Are you a smart or a scruffy rider?

Well not sparkle sister standard but nothing like the scruffs on this thread I'd say. Tend to be clean and bedding/forage free all year round despite being a shepherd! I don't do uber smart going out clothes just reasonably presentable at all times.
 
I've come to conclusion that in most things in life some people just look smart and others of us don't and in my case being around the yard or riding it's the same - I see some very smartly attired people who just manage to stay clean yet I have smears down my riding jacket usually before I've got on board and boots always look horrendous. I was much like that as a child with my clothes, just one of those that can never stay clean whereas my sister always had immaculate shoes and looked after her clothes well. I think with me it's just because I wear things to death before replacing and get all my riding gear in sales so it is never ever matchy matchy...
 
Smart smart smart!!!!

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Fig is also plaited up here for a clinic. But the rest of the outfit plus my brown konigs were worn for the following week whilst schooling at home. Same outfit used for hacking too.

That said, even my yard clothes are smart - black cotton (kids!) jodhpurs, black head band, dark zip up top and fitted brown jacket plus le chameau wellies.

I make an effort not to wear my riding clothes around the yard; it help things from getting dusty and dirty, and also the colours and fabric looking faded/tired. Tack is cleaned twice a week. Boots wiped over after every ride and polished once a week. Figs kit gets about 5-7 wears and then goes in the wash.

I don't mind what anyone else does as it doesn't affect me in the slightest (matchy isn't for everyone, after all ;) ) - but it does grate me to see filthy tack etc, you (presumably) worked hard to afford it so look after it!
 
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Workmanlike but couldn't give a flying ducky if things don't match.

Brown jods as they don't show the dirt as much, brown Arait short boots, brown cheap half chaps, usually t-shirt or fleece and gilet, always hi-viz for hacking out.

Horse wears whatever saddle cloth is clean at the time (or cleanest!)

However, I never, EVER compromise on footwear - I wince when I see people round horses in flip-flops or indoor shoes. I've lost a big toenail because a horse spooked and stamped on my foot while adjusting a rug in the field: if I hadn't been wearing sturdy boots, I doubt I'd still have a big toe, or even the top half of my foot. It was unbelievably, excruciatingly painful as it was and the nail took 2 months to come away.
 
Ughhh I agree Mrs B I live in steal cap Dunlop wellies on the farm and always ride in my spectrums. Try not to do too much yard work in my riding boots as I'm currently sporting a broken toe for being lazy and bringing in the boys in riding boots :(
 
nikkimariet said:
I don't mind what anyone else does as it doesn't affect me in the slightest (matchy isn't for everyone, after all ;) ) - but it does grate me to see filthy tack etc, you (presumably) worked hard to afford it so look after it!
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Completely agree. I don't like the whole matchy matchy thing one little bit but doesn't bother me what other people like/do, but the tack thing...
I look after my tack, possibly slightly obsessively, but I buy nice stuff and expect it to last and filthy greasy tack makes my eyes itch :p
 
Mrs B said:
However, I never, EVER compromise on footwear - I wince when I see people round horses in flip-flops or indoor shoes.
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Me too. Makes me feel a bit sick, actually, knowing what could happen. I always wear proper boots but I never seem to struggle with excessively hot feet anyway, such that I'd be wanting to wear flip flops or something.
 
I don't have scruffy clothes, horse attire or otherwise. I don't dress up for riding, I ride in what is suitable/comfortable/warm. I wear less 'smart' clothes over here than I did when I lived in England but I am just not the sort of person to go around looking scruffy. Winter here is not easy to be stylish I hasten to add so I'm usually snuggled up in down gilets and jackets most of the winter and often resemble the Michelin man.
 
Smart! I normally wear navy/ black full-seat breeches with a smart, warm hoodie and my quilted navy gilet and gloves and tall boots. I like to look smart :) Of course, my horse is also neat and tidy: groomed, pulled, clean tack and saddle cloth. Just my opinion, but what really gets me is when I see someone who has dirty tack and a filthy, damp saddle cloth. It can't be hygienic? But anyone at my yard will tell you I'm a bit of a neat freak! My bridle gets cleaned more often than most of theirs put together :o

But as long as you're safe and the horse is comfortable and happy, it doesn't matter that much :)
 
I'm usually somewhere in between. I strive always to be clean, at least when I arrive at the yard, always have appropriate footware and jodpurs or jeans depending what is planned. There are always jobs to be done, even if it is just grooming and I never leave the yard as clean as I arrived, even filling haynets gives you dirty dusty hands. I think I am never quite as tidy by the time I am riding as I was when I left home, but I may be a bit of a dirt magnet and someone who moves from looking smart to tussled just by breathing ;)
 
I'm both.
Winter routine means I jump out of bed and throw on jeans to do early morning turnout and mucking out. On my return later in the day, I'll have showered (!) and be wearing decent breeches and boots for riding.
Don't do the matchy matchy, prefer the understated look, with traditional tack. I think the horses are worth being smart for but I couldn't compete with their beauty, I just like to be the backdrop.
 
