As a rider, I wanted to talk to you about the most important piece of your “personal” tack, the bra you choose to wear for riding.
Whether you’re into dressage or jumping, there’s a lot of vertical movement when riding horses. So, what’s a rider’s mission when it comes to choosing a bra?
Find a bra to Restrict Vertical Movement (RVM).
This can be quite a challenge, especially if you’re a C cup or larger, like me. I’m a 34D size woman. And, although I spend more time in front of a computer these days, I know what it means to “rise and fall with the shoulder on the wall”.
So, let me give you some low-down on riding as it affects your bustline. Any form of riding at a pace other than walking is what’s called a high impact activity. High impact activities involve a lot of up-and-down movement, vertical movement. Vertical movement is inevitable when riding.
Without a functional bra that restricts vertical movement (RVM), a few things could happen.
Breast tissue is very delicate and sensitive. You could experience breast soreness without RVM. Riding without RVM really puts a strain on the delicate elasticity in your breast tissue.
No RVM can be down right distracting. It makes for a bustline that bounces like dribbled basketballs. A bouncing bustline could make you feel self-conscious when riding. This energy and focus is better spent on your form and skills.
Finding a bra style that restricts vertical movement is a must for riders like you. But, there are hundreds of styles out there. What bra styles give the best RVM?
I like to answer that question based on your body structure. If you are a C cup size or larger, I recommend you look for the following features: underwire and back adjustability. The underwire will help with support and RVM. The adjustability gives you the flexibility to tighten or loosen the band which is also important to maximize RVM.
If you are an A or B cup size, I recommend you look for the following features: molded cups and true bra sizing. Molded cups seem just like a little padding in the cup, but the molded feature makes the cup stiff and firm which gives better RVM. What I mean by true bra sizing as a feature is to look for bras that are sized in true lingerie sizes (34A, 36B, etc.) rather than size groups (small, medium, etc.). This will give you a more customized fit which helps increase RVM.
