Equipping Yourself with Other Important Gear

In This Chapter

• Discovering casual riding apparel
• Checking out show ring attire
• Spurs and whips: Getting the lowdown on artificial aids

A big part of riding is all the great clothes and cool accessories you get to use. Looking the part is important, not only for safety reasons but also because other riders expect it. After all, when you ride a horse, you’re keeping a tradition that has existed for thousands of years, and your fellow riders are more likely to take you seriously if you dress like you’re part of the club. Riding accessories in the form of artificial aids, such as spurs and whips, can also be crucial for communicating with your horse.

In this chapter, you discover the different types of riding apparel for English and Western riders. You also find out about the artificial aids.

Dressing in High Style

In riding, you have two options within your chosen discipline in terms of dressing: schooling clothes or show apparel. You wear schooling clothes when you’re just riding a horse in the arena for practice or are simply out on the trail for a relaxing ride. If you’re taking a horse in a show, you wear — naturally — show clothes. You can see big differences in these types of clothing if you pay attention.

In the following sections, I explain the importance of wearing the right riding gear and delve into the details of Western and English attire.

Choosing clothes for safety and comfort

Remember

Why do riders wear special clothes, anyway? Won’t an oversized t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of sneakers do? Well, no, not unless you want to be unsafe, feel uncomfortable, and give the impression you don’t know what you’re doing. Riding apparel, whether for Western or English riders, serves a few purposes:

• It helps you avoid getting caught on tack or having a foot slide through the stirrup.
• It keeps you free from chafing and saddle sores.
• It protects you from the whims of Mother Nature.

Here’s an overview of how each piece of riding apparel helps riders:

- Hats and helmets: With their wide brims, Western hats protect your face and the top of your head from the sun. In cold weather, Western hats also keep you warm.

Helmets, which English riders and some Western riders wear, protect your skull from damage should you fall off your horse (which is bound to happen sooner or later). Helmets with visors also protect your face from the sun. If you’re trail riding (see Chapter Don’t Fence Me In: Trail Riding), a helmet can keep low tree branches from scratching you.

- Riding pants: Whether jeans (Western) or breeches (English), riding pants are designed to protect your skin from rubbing against unforgiving leather. Breeches also have an elastic component that keeps your knees from being restricted when you’re in the stirrups.

- Boots: Riding boots are designed to protect your feet from clumsy hooves fitted with metal shoes should a horse step on your foot. They also keep your foot from getting caught in the stirrup in case you fall off your horse — you don’t want to be dragged.

There’s no regulation top for riders. Some wear t-shirts, some wear tanks tops, some wear sweatshirts — all depends on the person’s preference. Check out Chapter Safety First: Protecting Yourself around Horses for additional information about dressing appropriately for your safety.

Following tradition: Western dress

The tradition of Western apparel comes from the days of the Old West. Modified somewhat from olden times, this style has changed very little in the last 150 years. In the following sections, I describe Western apparel for both schooling and shows.

Western schooling and trail clothes

Some subtle differences tend to crop up throughout the decades. These days, Western riders wear the following items when schooling their horses or going on trail rides (see Figure 10-1):

- Western hats: Western riding hats are made from felt or straw, and they come in a variety of colors, from camel to black. Some have stampede straps, strings that hold the hat in place under the chin.

- Helmets: Although most Western riders don’t wear safety helmets, they should. Helmets aren’t part of the Western tradition, so Western riders often don’t include them in the wardrobe. However, some riders are putting safety ahead of vanity and are wearing lightweight, vented trail helmets when riding, particularly out on the trail.

- Shirts: The original cowboys almost always wore long-sleeve shirts to protect themselves from the sun and from brush they encountered on the range. These days, Western riders who are schooling their horses wear everything from t-shirts to tank tops. If you wear a shirt that’s blousy, be sure to tuck it in for safety’s sake.

- Jeans: Blue jeans are the staple of Western riding apparel, and you can see them on just about every Western rider out there. As for style, a boot cut is essential so the jeans fit over riding boots. Wear jeans on the longer side, because they ride up when you’re in the saddle.

