Growing up, I used to be the girl who took every opportunity to lay out or find some way to get a tan. Believe it or not, my ginger hair still allows my skin to tan, but it takes a long time and a lot of dedication!
However, when I rode full time for my boss, Nick in Los Angeles, he made me think differently about the sun. When he was a young professional, he used to ride 10 horses a day without a shirt on and- get this- rubbed baby oil all over the upper half of his body! Yikes!! Needless to say, and very unfortunately, he has dealt with several bouts of skin cancer. When I started training under him, he would always get after me about covering up and protecting my skin and that, “I wouldn’t look young forever.” (Yeah right, I should have done a poll with you guys when I started My Equestrian Style. I bet the majority of you thought I was 17! Yeah, yeah, I know when I am 40 I will be thankful for looking young; I’ll save this for another blog post!) Anyway, he suggested I wore long sleeve sun shirts and helmet visors and use sunscreen. It took me a little to get adjusted to riding in long sleeves in the California desert, but I adjusted and was thankful for the skin protection and the lack of a farmer’s tan! Pretty soon, I was the stingiest one out there! Today, I will not ride without a long sleeve sun shirt, my helmet visor, and at least SPF 50 on my neck and cheeks (the only part that is kind of exposed to the sun!)
All that being said, I am always looking for quality sun shirts, and I LOVE this KLM long sleeve top. It is super breathable and I love this marled gray style. I paired it with this KLM black and white patterned belt, black breeches, and a sun hat. I had ridden all morning and threw the hat on to teach afternoon lessons. It was perfect.
This top has definitely become a staple in my riding wardrobe! And honestly, I’ve also worn it to the gym or on a hike because it’s a great layering piece as well. You can shop this top and others, including several belt designs here!
xo, B
