Scruffy competitors - we should ask h&h to show pics and shame them!

My 10p worth is that I absolutely abhore ladies/girls who refuse to wear their hair in a nice neat bun with a hairnet, I can't stand lose hair, eww, horrid!
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tbh i've never plaited for sj and i work for a pro sjer who would swiftly remove any plaits i dared to attempt on his horses. I think it's just a sign of the widening gap between the disciplines, you can spot an eventer at a bsja show from miles away and you can prob see a show jumper at a dressage comp (they'll be the ones unplaited with martingale stops on their reins
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). I Do plait for hunting though and usually dressage unless i don't have time
 
Oh dear that means that in winter I'd always be named and shamed as I refuse to wash my horses mane when it is cold as it is very long, so it means that although the rest of him will be clean (i do his legs and tail) his mane is a lovely pink colour (i blame the red clay soil)
 
I couldn't agree more - I don't think anyone is suggesting a name and shame of people and horses who have got grubby throughout the course of action but those who couldn't be bothered to be clean and tidy to start with, for example an obviously muddy and ungroomed horse or a rider who isn't in the correct attire for their discipline. Standards are slipping, even at affiliated and something should be said now. I don't think anyone is asking people to wear expensive gear, just tidy and workmanline and with the intention of being clean. People are turning up to shows with horses caked in mud; that to me is vastly different to the poster earlier who was saying about their coloured horse getting grubby whilst travelling / warming up. **Gets off soapbox and slinks back to biscuit box***
 
totally agree about the loose hair, very scruffy. i don't even like to see a long ponytail tbh. hairnets all the way.
(i don't wear one for hacking/schooling at home though, although i know people who do!)
i don't mind unplaited but very tidy manes for sj, it's dressage and eventing (esp affiliated) that i think really do need plaits, for the judge's sake.
i seem to recall a story about a stallion that did very well at the Nationals a few years ago, and J L-C was supposed to have asked why it wasn't plaited, and when told it was because it was "difficult", is supposed to have said that SHE would plait it for the finals, if necessary!
 
To the above who said about a bucket of feed to plait with their neck stretched out...would have to be a sack of mix for my horse, I am the slowest plaiter ever! Hand/eye co-ordination not my thing
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I plaited for unaff dressage today but still ended up scruffy
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Twiglet has a stupidly long coat, which is quite dull because it's shedding in handfuls, he got drenched in a rainstorm so said coat had a nice demi-wave to it, and a couple of plaits came loose when he was throwing himself about in a panic on the lorry. I did try and tidy him up but by that point was fighting a losing battle....

I do much prefer the picture of a plaited (horse) and well presented horse and rider, and don't think there's any discipline that doesn't benefit from it.....but there are times - running late, lack of support etc - when I can understand why plaiting doesn't get done. Do think every horse should be clean, tidy and the rider should be jacketed with a hairnet though!!
 
I always wear my hair in a bun for daily riding, however it's quite short at the moment but I can just squeeze it into a tiny ponytail. Before being able to do that, I wore a hairnet, I will never have hair sticking out of my hat, not even my fringe!
 
when nagged by trainer as to "why wasn't I out competing more", muttered something about all the hassle/time getting horse ready - plaiting etc.

Got the reply that there really wasn't any need to plait (aff dr) - just be clean. trainer said this was how they always competed.

whilst, the trainer as a list 1 judge might be able to get away with this, I doubt the judges would have been quite so opened minded to anyone else.
 
Hairnet or plait when competing please, or a pony tail if too short to plait, I hate seeing stray hair, it really irks me.

The thought of plaiting for a normal BSJA fixture is laughable, sorry, no one does it. Champs, yes, normal Summerhouse on a Tuesday - nope.

I don't plait my horses for hunting unless it is a lawn meet, and neither does anyone else except staff (ie those with grooms
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) I would never hunt without a hairnet though, even a plait isn't good enough.

