What to wear to a horse show!

Horse shows are a great way to have fun and show off everything you’ve been learning. But they can also be a big headache if things go wrong. Your pony might pick that day to throw a shoe or develop a new fear of bushes, you might lose your crop or arrive at the fairgrounds only to realize the bridle you KNOW you put in the trailer isn’t there… Luckily we horse-people always conveniently forget the trials and happily sign up for more shows.

To help everything go more smoothly, I’m offering a series of blogs and videos about the English Horse Show. Today, I’ll talk about what to wear, thanks to a great question by Courtney!

The proper attire depends a lot on what kind of show you’re going to. Let’s start with the basics–dressage.

Dressage is always done in “formal dress.” This means a black coat, although they allow navy at small shows, low level eventing dressage or Pony Club shows, white or light tan britches, and tall boots. You are not allowed to wear chaps, half-chaps or paddock boots. At most levels a dark helmet is required, although at the highest levels riders actually wear a top hat! At entry-level, any dark-colored helmet will do, but as you go up the levels usually you’ll need a proper black velvet cover. You can buy helmets with this cover built on or buy a slip-on cover. You must also wear a white, sleeved shirt underneath the jacket. Again, as the levels go up you also need either a rat-catcher (a white band of cloth that wraps around your neck over the top button) or a stock tie. Either of these needs a pin to hold it in place.

As a beginner, you really just need:
a dark jacket
a white button-up shirt
light britches
tall boots
a dark helmet

Stadium jumping allows a little more variation in the colors of the jackets and britches, although they are still conservative. A helmet is always required, and many riders will also jump with a protective vest. You must also ride in tall boots.

Cross country is where all the fun happens (see why eventing is my favorite?) You are only required to have a helmet, a vest, a shirt with sleeves–no tank tops–britches and tall boots. It can all be any color you want! People often have their “colors” and get matching saddle pads, bell boots, helmet covers, and so on. It’s not uncommon to see horses on course covered in neon pink or a motley array of red, white and blue.

I know all this can seem overwhelming, but hopefully that gives you a good start.