riders with piercings? ie facial/ not just ear lobes

ex racer rider

ex racer rider

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I just had a thought, how many of you guys on here have piercings/ tatoos / other 'not normal' things?

I myself have lip piercings, nose, several ear piercings including an industrial.
And those of you who have 'modifications' do you think people perceptions in the horsey world are different than what they would be normally?

Oh and another thing... Safety! I know my nose piercing would ping out and I had my lip pierced higher up so it I was socked in the mouth it would be super unlikely for me to break a tooth. So what safety precautions have you taken?

Im interested to hear your replies, I would also appreciate it if any non pierced riders could comment on you views especially those of 'modified' equine professionals.
thanks!
 
I have my nose and lip pierced - I only ever take my lip one out for XC because I have to - have fallen off loads when jumping but never hit my lip *touch wood* - nose one never comes out. I have never had an issue with dressage comps or anything else and nobody has ever said anything about my piercings
 
I never thought about taking it out for xc! I tend to suck/chew it when I get anxious so I could have a shredded lip by the end of a course if I took it out lol!
And I have mondered if I should remove them for dressage as its very much about appearence, I also have very short hair on the top and shaved back and sides... Soon to be dyed blue and I wonder if that could perhaps also put people off :-)
 
I have 3 tattoos and an eyebrow piercing, and have never taken the bar out.Never had a problem yet, touch wood.
 
I have my belly button pierced , when i first did it about 20 years ago i was getting a leg up as,i was drawn to jump 1st in a jump off on a summer night and only had a short shirt on, i caught my piercing on the saddle on the way up, bloomin agony and bleeding like a sheep, i never did that again
 
Hi,

I have an eyebrow pierced - I've had it that long that I forget it's there - and no-ones mentioned it TBH. Used to have ear and nose piercings too - but took those out - nothing to do with riding - it was 'cause the cockatiel used to play with them and it got on my nerves :p
 
marydoll said:
I have my belly button pierced , when i first did it about 20 years ago i was getting a leg up as,i was drawn to jump 1st in a jump off on a summer night and only had a short shirt on, i caught my piercing on the saddle on the way up, bloomin agony and bleeding like a sheep, i never did that again
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Oh that made me criiiiiiinge :eek:

All the XC comps I have been in the rules state no jewellery so I just take it out - I dont bother if I'm at home or training locally though, I probably should as if I hit a solid fence face first it would be bye bye teeth - I use a retainer when competing - my nose piercing is quite subtle so nobody ever really notices it.

I also have 6 tattoo's although all can be covered - they are on back of my neck, shoulder blades, lower back, inside wrist and side of my leg - I dont think peoples perceptions of me change when they see them though - I have never had anyone comment other than to admire them :)
 
i do have three piercings, but cannot be seen with clothes on ;) ! tattoos the same, so no experience of being treated differently ! be interesting to hear what people think though :)
 
I think they are all gross (prefer people with the skin colour and number of holes they were born with in general!) but no worse on horsey types than any others. They are sort of designed to be shocking in many cases... Just personal preference for being non-repulsed :-)

Would expect (at LEAST non-clothing covered) jewellery to be removed for riding though - I keep a ring box in the glove box of the car for mine, purely a safety call. Presumably when newly stabbed they could have a keeper thingy for holes and be plastered over for both holes/skin damage from tattooing?
 
Ooo I have nose (which hurt like bad when I first got it done and got headbutted!) Don't know its there now though. Tounge, never an issue and various ear ones, conch, tragus etc. Some of which until they healed were made reeeally painful by my hat!

Also got 6 tattoos, all coverable, ankle, foot, stomach, shoulder, back and lower back.

Don't know about perceptions really, some people like to have a go but really it doesn't affect them and I'm still a nice person!!
Let's face it this generation are gonna be sat in the old folks home comparing blurred faded sploges and remembering the stories behind them :) xxx
 
I haven't got any piercings, except my belly, which is a pain when wearing jods as it catches. I do however have 9 tattoos. 7 of them can be covered no problem but the 2 on my wrists generally show under a jacket but to be honest my attitude now is either people accept me for who i am or not at all!
 
I have my brelly button done and only thing i find is that i cant wear high waisted jods or jeans but then i dont like them anyway. never had a problem with it being caught etc.
 
I have my belly done and never causes me any problems now it has healed- but when it was first done.. ouch! the skin was so sore every time i streched it by moving it really hurt. Think I may have got it slightly caught once

My sister has her smilie and middle lip done, think a horse smacked her in the face once with it's head and that hurt

Someone else I know (but don't really want to say who!) has 5 peircings.. *ahem* down there ! :o :o I have no idea how she manages to ride, apparently after a while she gets uncomfortable and has to sit back a bit.. 5 gold rings :p

Didn't know this person but the piercing woman told me that her friend had a wrist piercing done, and had draft horses. she was leading one out to the field and the rope caught the piercing as the horse took off and completely ripped it out.

