# Dressage show question...?



## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I have always preferred to go in white. White pads are fairly cheap to get and if you only use them for shows, the good ones can last forever!

I just think the white looks classic and professional.

Just my preference


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Yes, you can use your black pad. I see either or at Dressage Shows - I personally use White, but I see black being used as well. 

Your black pad, is just fine


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I only use white pads on greys. I much prefer darker pads on darker horses. I think white is terribly distracting from the horse. Of course, you may want to distract the judge from the horse......

Many people do show darker horses in large white pads. But I seldom think it shows their horse to their best advantage.


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## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

**** Allison!!! I might need to get a ginormous white pad then. I'm going in two classes and it's been 6 years since I have shown. This will be the first time I've shown Buzz, the 3rd week I've owned him, and the last dressage test I did was at an ODE. *facepalm*


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Its complusary here to use white saddle pads. Not sure what it is O/S but in Aus, if you're competing in an official/open dressage competition, you must use a white or champagne pad.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

Here up in canada it is frowned upon(im not sure if its mandatory) to use a dark saddle pad. but i think if its a training show it doesnt matter. good luck! and remember to SMILE, haha you will get ten extra points! lol


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## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

Well, it is an official USDA show, so I better go get a new white pad. Hubby will just have to deal with it LOL!


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## ShebaGurl (Nov 13, 2007)

Well I know at the rated shows I go to in the US people always use a white pad. The only exception I've seen to this is if a person has a grey (almost white horse in appearance) then I've seen them use a black pad or a white pad with colored piping.

my experience with this kind of thing has been interesting, since I ride my horse in a special thinline black fitted dressage pad. Which I was convinced to buy at a saddle fitting clinic for my horse by the clinician and my trainer. I wanted to get the same saddle pad in white but the clinician had only brought black saddle pads with and my horse needed it right away since she was showing all signs of having a sore back plus we had a show coming up in a month. The clinician said she was completely out of the white and it would atleast 4 weeks, well my horse needed that pad that day regardless of the show. The clinician was from europe and she convinced me the riding with a black saddle pad at a dressage show was on the rage. My trainer also chimed in at that point and said it would be fine. So we bought the pad ($150, not even a full square pad like I wanted). I new I could have ordered the pad from the web but then I would not have had it that day or the inserts/shims and would of had to pay shipping so I did what was best for my horse. When we got to the show the next month I went to saddle of with my black saddle pad and my trainer goes you can't do that, where's your white saddle pad? I ended up riding with the white saddle pad on bottom and then my black pad so that the saddle was kept in the right place. I'm sure the judge must of that was weird. No one else at that show had a black saddle pad. Sorry for the novel. This is my saddle pad:

Cotton Comfort Fitted Dressage Pad - Horse Rider Performance Saddle Pads - ThinLine


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

These are the written rules;

z Article 1921. Saddlery and Equipment.
1. An English type saddle with stirrups is compulsory for U.S. Equestrian and USDF tests. A
Dressage saddle with stirrups is compulsory for FEI tests. *Saddle pads are optional, but
should be white or of conservative color.* While present in the competition area and during
prize-giving ceremonies, the name and/or logo of the individual's sponsor(s) may appear on
a surface area not exceeding 200 cm2 on each side of the saddle cloth. Breed logos (for
horses registered with that breed), national flags (for citizens of that country), and
business/farm names or logos (used with permission of farm/business owner) are also
permitted and must have the same specifications as sponsor logos. No other advertisement
or publicity is permitted on saddle cloths or horses.


As I said, white is not mandatory. If you use a white pad on a darker horse, it is preferred that it is not so large that it takes over the horse. Try to get one that fits your saddle well, no more than an inch or inch and a half from around the saddle.


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## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

Ohhh sweet Allison! Of course, now I have a white pad. It was on sale and only $20 so hubby shouldn't be too mad lol.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Those are the US rules, in Canada there are no restrictions on colour. (At least not since the last time I checked)
A woman here showed in a red saddle pad for Red Fridays to honour her son in Afghanistan.
There was a lady that showed GP in a very dark navy tail coat and a bright navy saddle pad on a bay horse and it looked absolutely repulsive.
On white horses, sometimes black pads are better so you aren't showing off the minor stains, and I have shown other coloured horses in black pads too during inclement weather. You aren't going to get a comment on your test (unless you're getting judged by Cara Whitham) and ou aren't going to get funny looks. Black is just as kosher as white pads.

Good luck!


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## JumpingTheMoon (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks. I'm kinda nervous. It's been about 6 years since I've shown at all, and the first time ever I'm specifically going to a dressage show. So I'm starting out at the very bottom. Cause that's the best place to start over right?


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