Roeckl Winter Chester Glove – Review

I always ride with gloves. Hot or cold it doesn’t matter. Since i broke my hand though last spring i’ve been investing in better gloves. I used to just by anything on sale see how i felt about it but once the hand snaps you start to realize that maybe investing in something better is a good idea. This winter i bought a pair of Roeckl Winter Chester gloves. I needed a pair to ride in the cold having no indoor to ride in this year. I also wanted gloves not just help me with warmth but that would give my hands some protection. I bought these from Dover in VA because i needed to try on everything to see what would fit. I know my glove size but manufacturers tend to fudge a little here and there when it comes to horse gloves in a way they don’t seem to with regular gloves. Fit is important to me and i didn’t want to deal with any possible returns for sizing so the drive to dover was made. After trying on everything in the store, I settled in the Roeckls.

Pros: They are leather glove with the fold over the hand Velcro closure and some elastic on the wrist so you have a little adjustment in how tight a fit to your hand you’d like. I also love how they have a fleece lining for warmth but are not bulky at all so i can still feel the contact with the reins. Thats important to me since my hands are not what most would call “smart” They are sized correctly and i feel when I’m riding in them that there is a good amount of protection to my fingers. If i were to say get tossed off and forget to let go of my reins, i might not end up all broken. (again)

Cons: The fleece is a thin layer and might not be warm enough for some. I’d say if you get down into the low 20’s you might want glove warmers with them. Ive ridden in the upper 20’s with them with no numb fingers. They are  also not exactly a bargain in price. They list for 67.00 but i paid about 52.00. However I feel as if this is one of those you get what you pay for situations.

Lowdown: Overall they are a really good winter glove choice for riding. Mine are holding up really well but admittedly this winter is pretty bad and my saddle time is not where it should be. That might be contributing to them holding up as well as they are. Though i am careful to only use them for riding and to switch gloves for barn chores. If i did wear them out this winter id likely get a new pair next year. Gloves are one of those things you shouldn’t scrimp on, I learned that the hard way.