Although few companies are producing jeans made especially for riding (these have an elastic component that makes them fit more snugly than regular jeans), some of the larger jeans manufacturers market certain loose-fitting styles specifically to riders.

- Boots: Western riders wear — guess what — Western boots! Equestrians don’t wear the kind you go line dancing in, however. Western riding boots have a lower heel than Western dress boots, which helps keep your foot from getting caught in the stirrup should you fall off your horse. Variations on the traditional boot also abound — they include Western-style paddock boots and riding shoes.

Figure 10-1: Casual Western riders often wear jeans and a long-sleeve shirt or t-shirt.

Western show clothes

Protocol

With Western show clothes, riders have a stricter mandate to follow. Show ring trends change, and five years from now, some of the following items may be obsolete. But right now, they’re hot as can be (see Figure 10-2):

- Western hats: Western riders in the show ring wear felt hats mostly in black, white, or camel.

- Shirts: Men wear long-sleeve, button-down shirts in Western cut, in solids or subtle patterns, with a Western scarf. Women wear fitted, long-sleeve, button-down shirts in Western cut. These shirts are often colorful, with glittery patterns that sometimes match perfectly with solid-colored jeans.

- Jeans: Men usually wear black jeans; women wear starched, colored jeans that match their blouses.

- Chaps: Both men and women wear fringed chaps that go with their outfits. These can be black, camel, blue, or whatever color works.

- Boots: The boots are Western, of course, and usually match the jeans in color.

- Accessories: The women wear jewelry — subtle necklaces worn under the shirt or stud earrings — although you may see some more sparkle as trends change. Both sexes wear belts, usually with large Western belt buckles. In certain Western riding classes, such as Western pleasure and equitation, riders wear gloves.

For details on shows and competitions, see Chapter Show Off: Riding in Competition.

Figure 10-2: Western show apparel includes a dressy shirt, jeans, and fringed chaps.

Staying conservative: English dress

The dress of English riders has changed very little over the past 100 years, although the astute observer may notice subtle difference in color and styling. The name of game in English apparel is conservative, especially in the show ring. In the following sections, I give you the scoop on English schooling and show clothes.

English schooling and trail clothes

English riders who are schooling their horses or hacking out on the trail dress much more casually than their show ring counterparts. Schooling apparel for English riders includes the following (see Figure 10-3):

- Helmets: English riders who are schooling their horses usually wear lightweight schooling helmets, in any variety of colors.

- Shirts: Everything from long-sleeve shirts to t-shirts to tank tops are a go for schooling in English apparel.

- Breeches or tights: Breeches are the traditional riding pants of the English discipline; they’re stretchy and sometimes have a padded seat and knee patches. Some riders prefer riding tights to breeches for schooling, however, because they can be less expensive and more comfortable. Riding tights usually have pads on the insides of the knees.

_ Boots and chaps: English riders who are schooling wear tall boots or paddock boots (boots that come just above the ankle). If they wear paddock boots, they need something to protect their legs from rubbing on the stirrup leathers (the strap that attaches the stirrup to the saddle). This protection comes in the form of full chaps, which cover the leg from the hip to the ankle, or half chaps, which cover the leg from just below the knee to the ankle.

Figure 10-3: Casual English riders often wear breeches and a t-shirt.

English show clothes

Protocol

English show apparel is much more formal than schooling apparel. Although elements such as color and helmet style in hunt seat and lower-level dressage may subtly change, the basics stay the same. These days, English show apparel looks like this (see Figure 10-4 for hunt-seat show clothes and Figure 10-5 for dressage show clothes):

- Headwear: Hunt seat and lower-level dressage riders wear black velvet-covered helmets. Upper-level dressage riders wear a derby.

- Shirts: English riders wear show shirts under a jacket. These tailored shirts are designed to allow movement needed in the shoulders for jumping. They’re button-down, have a collar, and are usually white or a very light color, such as pale pink or blue. Some shirts are short sleeved; others are sleeveless.

