Horse riding underwear for women: what to wear under jodhpurs and breeches

We make Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts, so read this with that in mind. We have an interest, we mark our product as ours in every list and table, and where another kind of horse riding underwear does the job better, such as padding for saddle pressure, we say so and name who makes it.

Updated 21 October 2026. Brand details were checked on each brand's own website on 21 October 2026, and the safety kit advice is from the British Horse Society.

Horse riding underwear has a harder job than most. It sits under tight jodhpurs or breeches, gets pressed into the saddle for an hour or three, and then spends the rest of the day mucking out, walking to the field or standing at a show. This guide covers what to wear under jodhpurs and breeches, whether you need padding, which leg length suits the saddle, what to wear under pale competition breeches, and the whole outfit from the skin out.

Horse riding underwear: the quick answer

For most riders, the best underwear for horse riding is a long-leg, flat-seamed, breathable pair that is cut to stay put under jodhpurs, with padded riding underwear for anyone whose problem is saddle pressure. A long leg covers the inner thigh, where the saddle and jodhpur seams rub; padding puts a cushion between you and the saddle.

Our pick (we make them) is Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts: a 6 inch leg that sits mid-thigh or a 9 inch that sits just above the knee, seamless at the back and sides, with a flat seam at the front and no tag, in UK 8 to 30 at the same price in every size. They come with a 60 day guarantee from purchase, full refund, worn or not (return postage at your cost), and they are not padded.

If the saddle itself is the problem, Equetech's Bikini Brief Plus has 3mm foam at the seat and front for £22.95. Under thin, pale competition breeches, a brief with bonded, flat seams sits flatter than our boxer. And in a cold winter yard you want a thermal base layer, which we do not make.

What to wear under jodhpurs and breeches

Under jodhpurs and breeches, wear underwear with flat seams, or none, where you sit, a leg long enough to cover your inner thigh if it rubs, and a fabric that breathes. Depending on the problem, the right horse riding underwear is a long-leg boxer, a padded riding brief or a brief with bonded, flat seams. And yes, you wear underwear under jodhpurs: the only question is which kind.

The British Horse Society makes a similar point about trousers: “Jodhpurs are trousers specially designed for riding; however a pair of strong trousers without a seam on the inside leg will be suitable for beginners. (Seams can pinch your leg while in the saddle).”

Riding underwear makers design around the same thing. Equetech's padded briefs have a “seam-free seat” and “Non chaff seams”, and Derriere Equestrian lists “No seamlines through breeches” and “Bonded seams” among its brief's features. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts are seamless at the back and sides, with a flat seam at the front and no tag, so there is no back or side seam to sit on.

Fabric matters too, because riding in tight trousers is warm work. Equetech's padded briefs are 93% cotton and 7% elastane. Derriere Equestrian uses what it calls an Italian technical fabric, without publishing the fibre content on its product pages. Ours are 95% bamboo viscose and 5% elastane, a soft, breathable, moisture-wicking fabric.

Padded or not padded? Padded riding underwear compared

Padded horse riding underwear is for saddle pressure; an unpadded long-leg pair is for rubbing and heat. If the saddle itself is the problem, on long hacks or a hard seat, padding is the thing to try. If the trouble is rubbing on the inner thigh, elastic digging in or overheating, a longer, smoother leg matters more than a pad. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts are not padded, so this section is about other brands, checked on each brand's own website on 21 October 2026.

Whether you call them padded pants for horse riding or horse riding knickers, they are briefs or shorties with a pad at the seat, the front, or both. The padded equestrian underwear we could check comes from two brands:

• Equetech Bikini Brief Plus, £22.95. Best for: pressure at the seat and the front. “3mm exclusive specialist seamless foam to seat and front fork”, a high leg and a seam-free seat, in 93% cotton and 7% elastane, XS to XL (UK 8 to 18), in black or nude.
• Equetech Dressage Brief Plus, £23.50. Best for: the same padding with a low leg. “3mm Exclusive compression seamless padding through front gusset and seat”, in white only, UK 8 to 18.
• Equetech Bikini Brief Primo, £18.50. Best for: padding at the front only. Equetech calls it “medium-level padding positioned through the front gusset only”. Best for a double-lined seat with no padding: its unpadded Bikini Brief Classic, £11.50, has a “Double lined cotton seat and front fork (no padding)”.
• Derriere Equestrian Performance Padded Brief, £41.26. Best for: long rides, in a brief with bonded seams. The brand says its Padded Support System “effectively protects the perineal area from the friction and discomfort that can result from extended periods of riding”. Bonded seams, an Italian technical fabric with no fibre content published, and sizes S to XL (UK 6 to 18 on the brand's size guide) in six colours. The page says it is “unreturnable due to hygiene reasons”.
• Derriere Equestrian Performance Padded Shorty, £55. Best for: a pad with a little leg. A “uniquely shaped pad” and “No visible seam lines through breeches”, in sizes XS/S to L/XL (UK 6 to 18), though only L/XL (UK 14 to 18) was in stock when we checked, in white, black or purple. The leg length is not published.

