If you take great pride in your appearance and part of that includes long nails (acrylic or natural), then surely you’d want to do everything possible to protect them. That might include avoiding activities where there’s a greater risk of damaging your nails.
But if you like riding horses, the inevitable question you’ll ask yourself is – Can you ride horses with acrylic nails?
The good news is that, yes, you can definitely ride horses with acrylic and/or long nails. But you need to be careful with a few things. In this article, we will discuss the dos and don’ts of horseback riding with long acrylic nails.
Acrylic Nails and Horse Riding: What could happen?
Acrylic nails by their very nature are quite strong and durable. However, they’re not indestructible and there is always the potential for them to break or chip if you’re not careful.
One of the main dangers of riding horses with acrylic nails is that if your nail does break, it could snag on something and could yank you off the horse. This is obviously a very dangerous scenario, so it’s important to be extra careful when you’re riding.
Another potential issue is that if your acrylic nail does break while you’re riding, the sharp edge could injure the horse. This isn’t a huge concern because a horse will be able to handle a small cut, but it’s still something to be aware of. What can happen though is that if the nail hurts the horse, it is going to get annoyed and this is going to impact your relationship with the horse.
How Can You Ride Horses With Acrylic Nails?
Yes, you can ride with acrylic nails but you have to take some precautions so that your nails don’t get damaged and you or the horse doesn’t get hurt.
If you’re going to ride with acrylic nails, there are a few things you can do to minimize the risk of breakage:
- Keep your nails short
- Use a base coat
- Be careful with your hands
- Avoid rough terrain
- Wear gloves
Keep your nails short – This might seem counterintuitive, but shorter nails are actually less likely to break than longer ones. If you’re worried about your nails breaking, it’s best to err on the side of caution and keep them on the shorter side.
Use a base coat – A base coat will help to reinforce your nails and make them less likely to break.
Be careful with your hands – When you’re riding, be careful not to put too much pressure on your hands. This can cause the nails to bend and potentially break.
Avoid rough terrain – If you can, try to stick to riding in areas that are relatively smooth. Riding in rough terrain can put more stress on your nails and increase the likelihood of them breaking.
Wear gloves – Gloves can help to protect your nails from getting damaged. If you’re going to be riding in an area where there’s a lot of brush or other potential hazards, it’s a good idea to wear gloves to help keep your nails safe.
Long Nails and Riding
If you have naturally long nails, this can also be fine if you are an experienced rider and know the horse well. It can also work if you’re used to having long nails and are able to do things like grip the reins properly.
However, if you are a beginner or are not confident around horses, or if having long nails is a new experience for you, it is best to either ride with gloves or cut your nails for now and let them grow later once you are comfortable and riding with the horse.
The Wrap
So the bottom line is this: You can ride horses with acrylic nails, but you need to be careful. Be sure to take the necessary precautions to avoid breaking your nails or hurting yourself or the horse.
If you have naturally long nails, that can be fine too as long as you are used to having long nails, you are an experienced rider and you know the horse very well. If either of these is not the case, it would be better to cut your nails for the moment.
