Let's face it: The last thing you really want to do in summer is pull on a pair of breeches. They're hot, they're tight, and they do NOT make a good match with sweaty legs. But the Kerrits Flow Rise Performance Tight changes all of that, and makes a great option for warm weather riding.

The Kerrits Flow Rise Performance Tight is lightweight, breathable, and is possibly the softest riding tight I've found. It's ultra-comfortable, and even the stitching is non-irritating. The fabric is four-way stretchable, meaning that it gives and moves with your movement, a major plus when you're mounting up and riding. It's not restrictive at all, and until wearing these tights, I didn't realize just how restrictive some of my breeches actually are.

I have to admit, when I first felt these tights I didn't think they'd hold up to the demands of riding. They're thin, which is great because it also makes them breathable and lightweight, but they're also soft, and it just didn't feel like there was enough there to hold up to stirrup rubs and hours in the saddle.

I was wrong. These tights have held up beautifully, and they're comfortable even in sticky-hot weather. There's a noticeable difference between wearing these tights and wearing other breeches or tights - these are of a much lighter weight and I found myself far more comfortable in them in the heat. The two-inch elastic waistband further adds to their comfort, as it doesn't dig in like other waistbands do.

These tights are definitely made with attention to quality. The knee patches have held up well, and all of the stitching in these tights is straight, accurate, and strong. The leg cuffs have a bit of elastic sewn into the insides to keep them from riding up, and the overall style of the tights is flattering, cut well and close to the body without being restrictive. I'm also impressed with the range of colors these tights are available in, from the traditional to brighter, patterned colors.

These tights have clearly proven themselves to be excellent for summer riding, and I'd definitely recommend them. I would, though, love to see the addition of belt loops to these tights for a bit more of a secure fit. (Kerrits sizing on these tights is generous, so if you're between sizes, measure carefully and you'll probably want to go a size down.)

You can buy the Flow Rise Performance Tight from Kerrits directly. Be sure to also check out the Kerrits Facebook page.

July has been hot and humid here, so the time has definitely been right to test out Polar Products, Inc.'s Cool Comfort® Hidden Vest and the Cool Comfort® Deluxe Sports Vest. Both of these vests use Polar Products' Cool Comfort® technology. According to Polar Products, this "innovative new hybrid cooling system combines the efficient cooling power of evaporation with the direct cooling of frozen water."

Each vest is activated by submerging it in cool water for up to 20 minutes. During that time the crystals contained in the vest expand into pea-sized balls, absorbing water. As you wear the vest, the water slowly evaporates, cooling you in the process. You can also freeze the vests for additional cooling.

The Hidden Vest (the tan vest in these photos) is lightweight and involves minimal fabric. The fabric is stretchy, making it comfortable to wear, and it also remains incredibly light, even once the crystals have absorbed water. This vest is also highly adjustable. It features three Velcro straps in the front that you can easily adjust, and a Velcro strap on either side of the vest's bottom allows for a tailored fit and keeps the vest from riding up or bouncing.

I found the Cool Comfort® Hidden Vest to be excellent for riding. It's lightweight and comfortable, and the fact that you can adjust it in a number of ways allows you to fit it to your body. Best of all, even when the crystals are expanded the channels they are contained in are narrow enough that the vest still fits discreetly under clothing. It would be a great addition if you're showing on a hot day, since it easily fits under a hunt coat and no one will know that you're wearing it.

The Cool Comfort® Deluxe Sports Vest (the blue vest in these pictures) is a bit more substantial than the Cool Comfort® Hidden Vest. It features a heavier-duty fabric than what is used in the Hidden Vest, and a zipper fastens the front. This vest isn't as fitted as the Hidden Vest, and it's not something that you could wear beneath a hunt coat or other clothing. With its looser fit, I did find that this vest moved around quite a bit during the ride, especially at the trot. It is also substantially heavier than the Hidden Vest, so I'd recommend it for wearing during barn work, ground work, or other chores.

The advantage of the Deluxe Sports Vest is that it does contain more cooling crystals, and I found that it cooled me faster than the Hidden Vest. These crystals also make it bulkier, though, so you have to select the vest that's most in line with the qualities most important to you. I found that freezing both vests led to faster cooling, but the cooling properties of the Deluxe Sports Vest also lasted longer than the Hidden Vest.