Of the five padded briefs and shorties we checked on 21 October 2026, none went above UK 18 on the brands' own size charts. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts go to UK 30, but they are not padded, so they solve a different problem.

Rubbing, heat and long days at the yard

If rubbing is the problem rather than pressure, a longer leg matters more than padding: it covers the inner thigh in the saddle, and where thighs touch once you are back on your feet. A riding day is rarely just the ride. There is tacking up, mucking out, poo-picking the field and hours standing at shows, and underwear that is fine for an hour in the arena can be rubbing by lunchtime.

“Being a size 16-18, horse riding 5/6days a week, walking more than 18,000 steps a day... i cannot stress enough how perfect these boxers are! Soft, super comfortable, stretchy, breathable and ZERO CHAFFING!! 100% recommend! Just ordered 5 more.”

A reviewer in the United Kingdom, on Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts

Heat is the other half. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts are made from soft, breathable, moisture-wicking bamboo viscose, dyed to OEKO-TEX Standard 100. If heat is your main problem, our guide to sweat wicking underwear compares six options.

On foot, the same leg keeps working. After an 11 mile hike in the Peak District, another reviewer in the United Kingdom wrote: “I didn’t have to fuss with them once!” There is more on long days on your feet in our hiking underwear guide, and if your thighs rub when you walk, our chub rub guide compares every fix.

6 inch or 9 inch in the saddle?

Choose the 9 inch for the most inner-thigh cover in the saddle, and the 6 inch for every colour. The 9 inch sits just above the knee and covers more of the inner thigh, where the saddle and jodhpur seams rub; it comes in black and pine green, in every size from UK 8 to 30. The 6 inch sits mid-thigh, comes in all eight colours and every size, and is our best seller.

Both lengths have leg openings and waistband widths graded separately, rather than scaled up together. For most reviewers the seat stays put. The leg hem is the part to watch: it can roll on some bodies and under tight trousers, and jodhpurs are tight. The fix is the right size, with the leg sitting flat on the thigh, neither loose nor tight, and the 9 inch leg if a 6 inch rolls on you.

“These boxers feel great and have been an answer to my problems with underwear riding up and causing discomfort. Flissie boxers do ride up my legs a bit but this is not a problem for me and everything else stays where it should! The fabric is really soft and fit is great under my clothes.”

Sophia, United Kingdom, on Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts

Comparing long-leg underwear more widely? Our roundup of anti-chafing underwear for women puts five long-leg picks side by side.

What to wear under white or pale competition breeches

Under thin, pale competition breeches, a brief with bonded, flat seams sits flatter than our boxer. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts have a leg hem on the thigh and a flat seam at the front. Derriere Equestrian says its unpadded Performance Brief uses “a bonded flat seam” so the undergarments “have no visible lines”, with “an interlocking stitch on the sides”. It is £23.47, in white, black, purple or nude, in UK 6 to 18. Equetech says the low leg on its padded Dressage Brief Plus gives “an invisible finish under breeches”.

So for schooling, hacking and everyday riding, the leg is the point. For a class in white breeches, wear the brief and save the boxers for the drive home.

What to wear horse riding, from the skin out

From the skin out: underwear that suits the ride, a supportive bra, jodhpurs or breeches, a long-sleeved top and a fastened jacket, gloves, boots with a small heel and a smooth sole, and a riding hat that meets an accepted safety standard, fastened every time you ride. If you are working out what to wear for horse riding for the first time, the safety kit below follows the British Horse Society's advice, with its own words in quotation marks.

