Equestrian clothing manufacturers – we need to talk! I have questions…
I’m all for innovation in product but there’s also a need to know your market. Lately I’ve seen a wealth of new items in stores that I can only describe as a climate mismatch. 
My current favourite is the riding leggings with knee ventilation which I actually observed with interest on an Irish child last week as this clothing function basically operated as a colander for rain. 
There are many functional features that I look for in breeches and riding tights from waterproof fabric (pretty much #1) to phone pockets (what the fook is with creating clothing without pockets?) to making my @rse look decent. 
Nowhere on my list does “knee ventilation” appear.
In fact in terms of problems I encounter on a daily basis when riding and working with horses – sweaty knees are unlikely to ever make it into the top ten.
To do so they would have to bypass issues such as “why am I sweating in this”, “why are my elbows wet”, “Jesus wept why would you put a seam THERE”, “this is less breathable than me going snorkelling”, “why wont they stay UP” and “waterproof my hole”. Do you suffer with sweaty knees?
Is knee ventilation a serious necessity in the Irish Climate that I’m just blissfully unaware of? 
I’m sure some of you will say “ oh but for Summer” – Summer, those 3 or 4 days where the weather peaks 15 degrees. All I will say in answer to that is why would you want to give flies an entrance hole to your tasty leg?! 
Secondly, the helmets with the massive brims that are likely to help you develop neck problems as your head is leaned forwards due to the gravitational pull of the size of the damn things.
Look Mary, I am sure this looks great when you’re in Florida and need to keep the baking sun off your face as you ride around in your knee ventilated riding tights but over here it will at best keep the hailstones out of your eyes.