In summary, both vests were effective. I tested them in the high humidity of Massachusetts, so if you live in a lower-humidity climate, then you may not find it necessary to freeze the vests, as the evaporative properties may be more effective. I found that the Cool Comfort® Deluxe Sports Vest provides more thorough, faster cooling, but the Cool Comfort® Hidden Vest's incredibly discreet design makes it appealing for anyone riding in a show or clinic.

Be sure to check out our review of Polar Products' Cool Max Fashion Vest, then visit the Polar Products website and Facebook page. Be sure to tell them that The Equine Insider sent you!.

I hate the heat. I really, really hate it. Especially when I'm riding or doing barn chores in it. So I've been searching (for years) for something that would make riding/running/just being outside in the heat more tolerable.

I think I've found it. The Kool Max® Fashion Vest by Polar Products uses frozen inserts to cool you during hot days. The vest offers five pockets where you can use the inserts, three of which are located on your spine to provide maximum cooling.

I know, I know - how often do we, as equestrians, have access to a freezer? What if I told you that Polar Products also makes special ice packs called Cool58™ Packs that can freeze at a temperature of 58 degrees? That's right, they can freeze in your fridge. But do they work?

The answer, in short: YES. Incredibly well, actually. I popped these packs into my fridge and within about an hour, they were frozen solid. Here's a tip: Make sure that you lay the packs out flat; when I say they freeze solid, I mean SOLID, so you might have an awkward half-bent pack sticking into your back if you don't think ahead.

Now on to the vest itself. I'm in love. I mean it - true love. I tried the vest with both the Cool58™ Packs and the standard ice packs that it comes with. I found that both worked equally well, but the Cool58™ Packs give you the obvious advantage of not needing to have access to a freezer to freeze them - you can toss them in your fridge or throw them into a bucket of ice water.

The vest features five pouches for the inserts - three on the spine, and one on each side of the front. The pouches are each individually insulated to help make the cooling effect last longer, and a bit of Velcro at the top makes inserting and removing the packs easy.

This vest is somewhat fitted, and was very comfortable. It features two outer pockets, so it's work-friendly. A front zipper keeps it secure, and I found its fit to be pretty flattering, even with the ice packs inserted. Because it's fitted, it doesn't bounce around much at all. The only suggestion I'd have would be to insert a drawstring around the bottom edge so that riders can truly cinch the vest up against themselves.

I wore this vest both while riding and doing barn chores, and simply loved it. I chose super-hot, super-humid days to put this vest to the test, and it passed with flying colors. Each time I wore the vest outside its cooling properties lasted for between three and four hours. I wore it over a light T-shirt and could feel the cooling well. I was much more comfortable, and was a happier person as a result.

When my apartment's air-conditioning cut out, this vest went to work. I wore it as I was sitting on the couch and cleaning the apartment, and found it to be wonderfully soothing. It's fairly lightweight - just a few pounds with all of the packs inserted - and I found that I could comfortably sit and lie on the couch with it on (without the ice packs digging into my back).

I found the Kool Max Fashion Vest to be well made and of a great quality. Its seams and stitching are all straight and tight, and it's held up incredibly well to the wear that I've put on it. The vest itself is lightweight and quite breathable, made of cotton and spandex, and it can be machine washed, which is an advantage it has over many other cooling products. It's also highly effective even in muggy climates, since it doesn't use evaporation technology.

This vest is great for riding and barn chores, and I also think it would be excellent for long show days when you're standing around waiting. I have it in black, so it's discreet, and it doesn't look bulky when you're wearing it. It can't quite fit under my hunt coat, but it's perfect for schooling, lessons, or downtime on show days.

The one drawback to this vest (and to the Cool58™ Packs) is price. It is pricey (the vest is listed at $129.95 and the Cool58™ Packs are listed at $57.50 for a set), but then again, for the comfort it offers, I say it's totally worth it, especially if you're outside in the heat for long hours, or if you're heat-sensitive. This vest is a quality product that seriously works. Now that I have this vest, I don't know how I could live without it.  

Want to learn more? Check out all of the cooling products offered by Polar Products on their website, or on their Facebook page. (And let them know that The Equine Insider sent you!) We'll have reviews of two more cooling products from Polar Products coming up shortly - in the meantime, check out our review of Polar's Cool Comfort Crown Cooler.

Looking for a way to stay cool in the summer? The Kerrits Venti Shortsleeve shirt is specially designed for equestrians. Made with Cooltek fabric which wicks moisture and uses rapid evaporation technology, this shirt is designed to keep you cool in the saddle and around the barn.

