All the gear and no idea... dressage...slightly flippant thread!

I havn't competed for years, so found that I had the idea.......but no gear! So, I made myself a very dark green jacket (I make stuff for a living, so not as hard as you might think). And have a tiny amount of bling on browband.

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You called?

I have a non typical dressage pony (TBXWelsh) who I started off competing in hacking jacket and tie. I then moved on to navy show jacket and stock. Then I got a sparkly browband and it's been down hill ever since :biggrin3:

I know have gold sparkle browband with matching earring and stock pin, cream patterned stock with tiny gold sparkle bits, a sparkle handled whip, sparkle belt in same colour as browband etc and will soon be ordering a custom made dressage jacket with gold details, sparkle buttons and a matching hat.

I'll get my coat..........:o
 
I think the important thing is to take your horse into account, mines a tobiano with four white stockings, a white bum and a bit of white on his body. His mane and tail is mainly dark brown but has a stripe of white. He looks like a cow in a white saddle pad, which is a great pity as I have loads, however, he looks great in dark brown or navy. If I was starting from scratch I'd go with the brown theme completely except for ivory breeches and an ivory stock. i wouldn't go for white as no two whites are the same. I don't like bling and I think he'd look awful in it, he's flashy enough. Actually, I have black tack, a lovely pikeur navy jacket and Ayr 8 hat and a lovely cream stock thing with a pearl which you can wear over anything including a woolly vest if its a bit cold. He wears dark brown or navy saddle pad. I always think we look lovely (but i am a bit biased) but I can never pull a decent test out of the bag on the day. such is life!
 
Black tack!! Eek, when I was young (yes, when the dinosaurs were leaving..) black tack was considered a dreadful faux pas, though fashionable of course.

Wanting to be fashionable with one horse I spent a fortune on a black Jeffries bridle etc etc etc only to find myself loathing it, even though it looked fine on my black horse. Brown tack for me ever since: there is nothing (in my view) as smart as nice brown tack, except perhaps on a really white grey or a piebald. Thankfully I now have a mostly chestnut horse on whom brown tack and tweed looks fine. I love how glamourous the blingy dressage horses can look but bling is always wrong with tweed so I will have to continue to be a fuddy duddy!!
 
Should have said, my little TB is bay with absolutely no white on him at all! Sounds like navy jacket is the way ahead....still undecided about the tack colour.....oh and I need to learn how plait properly!!! Maybe some subtle bling would be nice... :)
 
Lévrier;13024024 said:
Should have said, my little TB is bay with absolutely no white on him at all! Sounds like navy jacket is the way ahead....still undecided about the tack colour.....oh and I need to learn how plait properly!!! Maybe some subtle bling would be nice... :)
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Be warned the slope form subtle bling to needing sunglasses is a slippery one......don't be surprised if on the way down you get hit by the matchy matchy branch too.......:eek3:


Welcome to the sparkly side :biggrin3:
 
ElleSkywalker said:
Be warned the slope form subtle bling to needing sunglasses is a slippery one......don't be surprised if on the way down you get hit by the matchy matchy branch too.......:eek3:


Welcome to the sparkly side :biggrin3:
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NOOOOOOOOO not the matchy matchy thing :D :D :D :D :D

Just wish I had ANY flipping talent at all to match my aspirations :p
 
Lévrier;13024029 said:
NOOOOOOOOO not the matchy matchy thing :D :D :D :D :D

Just wish I had ANY flipping talent at all to match my aspirations :p
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Don't worry I have no talent at all! My poor little horse tries her hardest but really isn't a dressage pone, the sparkles just make me happy :biggrin3:

Was relatively good re matchy till I discovered (or should I say was shoved towards by comments on here) fur feather meds on FB.........
 
ElleSkywalker said:
You called?

I have a non typical dressage pony (TBXWelsh) who I started off competing in hacking jacket and tie. I then moved on to navy show jacket and stock. Then I got a sparkly browband and it's been down hill ever since :biggrin3:

I know have gold sparkle browband with matching earring and stock pin, cream patterned stock with tiny gold sparkle bits, a sparkle handled whip, sparkle belt in same colour as browband etc and will soon be ordering a custom made dressage jacket with gold details, sparkle buttons and a matching hat.

