Show jacket for son - what colour?

NiceChristmasBaubles

NiceChristmasBaubles

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I was wondering whether you would be able to give me some suggestions. I would like to buy a new show jacket for my son's 14th birthday and am not really sure what colour to get. He does a bit of everything really, including pony club. So I need to get something that is suitable/acceptable for local show jumping, dressage and showing. His current pony is a bay roan and he uses dark brown tack. The pony changes colour quite a lot depending on the season. The picture below is in the summer. He is pretty much a standard bay in the winter. I would prefer to steer away from plain navy and black as they show up pony slobber and all the other dirt that a teenager and his pony seem to attract. :eek: Thanks for your help. :)

Raff2.jpg
 
Either black or tweed - if you show then the one you choose would come down to what classes he will be entering really. Hunter type ones would want a tweed, wereas show pony type ones would want black. For dressage and sj tweed is perfectly acceptable (tweed seems to hide the dirt really well too!).
 
ThePony said:
Either black or tweed - if you show then the one you choose would come down to what classes he will be entering really. Hunter type ones would want a tweed, wereas show pony type ones would want black. For dressage and sj tweed is perfectly acceptable (tweed seems to hide the dirt really well too!).
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Thanks. For showing it would probably be PC pony, family pony that sort of thing so tweed should acceptable (and hide the dirt :)). If he did a PB Arab class, I'm hoping that would be ok. It would be just a low key local show - I tend to think that clean and smart should be accepted at these.

horsemadmum1 said:
Lovely pony. Suggest brown or green tweed.
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Thanks, and thanks! A brown tweed sounds nice. Maybe something that tones with the pony. I should get a matching hat cover as well I guess? And then, dark brown boots and gloves to match the tack? And cream jods?

ETA in terms of boots, are jod boots still ok at 14? Thanks everyone. :)
 
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Please please please don't buy a black jacket or black hat!!

A nice tweed jacket would look lovely with your pony, and you want a navy velvet hat - you can use this combo for whatever you do, and it will be correct for showing (- i am assuming your pony will be shown in plain tack ie. plain browband rather than colourful velvet one.)

He should also have brown jod boots and cream jods.

You can add a bit of colour with shirt/tie combo.

You can get some lovely tweeds - brown with an orange stipe for example.

But really really no black!
 
Brandy said:
Please please please don't buy a black jacket or black hat!!

A nice tweed jacket would look lovely with your pony, and you want a navy velvet hat - you can use this combo for whatever you do, and it will be correct for showing (- i am assuming your pony will be shown in plain tack ie. plain browband rather than colourful velvet one.)

He should also have brown jod boots and cream jods.

You can add a bit of colour with shirt/tie combo.

You can get some lovely tweeds - brown with an orange stipe for example.

But really really no black!
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Thanks that's great. Definitely liking the brown with orange idea, perhaps with a tie that picks out the orange detailing. Now I've got a picture in my mind, I just have to find it!
 
You could also try googling 'showing selection' and 'pretty ponies' neither are very cheap but you get some nice ideas from their sites.
 
Brandy said:
Depends very much on how much you want to spend. But remember that there is always a good market for outgrown juniors clothing.

http://www.showingtime.co.uk/detail.php?pID=5&catID=1&catbigtxt=

http://www.showingtime.co.uk/detail.php?pID=9&catID=1&catbigtxt=

Nice tie too.
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Brandy said:
You could also try googling 'showing selection' and 'pretty ponies' neither are very cheap but you get some nice ideas from their sites.
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Great suggestions thank you. I'll do some measuring! At least I have a younger son who will take over the pony at some point as well, so don't mind paying a reasonable amount as long as the quality is good. Sometimes buying something cheap is a false economy in the long run.
 
Definately get a tweed jacket. You can use tweed in showjumping, you technically should use tweed in prelim and novice dressage (often forgotten) and for the vast majority of pony types, including yours, you wear tweed to show them!

Personally I think a green tweed would look lovely on your pony and make a nice contrast with his colouring. This can then be teamed with red, blue or whatever colour takes your sons fancy!
 
Would just like to agree that blue would be correct for the hat. Better to get a velvet hat for showing rather than a cover. I was taught that black is not used for children in the showring although different for jumping. My daughter has a lovely Shires tweed jacket which is brown with a burgundy stripe and it looks great on a bay, and a chestnut, and I know that because people remark upon it!
 
Blue hats for showing, he is 14 I think?