I would say I am quite smart for riding and day to day duties. Not quite as much as in years gone by when I was on livery and only wore beige breeches, shirt and long boots. But I do ensure I am always clean, tidy and presentable as being at home, anyone could turn up. I do however where overalls for mucking out and other mucky jobs which isn't the most attractive but ensures that I don't have to get changed all the time.
 
Another bit of both.. Stuff, both equine and human, costs alot so I try and buy the best I can afford and look after it. Time constraints and weather conditions often make me look like someone's just fished me out of a drain but I do try!!
 
Depends what yard I'm on! Some of the yard I'll go out in joggers and short boots! Other times it'll be the long boots and breeches. My riding style in General is scruffy, I could never do a dressage test but I seem to have good stickability so that's fine by me!
 
Despite my best efforts to look smart I always end up looking scruffy. Jodhpurs covered in horse kisses, mud etc, horrible hat hair, jacket covered in feed etc from me wiping my hands on it haha! I am always mis matched too. I envy the girls on the yard who somehow manage to match perfectly and still look sweat free and beautiful after riding their horse. Their boots are always clean too...... HOW?! My boots get mucky just from stepping out of the car :-/
 
I always make sure I am smart-ish, my horse is always immaculately clean to be ridden and tack clean.

I don't do the coordinating unless for a lesson, to ride normally always wear the same thing. Black leggings, black ariat grasmeres, a long sleeved t-shirt/jumper and navy blue jack wills gilet.

My horse is on full livery so easy(ish) to stay clean, if I have to fetch her in I just pressure wash my ariats and they are good as new :)
 
I'm fairly scruffy - but the problem here is it gets too hit, so anything too fitted is horrible. I still always wear jods, boots, and half chaps. The chaps were dark grey and now are not only falling apart but are a horrible yellow colour from the sun, so I need a new pair after fixing them 3 times. I normally wear something loose, like a men's polo shirt, or men's army issue wicking t-shirts in summer. The women's sports ones are ok too, but I'm a bit weird about having things tight round my shoulders so prefer the men's ones. I fiddle and get uncomfortable and hate it, so I tend to wear looser tops and hoodies for riding in winter too actually!

Hair is always scraped back and for some reason doesn't look as stylish on me as it does on most other people :D
 
I think I'm average.

I wear full make up, style my hair & paint my nails etc for day-to-day anyway, so I don't take it all off if I'm going down the yard. Having said that, I don't slap on the make up to muck out before work at 6am as I go home to get ready, anyway & happy to just chuck on a pair of jogging bottoms at that time of morning!

My riding stuff is a mix of horse brands & non horse brands. I usually wear mid range jodhpurs or breeches from Derby House or brands like Mark Todd or Equetech - the darker coloured, the better! Or patterned, equally hides the dirt!

I have a few Joules, Chukka, sweatshirts but equally have fleeces from Primark, TKMaxx, Hawkshead & Landsend. They tend to be fitted, but purely because I wear a body protector over the top. Most of my long sleeved tops come from Primark, New Look or Matalan for the yard - I like a splash of colour or stripe like pink or plum, as it still looks fun. Or, technical base layers from TKMaxx. Most of my gilets of late have come from Primark or Tesco, cheaper than horse brands but still semi fitted.

I like Primark or Matalan for thermal socks and knee length welly socks. I've got Sealskinz gloves, but most of my ear earners and snoods are from New Look or outdoor clothing shops as they are cheaper than horse specific stuff and New Look etc stuff particularly brightens up a winter outfit.

My hacking out jacket is high viz & otherwise just wear a faithful Musto coat or Joules jacket.

I clean my tack a few times a week as I like to look after my stuff. But horse goes out naked as much as possible & as much as I'd love him to look immaculate, as long as where the tack goes is clean, I'd rather exercise him than make him look shiny! My saddle is brown, so pony has brown numnah or saddle cloths - matchy, matchy or bling would look silly on a 14hh native pony!

I try to stay clean-ish, but not bothered about getting muddy if I do - it's an outdoors hobby, after all!
 
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