As an equestrian and active outdoor female, including competitive runner, I look for gear I can use in both the barn as well as in all my other outdoor activities. I do not have the money to have multiple wardrobes, therefore I only buy active wear that can serve in the saddle and on the trail (running or mountain). When I find a product that fits my criteria for durability, versatility and just all out looks good, I want to share it. If you have favorite products, please submit reviews to articles@gowestequestrian.com, please note in subject line “review”.
-Nicole A. Musmanno
A year ago my mother received an order from some athletic company. She mentioned all the stuff had been on sale and if there was anything of interest I could go ahead and snatch a couple items. My eyes promptly fell on a beanie with a hole for a ponytail. Having not much enjoyed the rats nest created of my hair every time I wore a beanie that did not have this feature, I immediately grabbed the cap.
“Except that, that is a special request from your sister,” my mom told me. Fine it was not my color anyway.
Fast forward one year and I am on the Kerrits’ website. I notice they offer beanies with a hole for ponytails, being a company dedicated to equestrian sports apparel for women it should not have surprised me, but it did. I had been told these types of beanies are hard to find. I immediately copied the link and emailed it to my sister, asking her to order it for me, from my parents, for Christmas (of course with their permission and credit card number).
Christmas morning, I was sporting a Kerrits Beanie. My sister’s first comment on seeing it, “I knew I should have ordered one for myself.”
About a week later I got to give the beanie a test run, literally. I am a trail runner, as well as an equestrian, and I had pretty much stopped wearing any form of head cover, even though I have been known to run in temperature well below freezing. Reasons: I HATE what the conventional hats do to my hair, I hate the feeling of the sweat held against my forehead and I hate the fact that they never stay in place so I have to constantly push them back down on my head. SURPRISE, none of these issues arose with the Kerrits Beanie.
Author sporting her Kerrits Beanie on a cold January morning.
Obviously I expected it not to tangle my hair into an unmanageable mess. I did not expect it to wick the moisture away from my forehead. In fact I did not even notice the beanie had this ability until I took the cap off after my run and realized it was soaked. Trust me, I would have noticed if that much sweat were touching my skin. As a bonus, I did notice while running I did not have to adjust the beanie back into position. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the ponytail notch helps to keep the beanie in place but I still would have expected a bit of a ride up on my forehead.
On the Kerrits website they claim the beanie is perfect for under helmets. I have never worn anything under my helmet to protect my ears, the ears just had to deal, the throbbing that followed as my ears warmed up once inside, I just had to deal with too. I thought I better test the claim. The material, though warm, is thin enough to fit comfortably under a helmet and the hole for the ponytail is perfectly placed to fit just below the base. Again, the added bonus of the moisture wicking material, even under a helmet, really put this beanie over the top as a needed item for the active equestrian.
Perhaps the only down side of the beanie is because it is thin enough to fit under helmets (riding and ice climbing…my sister), it is a bit thin for the coldest days. However, I wore it on a long run that after the fact I learned it was fifteen degrees outside. Though my ears were a bit cold, I cannot complain as I was out for over an hour. Since then I have worn the beanie in even colder weather, for shorter periods, while doing barn work and noticed it served quite well. A side note, it dries fast too. If morning barn chores get the beanie a bit wet, no worries, it will be dry in time for evening chores.
After a week of consistent use, I called my mother and my sister raving about the beanie. Shortly thereafter, I was on the phone with my local tack store, and Kerrits distributor, and ordered one for my mother and sister, and of course a second for myself.
The cold weather is most certainly not over, check these beanies out for yourself either at your local tack store or at www.kerrits.com (retail price around $18). Considering the quality, versatility and colors complimenting feminine skin and tastes- Nettle (pastel purple), Dove (a beautiful true grey) and a neutral perfect black, the Kerrits Beanie is an active woman’s wardrobe must for us ponytail sporting athletes.
