BD attire

tabithakat64

tabithakat64

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I recently joined British Dressage, in the vain hope that it might motivate me to get out and compete; however I resemble a flump at the moment and really don't want to have to wear white breeches.

Can I wear cream breeches instead? Or will I look really out of place if I do? Are they more flattering than white?

Where do I get a cream saddlecloth? (I'm struggling to find any).

Is havanna tack ok? Or does everyone have black?
Will it be really frowned upon if I use a GP saddle as I don't a dressage saddle yet?

Ideally, I'd like to blend in and not stand out at least until I've gained some confidence :eek::eek:
 
Well, seeing as I'm going BDing this weekend in tweed with yellow breeches, mounted on something that looks more like a alpaca than a horse, you should be fine :p

We're also in a brown synthetic pony jumping saddle, the shame!
 
At the lower levels you see tweed jackets and beige jods, brown boots, skull hats (silver, pink etc) with dark covers. Numnahs, in most plain dark colours and also in white, as well as saddle squares Navy or black jackets, white jods white/ tan glovesgloves, black boots. Tack in brown, black and somethims orange.

Wear whatever is safe and comfortable, it will blend it whatever
 
Done blame you re the white breeches. Unless you are a size 8, with super toned thighs, they dont look brilliant. I wouldnt worry too much, we see all sorts out and about at dressage. Mini TX is a bit of a stickler though and its white breeches (she is a size 8) and a navy jacket and navy velvet riding hat.

However, there is one thing which is perplexing me regarding BD. You can buy all this bling stuff for you and your horse, but right at the very top, you dont seem to see it. Is it just a thing for lower levels? Only asked as a couple of teenagers on our yard compete BD at Prelim and Novice and they are decked out like the proverbial xmas trees, and from what I have seen, they arent alone. Sometimes I reckon the judge must need sunglasses to deflect the glare of their bling.
 
TX - I am one of the rare breed of eventers with bling. I do it purely because our dressage is usually so c**p I'm hoping the glare will infact distract the judges from the fact we can't really do a med trot and the horse is trying to jump the boards. It doesnt work. But we sure do look shiny ;)

eta - I also refuse to wear white breeches. agree - if you are anything over an 8 it is just cellulite-city. Not a good look :D:D
 
nothing to add re clothing-whatever is comfortable and fits, but Carl and Charlotte have all their horses in patent nosebands and blingy droopy browbands and plently of the top riders have patent boots....toto had his blingy browband, as do adelinde's horses so wouldnt say its not seen so much at the top :)
 
I'm sure you're fine pasha!

TBH I'm just jealous... I would look like a sausage stuffed into white breeches, so stick to a more forgiving tone. If I could get away with them - I would ;)
 
I wear white breeches and I'm a size 12 and have to say they look more flattering than my choco/anthracite ones! I have cellulite but you wouldn't know with my dressage whites on!

My horse has a 'blingy' brow band - he's white all over with a few tiny feabitten marks so the blingy (red clear and blue crystals) browband accentuates his head very nicely seeing as it's white ALLLLLL over.

Toto has a bling bridle, as do Carl and Charlotte's horses and the Amerigo Patent double bridle sells MASSIVELY for those competing ad.med level and above!
 
I think one of the magazines did a comparison thing and white breeches are actually more slimming than cream apparently. I think it really depends on the quality and cut of the breeches than the colour as to how slimming or not they will be. Of course white breeches are more likely to go see through in the rain...
 
sharky said:
On the subject of white jods - good or bad for men to wear at BD?
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Providng they are of a nice quality fabric and well cut I dont think anyone would object. However, if they are extremely tight and made of nylon. Yeuchhh.......... that thought has put me off my tea.

Does anyone remember Caldene Man in the 70s? If they do, they will know what I mean. There is a lad who does BE who wears extremely tight white breeches, ok he is slim, but oh god is it embarassing. Both Mini TX and I dont know where to look and we seem to run into him a lot at events. We have nicknamed him J****y Jodphurs (wont say his real name, he will be a tad embarassed).
 
I had the same problem with the cream saddlecloth, ive got havanna tack and i had everything else in cream (alot nicer then black and white i think!!) I have got a cream saddle cloth with gold coloured binding thats lovely, i bought two and have my other one for sale if interested, its made by hkm x
 
The BD rule book explains exactly what and what is not acceptable under rules.

From a technical, riding point of view, I would definately suggest you think carefully about gloves and jacket colours.

The 2011 rules call for light coloured gloves. DONT go for white. Hands show up so much more in white, and even if they are behaving, your hands will be very evident to the judge. If they are not behaving, then you are handing it to the judge on a plate.

Wear a tweed jacket and then hands will show up far less.

Most of us have plenty to offer the judge in the way of points to critisize, so let's minimize what we can! (of course, still whilst improving our riding so that our hands don't misbehave so much!)
 