1. Underwear. Horse riding underwear to suit the problem: a long-leg, flat-seamed pair for rubbing and heat, padded riding underwear for saddle pressure, or a brief with bonded, flat seams under pale breeches.
2. A supportive bra. Riding brands make these too: Equetech sells a Rider Sports Bra.
3. Jodhpurs or breeches. The BHS says “Jodhpurs are trousers specially designed for riding”, and that strong trousers without a seam on the inside leg will do for beginners.
4. A top and jacket. “We recommend a long-sleeved shirt, a jacket that is fastened so that it doesn’t flap, or a sweatshirt for riding.”
5. Gloves. “It’s important your gloves aren’t too bulky in terms of the material and the size.”
6. Boots. “Boots should preferably have a smooth through sole and a small heel (no less than ½ inch high).” The BHS adds: “Wellies and trainers are unsuitable for riding.”
7. A riding hat. The BHS says “the main thing is that it meets one of the accepted standards”, with a quality assurance mark alongside the label, and to “wear a fitted hat that is fastened each and every time you ride”. It also says to replace your hat after a fall, and to “go to a reputable tack shop and have a new hat fitted”.
8. A body protector, where you wear one. “Most body protectors are designed to comply with EN13158 and a recognised BETA level standard”, and the BHS would “always recommend riders to choose level three protectors”. For fitting, it recommends “going to a reputable outlet where the body protector will be fitted, ideally by someone who has appropriate British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) training”.
9. Hi-vis. “The BHS always recommends wearing hi-vis clothing and lights when riding or carriage driving, regardless of whether you ride or drive on or off the road, the time of day, season or weather conditions.”

Underwear for horse riding compared

The horse riding underwear in this table was checked on each brand's own website on 21 October 2026. Ours is first because it is our pick, then the padded options from lowest to highest price, then two specialist layers. Where a brand does not publish a detail, the table says so.

Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts: our pick for riding

Best for: rubbing, heat and long days at the yard, under jodhpurs and breeches, in UK 8 to 30.

We are Phillippa and Matthew, and we run Flissie from Derbyshire. These are our boxer shorts, so read this section with that in mind.

• Fabric: 95% Tanboocel bamboo viscose and 5% elastane: soft, breathable and moisture-wicking, dyed to OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
• Leg: 6 inch, sitting mid-thigh, in every colour and size; or 9 inch, sitting just above the knee, in black and pine green, in every size.
• Seams: seamless at the back and sides, with a flat seam at the front and no tag.
• Waistband: a mid-high, wide, flat waistband rather than a narrow band of elastic; if you would rather it sat above a fuller tummy, size up.
• Sizes: S to 3XL, UK 8 to 30, at the same price in every size, with leg openings and waistband widths graded separately.
• Colours: black, pine green, sage green, lavender purple, plum pink, taupe white, fawn beige and chocolate brown.
• Price: £13.50 a pair, £12.50 each in a 6 pack (£75) or £11.50 each in a 10 pack (£115, with a free 30 day tub of our perimenopause supplement). Free UK delivery on every order.
• Care: a cool wash at 30 degrees or below, no fabric softener, and air dry.

Why it is our pick for riding:

• It goes to UK 30, at one price. Of the padded riding briefs and shorties we checked on 21 October 2026, none went above UK 18.
• The leg length is published. 6 inch or 9 inch, so you know how much of the inner thigh it covers before you buy.
• No back or side seams. It is seamless at the back and sides, so there is no seam there to sit on in the saddle.
• You can send it back after riding in it. A 60 day guarantee from purchase: full refund, worn or not (return postage at your cost). Derriere Equestrian's padded brief page says it is “unreturnable due to hygiene reasons”.

Shop Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts, or check the Flissie size guide first.

The trade-offs:

• It is not padded. For saddle pressure on long hacks, padded riding underwear is the better buy.
• The leg can roll on some bodies, especially under tight jodhpurs. Get the size right, with the leg flat on the thigh, and try the 9 inch.
• It is not seamless. There is a flat seam at the front and a leg hem, so under thin, pale breeches a brief with bonded, flat seams sits flatter.
• It is mid-high, not high-waisted. A mid-high, wide, flat waistband; if you would rather it sat above a fuller tummy, size up.
• The 9 inch comes in two colours, black and pine green, though in every size.

What we will not tell you

We will not tell you Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts prevent saddle sores. No underwear prevents them, and broken or sore skin is a job for a pharmacist or GP, not a pair of boxers.

We will not tell you the legs never ride up. For most reviewers the seat stays put, but the leg hem can roll on some bodies, and jodhpurs are tight. So we say they are cut to stay put, and we give you the fix: the right size and the 9 inch leg.

We will not tell you they do the job of padding. They have none, and no fabric changes that.

And we will not call our fabric bacteriostatic. Derriere Equestrian lists “Bacteriostatic” among its padded brief's features. We make no claim like that for our bamboo viscose, because we have no evidence for it on our fabric.

Where we are not the answer

• Saddle pressure and long hacks: padded riding underwear. Equetech's Bikini Brief Plus and Dressage Brief Plus put 3mm foam at the seat and front from £22.95, and Derriere Equestrian's Performance Padded Brief is £41.26.
• Cold winter yards: a thermal base layer. Equetech's Unisex Arctic Thermal Underbreeches are “lined with plush micro-fleece throughout”, in 92% polyester and 8% elastane, at £19.95. Our boxers are not a thermal layer.
• White competition breeches: a brief with bonded, flat seams. One such as Derriere Equestrian's Performance Brief, £23.47, sits flatter under thin, pale fabric than our boxer.
• You are a UK 6. Derriere Equestrian's sizes start at UK 6; ours start at UK 8.
• Your skin is broken or sore. That is one for a pharmacist or GP, whatever you wear.