However, at the end of the day I just like to see people out and enjoying their horses, regardless of whether they were dressed by Pikeur or Chavs R Us, and a little mud never hurt anyone (and it is usually the worst dressed that win anyway
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I agree some people could make a bit more effort when out competing.
I always have to scrub my horse for shows, he is a grey, and I am soo obsessed about having him look his best there is no way I could even get him out of his stable with a bit of poo on him let alone be at a show.

No wonder I am so worn out after a show though, I am continuously checking no poo stains anywhere. Or any dirt on tack etc. I could even go as far as saying I have OCD when turning out my horse.

Seriously I have to get any stable stains off before even comes out of stable. Mind you I do myself a favour as it makes much easier for me when comes round to bathing.
 
no . sorry. who would judge. next you'll be looking for those who look 'out of place' and you don't know the circumstances.
As I say, it doesn't affect you, if it bothers you that much, go say hi to them and try and make a helpful suggestion-far more effective.
 
I got scared into wearing a hairnet and a bun when i was younger by being told a story about a girl falling off BSJA and her horse standing on her ponytail! ouchhhh!

I think everyone should learn to turnout to a high standard from a young age, but when my branch of pony club now say its acceptable to wear coloured jodhpurs and sweatshirts to rallies (its always been a strict beige jods and hacking jackets) you can see where its going wrong.

My pet hate however is parents who buy their children show clothes that they'll "grow into" so to speak. This is accpetable to a point, but the other day i saw some girls i know out competing in jackets that went down to their knees and were about twice as big as them!
 
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but when my branch of pony club now say its acceptable to wear coloured jodhpurs and sweatshirts to rallies (its always been a strict beige jods and hacking jackets) you can see where its going wrong.

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Some people are trying to persuade us into hacking jackets for rallies but personally I think it's impractical - not everyone has tweed and I feel pale jods, shirt & tie/stock, gloves, hairnet and a sweatshirt are perfectly fine for a rally. I think clean ponies and tack is more of an issue in our club!
 
for training rallies, moderate (black/brown/cream etc) johdpurs, clean and tidy is all that is necessary, none of this shirt etc for us except for working rallies
 
There is no way in hell that we'd even be let out of the lorry unless immaculatley dressed at a show, i've always been told that hair that comes past your collar must be in a hair net, we do BSJA only so obviously its white all the way with either navy blue/black or grey jacket, matching hat, shirt nd collar or cravat, long boots or boots nd gaiters for seniors nd short boots for juniors, nd also white or black gloves,
 
I never could get my head around the BSJA hair net rule - or rather lack of hair net rule for men. If it was for safety, and they were spouting the urban myth of the girl having her hair ripped off all over the place, why weren't men made to wear a hairnet? I regualary jumped against a guy who had shoulder length hair - he was never made to wear a hairnet.

Is man hair somehow more silky and therefore would not get caught under a horses hooves?
 
At our first school team session about six weeks ago, it was SJ training at a local arena, about seven of us and a trainer and our parents, no one else. I was then quite suprised (though not at all disagreeing) when most of them turned up in beige jods, hairnets, long boots and gloves and velvet helmets... i felt very underdressed, having just dressed as i would to a lesson- navy jods (i nearly came in jeans!
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) t-shirt, boots and chaps, ponytail, and hat with xc silk still on
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i didn't look scruffy, and my horse was groomed, but he sweats up so was also sprting demi wave..
needless to say i am now very smart to all team training...
Now i am never purposefully scruffy (and my tack was v v clean!
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) and always make sure i am well turned out for competing out of respect to the organisers and judges, i hate no hairnets at comps as much as the next.. but just to show that not all teenage girls are complete scruffbags nowadays
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I must also say, i have had some occasions of feeling my horse is very very scruffy- my boy only has a very low trace clip, as he never really sweats buckets at home. However when we go competing, the journey and all the horses often get him v wound up and he is often lathered up by the time we get to the collecting ring. As a lot of people's have blanket clips or full clips (and their horses don't tie themselves in knots as soon as they see the lorry
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)i think they look smarter. His excitement also means he chucks his head up and down when he is left tied up or on a loose rein, so his mane is always everywhere, no matter what i do to it.... i feel i should plait up to improve his general appearance, but at my level of competition eg local unaff sj, NOONE plaits, meaning i would look genuinely out of place. I think this may be a problem, people like me follow what other more seasoned competitors do, so as not to look unduelly out of place (we do that when we bolt out of the ring
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)so no one plaits etc. Agree that riders should look as smart as possible though.