Thistle said:
Like you I thought this rule was only valid for a short time and the rescinded
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as far as i know you are correct thistle...i went BDing yesterday in my tweed and black gloves and nobody told me off :) although the fashion police probably should have given that i was busting out of said tweed :eek:
 
i am a size 14 and wear white breeches - from the photos they dont seem to look too awful! i dont really have cellulite though - just thunder thighs! If the white breeches are thick enough and cover up the dreadful VPL then I think they look fine whatever the size. the worst thing anyone with cellulite can wear is thin cheap breeches - no matter what the colour they look awful!
 
star said:
i am a size 14 and wear white breeches - from the photos they dont seem to look too awful! i dont really have cellulite though - just thunder thighs! If the white breeches are thick enough and cover up the dreadful VPL then I think they look fine whatever the size. the worst thing anyone with cellulite can wear is thin cheap breeches - no matter what the colour they look awful!
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i just spat my drink out at the term "thunder thighs"...not heard that in a loooong time! hahahaha :D
 
diggerbez said:
i just spat my drink out at the term "thunder thighs"...not heard that in a loooong time! hahahaha :D
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oh, they truly are - my waist is only 2 inches larger than each thigh! it's all muscle though - i lost 3 stone and not an inch off my thighs a few yrs back. Dont even get me started on my monster calves lol!
 
I got called over and told off for using a black saddlecloth at my first registered dr comp. I was competing on a ticket to see how we measured up. It was very embarrassing :o

ETA I think I look marginally better in my white breeches than my beige ones, but tbh I always throw up in my mouth a little looking in the mirror before a comp :P
 
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I was oblivious to that fact that everyone else was wearing blue/black jackets until a friend pointed it out! As I've always just worn tweed. Same hat, stock and beige johds as I wear for everything else!

Must admit, I have been wearing the dreaded white gloves too (now off white, or not quite so white) didn't know that wasn't compulsory either.

Oh well, my BD membership has come to an end, so don't need to worry at all now!!
 
I wear buff/dark beige with tweed, and a shirt and tie, but when its really cold I have to break out the heavyweight navy wool jacket and then I wear a dark canary colour breeches and off-white stock. I wear yellowy/mustard colour gloves, and I have a very faded navy H2000 that looks almost grey. Can you tell I'm a fugitive from the dark(er) side of showing?!

I don't like white personally and you wouldn't catch me dead in a black jacket - but each to their own and I will admit some of the combinations look smart and at least they have put the effort in - but I'll stick to my workmanlike practical look, it has served me well! And my lovely mother who gets dragged around every BD venue with me offered to pay half of my membership if I NEVER put anything sparkly on the horse or put white bandages on for the warm up... etc!
 
I always wear white gloves, because off-white/cream show up way more and contrast with my white horse! I wore cream gloves when I forgot my white leather ones once and they looked HIDEOUS in the photos and my instructor told me they made my hands much more obvious, so if I stick with white they don't stick out like a sore thumb :)
 
I wear white breeches. Ok yes, I am a size 8, but my thighs arent the most toned in the world and my old lovely nylon breeches were a bit unforgiving but recently bought some derby house ones with a full seat and they are very flattering :) I think the shape of your jacket has a huge effect on how you look as well because if you are slightly larger and wear a longer jacket I think it looks better.

I always wore black gloves when I went unaffilitaed but bought some white roeckel ones (chritsmas pressie :D) now I'm BD'ing. I have heard some judges can be disapproving if they catch you with dark gloves on even though the rules just say light colours are preferred, not compulsory.

I have a bling browband but its just pearl and diamante so not over the top. Also, my dressage saddle is havana and my bridle is black but my saddle is so dark you can hardly notice its brown unless you look hard.

Wore a black jacket before with black velvet hat but decided this looks rather unflattering so got me a new navy jacket (pikeur for christmas :D ) and gonna get a navy hat cover until I can afford a nice new navy hat.
 
Wolfie said:
I got called over and told off for using a black saddlecloth at my first registered dr comp. I was competing on a ticket to see how we measured up. It was very embarrassing :o

ETA I think I look marginally better in my white breeches than my beige ones, but tbh I always throw up in my mouth a little looking in the mirror before a comp :P
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Really? I reguarly use Navy on my boy to match my Navy Jacket and noone has ever said a word!

Cant see anywhere in the rules that says you cannot use a Black saddlecloth!
 
Pasha said:
Really? I reguarly use Navy on my boy to match my Navy Jacket and noone has ever said a word!

Cant see anywhere in the rules that says you cannot use a Black saddlecloth!
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It doesn't! This is one of those myths that floats around every so often. I even got told this by the 'stressage expert' at my yard, she had to ask for dispensation to use a black numnah at an unaff but I've done unaff (under BD rules) in my WH (brown fluffy) numnah! I think they were so distracted by Big Pony's feathers that numnahs were the last of their problems with us!
 
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