# show gear- what's the difference?



## barefoot

Well doing hunters and doing show jumping and cross country as totally different things. Hunters is basically about being perfect, and SJ and XC are apart of a different type of riding - eventing. So first decide which one you want to do.

In Hunters in the upper levels it's important to look your best. The difference in the coats is that dressage coats tend to be darker, longer and have bright brass or silver buttons. 

Under a XC vest a polo is most appropriate. And the tall boots with laces are most appropriate unless competing in dressage (which use tall boots without laces).

Soo.. did you want to do hunters or eventing?


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## alexischristina

Both.  
Two horses, one goes well hunter and the other i'm starting eventing next year.


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## Scoutrider

Hunt coats usually have 2 "vents" in the back, there's like a flap hanging down in the back instead of "tails" like a dressage coat. Dressage coats are usually black or very dark grey, while hunt coats can be almost any conservative color (Mine's dark green).

Khaki or beige breeches are probably a better bet than white for hunters, but whites are better for the dressage of eventing (at lower levels, though, I think one pair of khaki doing double duty would be fine).

As far as shirts go, a ratchatcher shirt is your best bet for hunter. These have a detacheable collar that can be decorated with a stock pin or conservative embroidery, if you like. Stock ties are better for dressage, but, again, at lower levels a ratcatcher collar is probably fine. White shirt for dressage, any color available in the ratcatcher that looks good with the color hunt coat you choose is fine. (Mine's white, with stock pin on the collar)

Black gloves are a good finishing touch for hunter. Schooling shows, it mostly doesn't matter, but turnout may be the tiebreaker between equal rides in the placings. I've seen white gloves for dressage, but I don't know for sure about that.

Barefoot has it right with the boots, but I wouldn't worry about riding in field boots (with laces) in dressage at low levels, personally. If your huter shirt and breeches do double duty and you ride the same saddle for both, don't worry about it. If you do have a dressage saddle and the other technically correct attire, invest in the dress boots.

Oh, show jumping just wear your hunter stuff. That should be fine.

Good luck!


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## Misfit

Just a note that field boots (with laces) are legal for dressage until the FEI levels. 

For hunters, the best bet would be to get a pair of field boots, a pair of beige breeches, a navy blue show coat (will never go out of style), and a long sleeved white show shirt (can double duty with dressage). You'll want black gloves, and do your hair up in hunter hair. 

For dressage, you can pretty much double duty everything but wear your black dressage jacket (except I'd get a large square pad vs a shaped pad). If you want to get a pair of white breeches, that's great too. 

I'll let the others answer the eventing thing, because I really don't know.


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## StormyBlues

Hunters- A nutral coat(black, navy, hunter, grey) with a light colored shirt with a ratchatcher coller(coral and blues are very popular this season!), kaki or tan breeches, and feild boots is the attire. Topped off with a black velvet helmet and black leather gloves. Your horse should have no boots, martingale, or breastplate. Saddle pad should be the fitted kind and white. 

Show Jumping- for less formal shows and solid color polo and white or kahiki breeches is fine. For a more formal show, Your hunter jacket is fine with a stock shirt and stock tie. These should both be white. You can either wear kaki or white breeches with your feild boots, black velvet helmet and leather gloves.
Your horse's saddle pad can be any color, but white with a trim looks professinal, and most people use square pads. Any boots are acceptible, as are breastplates and martinglaes.

Dressage- Black, very very dark grey, or navy coat. White stock shirt with a stock tie, white breeches, feild boots. White gloves are used in upper levels, but your black leather gloves are appropriate. You can wear a hunt cap, but I 
ALWAYS wear a black velvet helmet. 
Your horse can not wear any leg protection, a white pad is used under usually black dressage tack. Or on a white horse, black saddle pads look great too.

Eventing- For dressage- same as the above dressage gear. 
For Cross Country- Any color combination is acceptible. My colors are royal blue and magenta pink for mares and royal blue and black for geldings. You should wear a polo, certified cross country vest, helmet, gloves, breeches, and feild boots. Your horse can wear any leg protection(and I would recomend it strongly, I LOVE Woof boots), martingales and breastplates, and any color saddle pad.
For Stadium Jumping- just as said above.

Your hair for every disapline other than XC, should be done up in a hair net. I do mine in a braid or french braid, flip it under itself like a horse braid, then put my hair net on.

I would suggest getting a simple black show coat. It will be accepted by everyone!


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## IrishRider

So I don't event but I can speak to the hunters side. Avoid white breeches. You only wear white breeches in some of the medal classes and/or Grand Prix type stuff. You might need them for dressage but not for your jumping. For hunters you want tan or beige breeches, a hunt coat (I believe something about the way they are cut allows you to function over fences, where there is no need to worry about that in Dressage.). My hunt coat is a grey color but the other poster is right in saying that you can get plenty of miles out of a navy coat. I advise you NOT to wear a stock pin in any of your jumping classes. If you were to fall and that pin came lose it could jam you in the throat. You should never wear them when jumping. For the shirt under your hunt coat any color that matches the coat is fine. Avoid really bright colors but there are some nice pastels out there. White gets boring. 

As mentioned show jumping is much less formal. You can wear bright colors, etc. Horse boots are also acceptable in show jumping, while they are not in the hunter ring. 

Also, I have heard that black gloves are acceptable in lower levels of dressage, and unless you have dead quiet hands, they might be the way to go because white gloves draw more attention to your hands.


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## Scoutrider

IrishRider said:


> I advise you NOT to wear a stock pin in any of your jumping classes. If you were to fall and that pin came lose it could jam you in the throat. You should never wear them when jumping.


Really good point, I never thought of that :-o. But then I don't jump, lol. Really good point...


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## StormyBlues

VERY good point! I would never wear a stock pin anyway, so I'm good!


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## barefoot

alexischristina said:


> Both.
> Two horses, one goes well hunter and the other i'm starting eventing next year.


Nice! I do the same thing - I have one that events and I ride others in hunters.

Plenty of people posted on what you should wear so I think you're all set. Just don't forget your USEA Medical Armband!


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## StormyBlues

^yes, definatly. That is very important


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## Jessabel

Well, for hunters, it's all about looking conservative, tidy, and traditional. You'll need a hunt coat, usually navy blue or black, beige or white breeches, tall boots (either dress or field boots), and a button-up shirt with a collar to go under the coat. You'll also need black gloves and a show helmet, but you can get velvet helmet covers which are a lot cheaper. I think show jumping is similar. You can find all this stuff at the stateline tack website and on tackwholesale.com.


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## StormyBlues

I would suggest Dover, I have compaired them and SmartPak, and Dover is cheeper


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## Scoutrider

Legacy Tack has a website that has some good prices, too.

Another option that I see at the small shows that I go to is a dickie in lieu of a show shirt, over a tank or tee and under the jacket. Much cooler in the dog days of summer, more affordable (you can even make your own without much trouble), and I can't tell the difference in the ring. A bigger show, go with a full shirt.


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