- Jackets: All English show riders wear jackets. Hunt seat and lower-level dressage riders wear tailored jackets in solids or pinstripes; upper-level dressage riders sport a black shadbelly — a tailored, short-waisted jacket that has tails.

- Breeches: All English riders wear breeches in the show ring. Breeches are form-fitting, and they extend just below the calf.

In hunt seat and lower-level dressage, color is prone to trends, including everything from rust to hunter green. Tan is usually a staple, although it’s a good idea to go to a show and scope it out to see what’s fashionable in your region at any given time. Upper-level dressage riders always wear white breeches.

- Boots: Hunt seat and dressage riders wear tall, black boots at shows.

- Accessories: In the show ring, English riders usually wear black gloves, although upper-level dressage riders wear white gloves.

Chapter Show Off: Riding in Competition can tell you more about the world of horse shows.

Figure 10-4: In shows, hunt seat gear features breeches, tall boots, gloves, and a jacket.

Figure 10-5: Upper-level dressage riders wear white breeches, white gloves, and tailored jackets in competition.

Reviewing Artificial Aids

For many riders, the equipment that makes up the artificial aids is almost like part of their riding wardrobe. This equipment includes spurs and whips. Although they may sound like torture devices, properly used artificial aids help foster the communication between rider and horse. Not all horses need the aids in the following sections, but many do.

Talk to your instructor before donning your first pair of spurs and mounting with a whip, because you need to have good control and use of your legs and hands before you can use these tools.

A leg up: Spurs

Remember

Spurs are metal devices worn on the rider’s heels, and they’re attached with leather or nylon straps. Although the style of Western and English spurs differs, the function is the same: to provide a strong signal to the horse. Riders apply spurs to the horse’s girth area with a gentle squeezing motion. Spurs should not be used to punish a horse.

 Here are the differences between Western and English spurs (you can see both types in Figure 10-6):

- Western: Western spurs look much fancier than their English counterparts and come in many more styles. Western spurs have rowels, or sharp-toothed wheels, located at the end of a shank. Some wheel rowels are smooth, which makes them milder. The type of rowel you choose depends on how much contact you want to make with the horse. The sharper the rowel, the stronger the contact. Western spurs come in simple stainless steel or, for those with bigger budgets, engraved silver.

- English: English spurs come in several different knob styles and lengths, which means that the end of the spur that comes in contact with the horse can be longer or shorter, rounded or elongated. The longer the spur, the more contact you make. English spurs are simple in design, usually made from stainless steel.

Figure 10-6: Western and English spurs.

Warning!

Never ride a horse with spurs without professional supervision when you’re first learning. If you aren’t well-versed in how to use spurs, you may hurt the horse, who may in turn hurt you by running away with you, bucking you off, or doing something else unpleasant.

Tap it out: Whips

Remember

Although most people think of whips as instruments of punishment, good riders don’t use them this way. Instead, whips provide an extra means of communication from the rider to the horse. If a horse is properly trained, a gentle tap on the rear with a whip is all you need to send the message across. Messages vary according to discipline.

Both Western and English riders may use whips. The type of whip depends on what they’re trying to do with the horse and, to some degree, the riding discipline (see Figure 10-7):

- Crop: Crops, which some riders call sticks or bats, are medium-sized whips, usually measuring anywhere from 22 to 27 inches in length. They feature a leather popper at one end and a hand strap at the other. Both Western and English riders use crops. Because they’re short, these whips are easy for riders to handle.

- Fly whisk: Western riders seem to prefer fly whisks, which often feature a leather handle, a wooden shaft, and horsehair bristles at the end. These aids measure about 21 inches in length.

- Dressage whip: Dressage whips are longer than crops, usually measuring anywhere from 36 to 45 inches. They have a leather hand grip with a capped end and a short lash at the other end. Hunt seat and dressage riders use dressage whips.

- Quirt: A quirt is a thick, braided leather strap around 30 inches long with a loop handle on one end and two or more leather straps at the other. This type of whip is used exclusively by Western riders. 

Figure 10-7: Types of whips.

by Audrey Pavia with Shannon Sand