Dressage in hot weather

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Mrs C

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Hi all. I've got a unaffiliated dressage comp this week and am assuming in this heat we may not need to wear jackets. I usually wear cream jods, comp shirt, coloured stock and tweed jacket. If we are allowed to do our test jacket-less, silly question but do I just wear my comp shirt or should I also have stock on?! What's correct? Thanks very much :-)
 
At affiliated competitions it is up to the discretion of the show organiser / judge as to whether or not you have to wear your jacket - but hopefully sense prevails and you are allowed to take your jacket off. When this happens I wear my competition shirt and stock/tie.
 
Thanks both. I've a short sleeved competition shirt so will wear that with my stock and take my jacket in case :-)
 
I attended an unaffiliated dressage comp at the weekend and they let us ride without jackets (thank god) - I just wore my shirt and stock, it looked smart enough. Luckily my shirt is short sleeved.

I still came out of it dripping though!!
 
We were at a dressage comp yesterday - on the hottest day of the year! - seeking qualifiers for a regional final (which we got - Yay!!). The judges did allow competitors to ride without jackets as long as the shirt / top under had sleeves of some sort. But a lot of people then did seem to have trouble with stocks / ties flying about. Might be worth bringing a couple of spare pins to secure your stock down your front. And sun block!
 
I think must be one of few people, however I feel that as the judges have to sit in the heat for the whole duration of the class then it doesn't hurt for 5 minutes to have a jacket on, therefore I warm up in my shirt and stock and pop my jacket on just before my test.
 
I always wear a jacket too - but as I go on my own it isn't just 5 minutes, it's the full working in time or managing around an interruption while I return to the lorry, tie up, persuade hot horse not to rub their sweaty head on me etc. It's just too flipping hot right now!
 
mrsh2010 said:
I think must be one of few people, however I feel that as the judges have to sit in the heat for the whole duration of the class then it doesn't hurt for 5 minutes to have a jacket on, therefore I warm up in my shirt and stock and pop my jacket on just before my test.
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Surely no half-decent judge would be so petty as to think along those lines? Surely it's better that the rider isn't overheating, so that they can ride as well as possible!
 
I'm sure the judge doesn't care if jacket on or off. I just feel better kitted out in the arena.
SJ I take every opportunity to ditch the jacket.
 
There is a big thread on the BD forum on this topic. Like many others, I go out to compete on my own so it is usually a question of having to warm up in my jacket and then ride my test in it as it isn't feasible to go back to the lorry, dismount, put jacket on, etc. I have half solved the problem by having a bib stock that velcroes around my neck so I don't need to wear a shirt under my jacket.

The judge can sit in their shirtsleeves with their air con on if they are judging from their car. I do however believe in showing the judge respect but think that it is not unreasonable to allow you to ride without your jacket as long as you have a shirt with sleeves and a tie or stock.
 
I did my first ever FEI level test in 100F, in top hat & wool tails - boiling and as red as a beetroot (not in this country, obvs). NOTHING would have coerced me to take off that tailcoat! It's only 4.5 minutes and really, it isn't that hot compared to almost any other competition venue in the world (have also competed in Spain when it was REALLY hot), and modern fabrics are very much easier than the old wool jackets..
 
I did my eventing dressage in high 20s on Sunday. Jackets were worn by all.

If I'm on my own, I carry to down and drape it on the fence, then pop it on when needled, reverse of my quater sheet in winter.
 
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