I'll get my coat..........:o
Click to expand...

I fear I'm heading in this direction! I have been doing BD on a native for about a year. We currently sport tweed and beige jods and play the 'we don't really do dressage' card. However, the slippery slope has started, firstly a needed a new saddle and ended up with a second hand dressage saddle which was black (it looks great with my brown stirrup leathers). Then I decided to try a drop noseband and borrowed one off a friend, 6 months later we still have their black noseband on my brown bridle.

We did regionals in this ensemble a few weeks ago (and have been pictured in horse and hound in this state) but I did find myself staring enviously at all those with fitted navy jackets and (shock horror) patent leather!

I've started researching and now have a list of things I want to buy as finances permit, top of the list is a black bridle with a patent noseband, maybe even with some sparkly bits. My aim is by winter regionals in February we will truly embody 'all the gear, no idea!'.

My advice is buy the saddle first, if my experience is anything to go by you will end up spending approximately double what you want to on a saddle that fits!
 
Lévrier;13024024 said:
Should have said, my little TB is bay with absolutely no white on him at all! Sounds like navy jacket is the way ahead....still undecided about the tack colour.....oh and I need to learn how plait properly!!! Maybe some subtle bling would be nice... :)
Click to expand...

*whispers* brown and equiture will make you a custom subtle bling, see above pics for dinky almost all bay tb ;)
 
I'm not the best dressage rider but I have a navy (ginger horse, brown tack so navy looks better) pikeur romina jacket, can get them second hand for roughly £50 or new £130 ish. I also have pikeur white breeches and ariat bromont boots. The boots are very comfy.
I have an Ideal Suzannah saddle which is a beaut, I'm a lot comfier on my big moving ISH when he flicks his toes. Also fairfax have bought out a new prolite girth which is £80 and I recommend. Xx
 
Is the horse bright or dark bay? For the rider I would always suggest a blue jacket as it makes you look less washed out.

AA - it is always about the horse's way of going, obedience, the partnership between the horse and rider and so on. However, if the rider feels good in their competition gear it will help their confidence which in turn will benefit their riding. Also a smart, professional turnout will always make a good impression. I don't know about others but when I look smart for a clinic I always want to live up to the professional image I'm portraying :)
 
Browband sparkles depend on horse's head, for me. Mine has a dainty pony face so he has one with a silver inlay, sis' horse has a big Irish man face so gets no actual sparkles but does look good in very polished leather (it's not patent, but with elbow grease it comes up nice and shiny!).

I love the idea of matchy matchy...but I can never be bothered to put on boots so I know bandages are a lost cause :D
 
On the Navy vs. Black jacket question, 100 years ago ladies hunting side saddle apparently wore navy if they were unmarried and black if they were married. So if you feel like signalling to the traditionalists whether you're on the pull or taken, chose the appropriate colour!

Says she who is very single and the proud owner of a black habit...
 
sidewaysonacob said:
On the Navy vs. Black jacket question, 100 years ago ladies hunting side saddle apparently wore navy if they were unmarried and black if they were married. So if you feel like signalling to the traditionalists whether you're on the pull or taken, chose the appropriate colour!

Says she who is very single and the proud owner of a black habit...
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:D also single wearing black :D though still prefer navy!

X x
 
I will only wear black and white for dressage think it looks more traditional really. Didn't spend in the hundreds for my white jodhpurs though like others paid about £20? Kind of didn't want to pay loads for something that currently will only be worn once a month do little point spending loads.

One thing I hate though is that my horses saddle is brown. It's a dark brown but still brown. But until he is at novice/elementary level he is not getting a dressage saddle and this one doesn't hurt him so as long as he is happy I am too. He doesn't look bad in it though he is grey he can pull off any colour.
 
georgiegirl said:
navy every time for ladies I think!
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So agree - Black is so harsh!

I am also a brown tack fan - I loathe bling with a passion (my age I think) but I do like the shaped browbands.

I actually don't like the big square saddle blankets that everyone uses, their only use to me I see is to stick your registration number too. They cut the horse up chronically - far rather a neat shaped one or none at all. But then we all have to follow the boss sheep that decided on the white square. :D
 
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