hot Jod’s Knit jods here!

The Adamant Athlete Meets the Performance Pair

Are you the type of person that gets up before work or school to run? Do you watch what you eat and consider food to be fuel not something you comfort yourself with while crying over a totes sad netflix movie? Performance jods are for you. The rider that practices multiple times a week and works out before/after their rides needs a hybrid jod; something with the function of a jod but the capabilities of a workout pant. With more people recognizing that equestrianism is a sport (because duh…. it is), manufacturers have taken note and decided to treat it like a sport by providing us equestrians with performance, sweat wicking, compression like garments.  These awesome jods are not only meant to keep our muscles in good working order while we get our sweat on, but also meant to, much like other sports-wear, keep us dry, comfortable, and less smelly than other garments; because we know that some of our gear has a definite stench…. The only downfall of performance jods is the fabric tends to be on the thinner side, leaving it very vulnerable to the devil stabs of hay bales and other stabby barn objects (straw, jagged/old stall wood, sticks out in the paddock, etc). Check out Alympic Equestrian's performance jod here!

The All Rounder Meets the Denim Delights

If you are somewhere in between all of the previously mentioned categories, or you just don’t like being put into categories of any kind, then this disturbingly delightful hybrid of a poly and knit jod is probably the best happy medium jods for the every-rider. Whether you are trying to be fashion conscious, or you’re working everyday at the farm and need something durable that’s got some more give to it, denim jods are a win win all around.  With denim fabric originally being manufactured as a utility material for laborers, it’s hardy as can be! Thanks to the progression of fashion, denim also happens to be a fashion-friendly option that can actually seamlessly take you from barn to the real world without too many questioning on-lookers wondering: What the heck is that person wearing and why are they so dirty? The main downfall of denim jods is the tendency for dye bleeds. Just like real denim from your favorite store, darker washes will have extra dye bleeds. To avoid this, we recommend soaking any dark denim (jods or otherwise) overnight in water with some vinegar, then washing the ALONE and inside out! Check out Hot Jods’ and Ovation’s denim jods here!