Can't actually think what men wear - how bizarre, never really thought about it. But Blue is correct for the juniors definitely, although you do see brown with tweed.
 
Just got in and seen all these extra replies - thanks everyone! I have seen quite a few of the tweed jackets have navy trim (collar and pockets) so this would coordinate with the hat (although I'm not sure if these are just for the girls). And yes, I should probably get a proper velvet hat for showing, instead of the cover for his crash hat. Hopefully his head won't grow too much so it should fit for the next couple of years till he's 16. :)
 
I've just seen this one.....

http://www.hackettssaddlery.co.uk/c...ckettssaddlery.co.uk/trolleyed/5/41/index.htm

I think it's quite nice, except the velvet trim is brown, and they show a coordinating brown hat. But the whole outfit in the picture looks very smart. I will keep looking. One of the problems is he is now around 5'5" so really out of the children's sizes, but not really filled out enough or long enough in the arms for the men's sizes. This one is available in youth. Thoughts?

ETA I find it useful that the sellers are showing how the whole outfit looks together, and on a boy! The horse market is so girl oriented, that I find it hard having to kit out two boys!
 
I agree a nice brown tweed with green/orange in it, and tie to pick up on the colouring, navy hat/hat cover and brown jod boots - this should cover you for all the activities he wants to do, and is especially correct for PBA classes
 
I showed as a junior (but I'm a girl) and had both a green and a brown velvet hat to go with the blue one I also had depending on which jacket I had on. I don't like blue hats with brown tweed so i didn't wear one!

Men definitely wear black hats and black jackets (if they aren't in tweed) as navy really is only for women.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. You've all been really helpful and patient! :)

Just one more question really with respect to the following.....

sallyellis said:
I agree a nice brown tweed with green/orange in it, and tie to pick up on the colouring, navy hat/hat cover and brown jod boots - this should cover you for all the activities he wants to do, and is especially correct for PBA classes
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Although I prefer plain tack for showing (I have more experience with M&M with my sec A), in a PBA class, should the pony wear a fancy (and co-ordinating) browband?

Thanks again. :)
 
I *think* for PBA it depends on the type of pony. If it would be a show pony in a non breed class then coloured browband. If you would show it as a show hunter then plain tack.

Most fall into the former though I suppose as they are often fine :)
 
jesstickle said:
I showed as a junior (but I'm a girl) and had both a green and a brown velvet hat to go with the blue one I also had depending on which jacket I had on. I don't like blue hats with brown tweed so i didn't wear one!

Men definitely wear black hats and black jackets (if they aren't in tweed) as navy really is only for women.
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A while ago this was true, but now isn't really the case.

Men can, technically, wear black, but very few do and not at lower levels. You only really see black in bowler hats or in suits for evening performances in ridden show hacks. The rest of the time even they stick to the navy rule.

OP, your best bet is to avoid black at all costs in any part of your sons attire. Blue is most common because it is most versatile, but green and brown are also acceptable.

As for the PBA question as jesstickle says, it is turn out to type. The vast majority of PBAs are very fine so show pony/hack types, but I'd definately do hunter for your little pony :)

Good luck!
 
Brandy said:
Please please please don't buy a black jacket or black hat!!

A nice tweed jacket would look lovely with your pony, and you want a navy velvet hat - you can use this combo for whatever you do, and it will be correct for showing (- i am assuming your pony will be shown in plain tack ie. plain browband rather than colourful velvet one.)

He should also have brown jod boots and cream jods.

You can add a bit of colour with shirt/tie combo.

You can get some lovely tweeds - brown with an orange stipe for example.

But really really no black!
Click to expand...

Agree totally with this - tweed is far more versatile and hides a multitude of mucky sins!
 
MissSBird said:
A while ago this was true, but now isn't really the case.

Men can, technically, wear black, but very few do and not at lower levels. You only really see black in bowler hats or in suits for evening performances in ridden show hacks. The rest of the time even they stick to the navy rule.

OP, your best bet is to avoid black at all costs in any part of your sons attire. Blue is most common because it is most versatile, but green and brown are also acceptable.

As for the PBA question as jesstickle says, it is turn out to type. The vast majority of PBAs are very fine so show pony/hack types, but I'd definately do hunter for your little pony :)

Good luck!
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Now you mention it all the men I ever see at shows (or saw more accurately) were in bowlers because at county shows no one wears hats and we didn't go to much local stuff :p

Probably explains why I think of black hats for men :D
 
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