I also know someone who rode with a between the boob piercing. Got infected too easily so was taken out.
 
i've only got my ears and belly button done. the only problem i had with belly button was in the healing stage, it used to catch on high waisted jods as well as my BP, whenever i bent down the BP would go over it and when i straightened up the piercing would get pulled right up :( Apart from that they haven't caused me problems.
how i see other riders with piercings? just the same as i see any other person with piercings, i don't mind! its a personal choice and it doesn't bother me at all. some piercings i love the look of, some i'm not too keen on, but if someone has it done then i dont comment on it because it doesn't bother me :) tatoos i love, just not the ones that go on your face or at the front of your neck. but again, i dont comment on it if i dont like it, if i like it i'll compliment on it :) i don't see people with piercings or/and tatoos as different or anything, they're just the same as other riders + a few bonuses ;) :)
 
I have my lip & belly button pierced and numerous ear piercings including 4 tunnels. I also have a few tattoos and did have 2 dermal anchors in my chest last year (which sadly had to be taken out). I ocasionally have surface piercings on my arms.
I have never had any problems (touch wood) and would have only ever had to take my facial & ear piercings out for 1 competition.
I have also never had any negative comments from anyone horsey, and to be honest i don't think i would care if i did :)
 
Hevs said:
I also have 6 tattoo's although all can be covered - they are on back of my neck, shoulder blades, lower back, inside wrist and side of my leg - I dont think peoples perceptions of me change when they see them though - I have never had anyone comment other than to admire them :)
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That would be because boring old farts like me are (normally) too polite to comment on your disfigurements and graffiti:D
 
Just what I was thinking, D O' D!

I was stewarding BSPS WH casses recently when the judge reminded a course-walker that she needed to remove her facial piercing jewellery before mounting, as it is in the rules.
 
I have nose, bellybutton, and various earrings!! Never had a problem with any of them, however some jodhs seem to sit in the wrong place for the bellybutton :D And yes, I have knocked it once or twice and then spouted my mouth off with obscenities. I would take nose out if competing, but for general schooling/hacking, they all stay in. I feel that my piercings make me cooler, and so my horses respect me more :p
 
I have 5 piercings and 3 tattoos. None have really ever caused me a problem. Apart from the tattoo on my arm. I had to keep it covered up around the Horses! its still quite new (done on 9th of this month) I am looking for tattoo number 4 now though!!

Heres my newest tattoo. It says Mum, Dad, Sister.

7e0c2831.jpg
 
I have one tattoo, a simple crescent moon and star on the back of my neck in rememberence to my arab. Doesn't show, even in competition gear as I managed to hide it from my mum who always fusses over me when I'm competing :D

Piercing wise, I have my ears, belly, tongue, nose and nipple done (TMI ;)) Last one is always hidden, When I'm riding dressage I like to have little diamond studs in. Tongue, noone tends to notice it. I forget I even have it after 7 years. Belly, has it done for 11 years now and doesn't bother me even in jods. Nose, is possibly my favourite I think its very pretty and always keep the stud in but would remove it in a competition if I was asked no problem. I like how it sparkles :D
 
Have ear, top ear and belly button, all come out when I swim, ride or play rugby as it makes sense (also rings etc. come off too). Had tongue pierced and had a small plastic retainer for all sport, (only swallowed it once :D)

As for tattoos where they are (even in a bikini) the only people who have ever see them is my doctor, my ex husband and my boyfriend. (oh and anyone who has been in a communal shower with me :D:D:Din which case you shouldn't be looking :p)

IMO providing you are aware of the risks of having piercings in knock yourself out, same with tattoos, providing my taxes didn't pay for them (yes I have seen people walk from the job centre to the tattoo studio more than once :eek:) I'm easy!

Edited to add my BF detests tattoos and would never have one he just puts up with mine. He really hates them.
 
I had lots of piercings 16 total but only ears left now. When concentrating and nervous I used to chew my tounge so not a good look!

I have 4 tattoos with over 20 hours work and one is my full thigh and full colour so I have to have good quality show jods or you can see!

All mine are covered in work wear and riding clothes so people are usually suprised!
 
Interesting thread :)

I have 8 piercings (or holes, 7 piercings really), three 1.6 lobes in each ear, and a 1.6 scaffold. I also have 2 tattoos, half an hour on the wrist (so difficult to hide), and 5 hours on my upper arm (rarely hidden in summer).

To be honest, the whole idea of piercings and tattoos is to make some kind of statement - if you cared what people thought of them you wouldn't have them in the first place ;) I've had comments off non-horsey people in regards to "you don't see 'alternative' riders very often", and only ones off horsey are usually to compliment my artwork (5 hour one is horsey based). I never take my piercings out for riding, only downside is I have to be careful what kind of riding hat I buy, the scaffold can get caught with some of them but current one is fine.
 
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