I found this shirt to be lightweight and comfortable even during some super humid days. While it is semi-fitted, I found that it wore loosely, which I prefer in the summer for the extra air circulation. The shirt fit me well and was not at all restrictive, either during barn chores or while riding. I also wore it while going running a few times, and it was quite comfortable and cool.

I really enjoy the fact that this shirt is tagless - there are absolutely no scratchy tags, which are the worst in the summer. The long front zipper (10 inches) makes sliding the shirt on and off easy, and you can do so while wearing a ponytail without having to redo the ponytail. I also like the fact that there is a zippered pocket on the right side. Since I'm right-handed, this is very convenient, and the pocket is large enough to hold some horse treats, keys, or a phone, though the fabric is so light that I wouldn't recommend weighing it down too much. When not in use, the pocket isn't visible.

This is one of the most breathable shirts that I've worn. If you examine the fabric closely, you'll see that it's actually textured, which I'd imagine is part of what helps to keep you cool while wearing it. It definitely wicks moisture - I wore it for between 1.5 and 4 hours at a time doing heavy physical activity on hot days, but never found that the fabric retained sweat or got heavy.

The Kerrits Venti Shortsleeve is well-constructed - despite numerous wears and washes it's held up well and still looks new. The stitching is strong and accurate, and the zippers still move smoothly. I'd definitely recommend it for summer riding, especially if you live in a humid climate. For the price ($49.00 on the Kerrits website), you'll get excellent use out of a very comfortable summer shirt. Plus, it comes with an adorable tiny package of "Kerrit" seeds that you can plant and then feed to your horse later on. You can't beat that!

Ankle High and Knee Deep: Women Reflect on Western Rural Life provides an honest, first-person glimpse of life in the West. Edited by Gail L. Jenner, Ankle High and Knee Deep is a compilation of brief essays by women whose lives have been tied into ranches and farms.

The book provides many unique perspectives, and the essays encompass a wide variety of voices and experiences. Throughout all of the essays there is a nostalgia for days gone by and the "old ways." Within the book's pages women share fond memories, the journey of growing up in the West, lessons learned through hard work, and the sometimes harsh realities brought about by life. Many of the essays are accompanied by a black and white photograph highlighting their main subject.

Divided into eight different sections - Fortitude, Horse Sense, Community, Self-Reliance, Memory, Resilience, and Lessons - the book is easy to pick up for a few minutes to read an essay or two. A reader can also easily jump around to the sections and essays that are most appealing to them. I found it was a good book to keep on hand for whenever I had a bit of reading time, no matter how brief.

The "Horse Sense" section contains nine different essays and poems reflecting on a variety of experiences with horses. The essays are interesting, providing a glimpse into each woman's attachment to horses and the sometimes life-changing experiences they've had with them. There's a story about rescuing a horse from a river overrun by flood waters, of clinging onto a wild ride after encountering a hornet nest, and (my favorite) a story about the role that horses played in a woman's recovery from a life-altering accident and the resulting PTSD.

I enjoyed this book, though found that I didn't readily take interest in many of the essays, despite the fact that I yearn to live a life in the West and believe that I was born on the wrong side of the country. I did enjoy the "Horse Sense" section, and found some of the essays very intriguing. Still, there is a variety of writing talent presented here, so there will likely be some essays and poems that you will skip, and some that will quickly grip you. I would have also liked to have seen photos provided by the essayists themselves - I found myself wanting to know what the specific story subjects looked like, and the photos that accompanied the essays were more generic.

Ankle High and Knee Deep is an interesting read, and anyone who's ever lived life in the West (or who wants to) can certainly find some essays within it that they enjoy.

Ankle High and Knee Deep is available on Amazon. You can also visit editor Gail Jenner's website.

Looking for a way to stay cool around the barn? Polar Products' Cool Comfort Crown Cooler uses evaporation and frozen water to provide cooling to your hat, helmet, or other headgear. According to Polar Products, Inc., "Special water-absorbing polymers soak up many times their volume in water for an extended period of time. Garmets can be chilled or frozen for additional cooling energy. Additionally, in drier climates the garmets provide hours of evaporative cooling."

I put the Cool Comfort Crown Cooler to the test, taking advantage of the 80+ degree weather we've been having here in Massachusetts lately.