PS. I always make sure he is very smart when he goes into the lorry though.
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I'm glad my horse has only got a few white bits - as I'd probably be 'shown up' on the name and shame page you're suggesting!
 
Etiquette has certainly changed hasn't it? I don't think it would be a good idea at all but I'm glad someone has sparked the debate about what is right and what isn't.

I was at a PC eventing trial recently and was shocked (maybe I shouldn't be) by the fact that nearly half the entrants were were long boots or chaps when they were clearly under 18. Am I out of date?
 
NO! Springback, you are not! Or at least, if you are, so am I.

However, having not been allowed long boots till I was 16, I do agree with children wearing chaps for working rallies, XC etc.- sore legs otherwise!


I quite agree- hairnets, please everyone. And DieselDog- boys with long hair in our PC do have to wear hair nets.

I don't plait for BSJA except finals, and I agree with Weezy, it's a little unrealistic to expect people to do so. Dressage however, yes, absolutely.
 
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Bad idea - just reinforces the image of stuck up horse riders. There might be a reasin why they don't look perfect.

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Exactly. Bloody hell, who gives a crap about image - horse sport needs to be taken seriously, its about performance NOT about how immaculate your horse is.

I watched a big SJ competition in the US a while back with people such as Beezie Madden etc. on her top horse etc. - because it was the warm state of Florida, ALL the riders wore whatever they wanted! They wore beige jods and then any short (or long) sleeved top they liked (in any colour) which IMO looked far more practical and it looked like a proper sport. Im fed up of being cooked alive at BE or BSJA purely because its "tradition" to wear stupid show jackets!!!
 
I always start xc with hairnet in tact then when i view photos there i am with a big (my hair is down to my elbow) pony tail flying away out the back of my hat! I don't know how lol. I can't afford to buy stuff i got my sj jacket at 13 i'm now 23 and my 'new' second hand tweed one is caldene was 25quid! Bargain! And i put a pink numnah and pink over reach boots on just for fun, and a pink star on bottom! I think it's nice ar long as it's practical oh and naturally i have a pompom on my hat! :-)
 
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Im fed up of being cooked alive at BE or BSJA purely because its "tradition" to wear stupid show jackets!!!

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My chief instructor at PC spent time in Hong Kong years ago. I once complained about the heat in my tweed, and she put me straight down by saying "If I could compete in one in Hong Kong, you can manage one in blighty."

She's right. You wear your jacket for all of two mins max - you can put your jacket on before you go in, and take it off as soon as you come out. And before someone pounces on me and says "it's okay if you have a helper"...it is NOT difficult to ask the ring steward to pass your jacket up to you if you leave it on the fence by them. I have competed at various venues, and the most rude ring stewards I have found have NOT been BSJA, nor BE, but actually Pony Club.
I competed in an open team SJ competition on the hottest day of the year, and blow me I rode in my jacket. I had it passed up to me before I went in, and took it off as soon as I left the ring.
 
It is interesting to see comments regarding hacking jackets and turnout at PC rallies. Our PC still adhers to that principle, although for XC it is usually PC sweatshirts (with tie and shirt underneath!). I know it is purely psychological, but if you look smart, you tend to ride smart! Certainly there is a noticeable difference between those doing flatwork in jackets, and those in sweatshirts - interesting, I think?
 
I am quite fussy with turnout...my share horses are both cobs so lucky me they are hogged
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BUT....

I hog them every 4-6 weeks and always before any sort of comp, be it clear round jumping at Moorhouse on a friday or our Riding Club show. Also one is grey, yes grey, and the other is chestnut (there is a god
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) They are groomed everyday, they go out in the field everyday and very shortly will be living out 24/7 .

I clean tack when its dirty, I detest dirty bits
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and stirrups/treads etc....

and...hairnets rule!!!
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