Horse riding underwear: common questions

What to wear under jodhpurs?

Underwear with flat or no seams where you sit, a leg long enough to cover your inner thigh, and a breathable fabric. A long-leg boxer such as Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) suits rubbing, heat and long days at the yard, while padded riding underwear suits saddle pressure. The British Horse Society makes a similar point about trousers: a seam on the inside leg can pinch in the saddle.

What to wear under breeches?

The same as under jodhpurs: flat seams, a leg that covers the inner thigh if it rubs, and a breathable fabric. The exception is thin, pale competition breeches, where a brief with bonded, flat seams sits flatter than a boxer with a leg hem, including Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them). For schooling and hacking, a long-leg pair works under breeches too.

Do you wear underwear under jodhpurs?

Yes, and there is underwear made for it: Derriere Equestrian lists “No seamlines through breeches” among its brief's features, and Equetech's padded briefs have a seam-free seat. The real question is which kind, and that depends on whether rubbing, heat or saddle pressure is your problem.

What underwear to wear for horse riding?

Match it to the problem: a long-leg, flat-seamed, breathable pair for rubbing and heat, padded riding underwear for saddle pressure, a brief with bonded, flat seams under pale breeches, and a thermal layer in a cold yard. Our pick for everyday riding is Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them), with a 6 or 9 inch leg in UK 8 to 30. They are not padded.

What is the best padded underwear for horse riding?

For pressure at the seat and the front, Equetech's Bikini Brief Plus puts 3mm foam at both for £22.95; for the front only, its Bikini Brief Primo is £18.50; and Derriere Equestrian's Performance Padded Brief, £41.26, uses the brand's own padded support system. Of the padded briefs and shorties we checked on the brands' own websites on 21 October 2026, none went above UK 18. We do not make padded underwear, so we have no stake in which of these you choose.

What do female horse riders wear?

The same safety kit as any rider, following British Horse Society advice: a hat that meets an accepted safety standard, fastened every time you ride, boots with a small heel and a smooth sole, gloves that are not too bulky, and jodhpurs or breeches with a long-sleeved top. Underneath, riding brands sell sports bras and padded briefs, and a long-leg pair such as Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) suits rubbing and heat.

Are Flissie boxer shorts padded?

No. Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) have no padding: they are made for rubbing, heat and long days, with a 6 or 9 inch leg, seamless at the back and sides, with a flat seam at the front. If saddle pressure is the problem, padded riding underwear such as Equetech's Bikini Brief Plus is the better choice.

Which is better for riding, the 6 inch or the 9 inch leg?

The 9 inch covers more of the inner thigh, where the saddle and jodhpur seams rub, and comes in black and pine green, in every size. The 6 inch sits mid-thigh and comes in all eight colours and every size. Both are Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them), at the same price.

Can underwear stop the saddle sores horse riding can cause?

No underwear prevents saddle sores, and we will not claim ours does. If your skin is broken, raw or not getting better, see a pharmacist or GP for advice. On the clothing side, a longer leg puts fabric between your thigh and the saddle.

What size Flissie should I get for riding?

Take your normal UK size in Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them), and size up if you are between two. The leg should sit flat on the thigh, neither loose nor tight. If the size is wrong, we swap your whole first order free, as long as you try one pair and send the rest back unopened.

How much do Flissie boxer shorts cost?

Flissie women's bamboo boxer shorts (we make them) are £13.50 a pair, £12.50 each in a 6 pack (£75) and £11.50 each in a 10 pack (£115, with a free 30 day tub of our perimenopause supplement). The price is the same in every size from UK 8 to 30, UK delivery is free on every order, and there is a 60 day guarantee from purchase: full refund, worn or not (return postage at your cost).

Sources

• British Horse Society: what to wear, hats and helmets, footwear and boots, gloves, body protectors and hi-vis
• Equetech: women's underwear, Bikini Brief Classic, Bikini Brief Primo, Bikini Brief Plus, Dressage Brief Plus and Unisex Arctic Thermal Underbreeches
• Derriere Equestrian: Performance Padded Brief, Performance Padded Shorty, Performance Brief and sizing

All checked on 21 October 2026. Prices, sales and stock change often, so check each brand's website before you buy.

Related reading

• Best anti-chafing underwear for women: 5 long-leg picks
• Best hiking underwear for women: what actually works on a long day
• Chub rub: how to stop it, and every fix compared
• Sweat wicking underwear for women: 6 options compared