Here's a tip: The first time you use the Crown Cooler, you're supposed to soak it in cold water for 20 minutes. If you're like me and you're easily distracted (okay... so I'm downright forgetful), set a timer or an alarm so that you remember to take the Crown Cooler out of the water 20 minutes - and not 2 hours - later. Because if you leave the Crown Cooler submerged in water for two hours, it will become seriously oversaturated to the point where it's bulging at the seams and you won't stand half a chance of fitting it - and your head - into a helmet, a hat, or any other headwear.

But, once I'd waited 3 days for some of the water to evaporate and for the Crown Cooler to recede to a manageable size, I tried it again. This time I got it right and managed to remove the Cooler on time. Initially flat as a pancake, the Crown Cooler was now about a half inch in thickness. After wringing out the excess water, I started trying it out.

I tried a few different things with the Crown Cooler. Initially I'd been hopeful that I could wear it in my riding helmet, but that didn't work out too well. The Cooler is a little bit too thick to fit comfortably in my regular helmet. I did dig out my show helmet which has some extra room left for my hair, and it did fit more comfortably (but now I have no place left to put up my hair). Still, the Cooler did fit and it was comfortable and cool, though I didn't notice a huge difference in how it helped me battle the heat.

Next I tried the Cooler in a baseball hat, thinking it could be worn while mucking stalls and doing barn chores. It was a very tight fit, and didn't work too well. However, Polar makes a baseball hat specifically to be used with the Cooler, so that might be a better route.

I then tried the Cooler under a straw-brimmed hat that I wear while doing ground work with my mare. Success! While the hat didn't have a place to attach the Crown Cooler to (the Cooler does have a square of Velcro to keep it secure), this setup was comfortable and functional. I did feel somewhat cooler, so the next day I placed the Crown Cooler in the fridge for an hour before using it, and the cooling effect was much more noticeable. I found that freezing the Crown Cooler also increased the cooling, but it was initially a bit too cold, even though I wrapped it in a bandanna.

The Crown Cooler is definitely effective, but it takes a little work to find a suitable way to wear it with some sort of headwear. I found it most effective when it was refrigerated, and it can also be reactivated by putting it in cold water for a few minutes, which makes it easy to use while around the barn. The Crown Cooler does depend on evaporative technology, so using it in the muggy Massachusetts heat may have diminished its effect to a point. Still, refrigerating or freezing the Cooler can increase its effect. At a very reasonable price ($8.95) it's well worth adding the Crown Cooler to your summer barn kit.

You can buy the Crown Cooler directly from Polar. Be sure to visit Polar Products on Facebook, and keep an eye out on The Equine Insider - we'll have reviews of three more Polar cooling products coming up shortly!

Whisper Says: These are DELICIOUS! I got to try out four different flavors: peppermint, oatmeal molasses, apples and carrots, and pumpkin. I loved them all and would immediately eat as many as my mom would give me. This is the first time I've ever tried pumpkin-flavor anything, and I liked it a lot. Mom even convinced me to let her share some with my friends to see how they liked them. They all agreed with me: These treats are good and are to be eaten immediately.

Paige Says: All four flavors of these treats were a big hit in our barn. Whisper let me know right away what she thought of the Pocket Pony Horse Treats - delicious - and she got to sample all four flavors multiple times.

In hopes of performing a true taste test, I also gave the four other residents of the barn samples of each flavor, and not a single horse turned a nose away or even ate slowly. The treats were definitely a hit as far as taste goes.

I took a look at the ingredients labels, and they're very impressive. I can read, pronounce, and recognize every ingredient in the treats, and none of them have any sugar added (unless you count the molasses of the Oat and Molasses treats, but I don't). The treats are conveniently sized so that they can easily slip into your pocket, and they're cute shapes - flowers and leaves. I much prefer the shapes and sizes of these treats to some of the larger nugget or wafer treats, since I've had horses choke on those. The Pocket Pony treats are dry, firm enough to carry around in your pocket without having them crumble or break apart, and they're not sticky at all, which I definitely appreciate.

The treats were packaged in conveniently sized containers, and the 2-ounce size package is perfect and would last Whisper about two weeks (I feed 2 or so treats a day). I did have a package that had opened up during shipping, but Whisper didn't mind and the treats were none the worse for wear.

You can find out more about Pocket Pony all-natural horse treats at Pocket Pony's website, and be sure to check out their feature in the Small Business Barn, too!

Photo courtesy of Pocket Pony.