Horse Trail Chicks

Imagine a native Vermonter who moves to Alaska and is so dedicated to trail riding that she ties a blanket around her waist with baling twine to fend off the winter cold. Then, picture her at a sewing machine stitching belt loops onto that blanket so she can put it on like a skirt. Now envision her overseeing a cadre of seamstresses sewing colorful, warm, waterproof riding skirts for sale to anyone in the world.

This woman is Jen Dushane, the founder of Arctic Horse, an Alaskan company that makes riding skirts for all types of conditions.

Jen on Faly

Jen grew up in southern Vermont and at the age of 12 moved out of her parents’ home (with their permission) and rented a room near Winchester Stables in Newfane, Vermont where for the next 6 years she was a working student, groom, and trainer. After graduating from Columbia University she worked as a wildlife biologist in the U.S. and abroad. When she was offered her dream job – studying bear, wolves, whales, and other wildlife in the 49^th state – she packed up her car and headed north. The moment she crossed the border into Alaska, she knew she was home.

Her roots in Alaska were firmly set when, several years later, she had “house, hubby, and horse.” Against her better judgment, she acquired a 5-year old Appaloosa stallion and named him “Faly” which means “happy” in the language of Madagascar, where she used to live. Now gelded, he is a superior trail horse and they ride, camp, and engage in competitive trail rides together.

The day I met Jen I immediately sensed that she is a very creative and intuitive person, and clearly her life experiences have taught her to be resourceful. When her love of horses presented challenges in her choice of home – the frozen North – she set about to invent a way to care for and ride horses in almost any weather. Knowing that a mitten is warmer than a glove, she realized that a skirt is warmer than pants.

Before you click “close” on your browser, thinking, “riding in a skirt, that’s ridiculous” or “I am a man, so not for me,” read on a little further. If nothing else, go to the Arctic Horse website to see the gorgeous photos of people riding in beautiful gear in the most exquisite landscapes. Major eye candy for trail riders.

Arctic Horse riding skirts are widely flared and designed to be worn over your normal riding jeans or breeches, so you maintain contact with your horse and grip in the saddle. The skirt creates an air pocket that traps warm air against your legs. The result is much warmer than insulated riding pants. Some models cover your horse’s back – because keeping your horse’s spine warm is always a good thing. Unlike a quarter sheet that only covers your thighs and that you have to secure after mounting (and could be dangerous if you fell off), you don the skirt on the ground and mount and dismount with it on. Options include skirts made of mesh- or fleece-lined waterproof fabric, wool, waxed canvas, and a fully insulated version that is like wearing a sleeping bag.

Arctic Horse’s customers come from all disciplines but are mainly trail riders, endurance riders, and instructors, as well as drivers. Men wear them and some male construction workers even have bought them for working outdoors in the cold, and dog mushers love them too. They are also great to wear while doing barn chores, and they are very durable.

You can feel very good about the impact of buying an Arctic Horse product. They are handmade in the USA by people making a living wage. This is not just feel-good stuff to make the company look better. When Jen was starting her business, industry experts told her that it was virtually impossible to make clothing in the US, much less in Alaska. According to the American Apparel & Footwear Association, only 3% of clothing sold in the US is made in the US. But this did not deter Jen; she wanted her products to be made locally in order to create jobs and to have control over quality. Alaska, being only 55 miles from Russia across the Bering Strait and having close ties to Russia historically, is home to a large Russian Orthodox population. Jen discovered that the women in this community are expected to wear dresses of their own making and therefore are skilled seamstresses.

So, in 2016 Arctic Horse was established in Palmer, Alaska. A “heart-centered business,” they are guided by several inspiring principles that you can read here. They now employ 15 local women. Their products are made of American-made materials whenever possible. The wool is from humanely-raised sheep. A portion of the profit from every skirt goes to an animal non-profit organization chosen by the buyer. And the quality – the material, the stitching, and everything about them – is perfection; far superior to most (all?) products made overseas.

Jen’s mission to get you out on the trail more is not limited to keeping your legs warm. She is very familiar with the other body parts that go numb in windy or rainy or cold weather such as feet, hands, and ears. Arctic Horse is passionately working on solutions to all the weather-related problems that keep us at home when we would rather be riding. Jen is looking to apply some of the technologies that have advanced other sports such as climbing and backcountry skiing to horseback riding.  I am very excited to see what other products they come up with.

Lest you think their products are only for those of us in the frozen North, if you face rain, wind, or temperatures colder than you are comfortable in, you could use one of these skirts. Lots of people in the South have one. And the Backcountry Trail skirt, which is made of waxed canvas to protect your legs from brush, is a great alternative to chaps (which I, personally, find are always too tight and pinch in places) – this skirt is pictured in the 3rd photo in this post, above.

At first glance the prices might seem high, but when you consider how much you spend on everything else for your horse – from board to vet bills to supplements to blankets to that blingy new saddle pad, for something that will increase your time in the saddle significantly, it’s a bargain. What could be more worthwhile to spend money on than riding time? This is, after all, why most of us have a horse in the first place, right? Here in Vermont approximately 1/3 of the year is winter, 1/3 is autumn/spring/mud season/yucky weather, and only 1/3 is summer. Something that allows me to ride out several more months of the year is worth its weight in gold.

Just 2 weeks ago I got the fleece-lined Tongass Rain Skirt – not even their warmest skirt – and already it has allowed me to ride on several days when I would not have otherwise, both in the indoor arena and on the trail, and it’s made barn chores in windy freezing weather more pleasant. Next winter I am definitely investing in the Arctic Insulated model. Check them out at ArcticHorseGear.com.

They also sell a very useful rein extender; check out my review here.

Monica

All the photos here are copyrighted and are included here with permission from Arctic Horse and were taken by the amazing Gutierrez Photography.