Acquiring the right attire

[spacytracy]

So, wow. I went foxhunting for the first time last week, with my 3 year old gelding, who has also never done this! We had a blast!! I did fall off but it was a “omg this puddle looks like a quagmire and so I’m gonna jump straight in the air, mom, to save us” and we separated on the other side lol. Humbled, and now I owe a case of beer next time

I want to join them again but I want to start looking for some more appropriate clothing. Specifically my boots, coat and helmet.

Where are you all searching for your gear? I’m in Eastern PA, I’m planning on visiting the Radnor Outgrown shop in a few weeks, but recommendations for online places when I’m bored would be great!

[McGurk]

Check with the secretary of the hunt you went out with and find out that particular hunt’s requirements - they can vary from hunt to hunt and there can be odd idiosyncrasies.

She may also put you in touch with someone with gear to sell.

Join the foxhunter’s groups on FB. I have gotten a couple of coats that way. There’s a couple of groups just for tack and clothing. Check eBay as well.

Do not buy a used helmet. Just don’t. Buy the highest rated helmet (go for MIPS protection) that fits well and is black without bling. Most hunts I’m familiar with do not require a black velvet helmet any longer, as there are only a few that meet the safety standard. (Charles Owen is one). The helmet will be expensive. Bite the bullet and do it anyway. Focus on finding a deal on the coat and boots.

[spacytracy]

No worries; fellow soapboxer here. I am the annoying person on fb posts when someone is looking for a used helmet. Nope. No way - only have one brain.

From my understanding, tweed coats until November, then black melton for formal season. I think most people still have their plastic-y helmets, but like you said, no bling.

[alar24]

Ebay is a great one! There’s a lot of sellers out there who aren’t horse people, so I’d recommend searching in non-hunting terms – “yellow vest”, “tweed blazer with fox buttons”, etc.

I’ve also had amazing luck on Depop and Poshmark (again from vintage resellers who didn’t know what they had). Takes a bit of digging but could be worth it!

If you want to window-shop for beautiful coats… https://www.alexander-james.co.uk/

For fun stock ties, gotta go with Etsy!

For more fun scrolling, the antique, fine-jewelry stock pins here are soooo beautiful: https://theantiquehunt.com/collections/stock-pins

[Equibrit]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/444429112299080/

[spacytracy]

I’m going to see if I can find a pre-tied stock tie, so I can take it apart and make my own. I think the untied ones will be super simple to make too.
And also that antique stock pin site is INCREDIBLE ugh. so much pretty stuff. I feel like I should hit up my local antique stores too.

[Foxglove]

Long time (57 years) fox hunter here and my three kids and granddaughter hunted. I suggest mentioning to current members that you are on the hunt for appropriate attire. In our club, many (like me) have a vast amount of hunt clothes that are no longer used (currently 3 coats and 4 vests, myriad breeches, and three pair of boots). In our club, we GIVE stuff we have to new members --only asking for a donation to the hounds.

But proceed with caution when you decide to buy: In our club (Battle Creek Hunt --we go out all winter long) after cubbing and the Blessing --which is opening meet for us and the start of formal season --EVERYONE wears some form of winter riding boot. My choice is Mountain Horse Ice riders or Rim Frost —I wear my tall leather boots ONLY for The Blessing of the Hounds and The Joint Meet. For cubbing I wear New Markets --many wear brown boots of some fashion for cubbing.

At our hunt, the most common mistake new members make is to buy a beautiful new black hunt coat --and then try to wear it in the freezing cold of Michigan Winters. What is worn in the show ring is NOT suitable for the hunt field. Personally I have three hunt coats: Light Weight, Medium Weight, and Very Heavy Weight --even with the heavy weight Melton, I wear layers under --AND sometimes even my safety vest --not because I feel unsafe, but because my safety vest is WARM. My coats are all FROCK coats --they come half way down my thigh --that way the rain or snow sheds off my coat and does not go on my saddle or into my boots.

Another caution is breeches color --not sure what your club requires, but ours specifies CANARY yellow --you can get by with buff color --but most of us wear CANARY yellow —

As to the stock and stock pin --look at a 4-Fold Stock Tie on You-Tube —extremely simple to make and tie --more correct than shaped or pre-tied --and trust me --a 4-Fold makes a much better bandage or sling than the other two --which is why we wear stock ties, and yes, we use them for that.

For the stock pin, I buy 100 gold safety pins at JoAnn Fabric and use the recommended five on a four-fold stock tie. --again, these are much more useful than anything ornate when one of the MDs or EMTs riding with us is trying to help a rider with a broken collar bone, dislocated elbow, or a horse with a puncture (we have a couple of vets who are members too).

Welcome to the sport! This will be my last season --horse and I are getting too old --not to hunt, but the 90 min drive to the club in the winter in the dark is getting to be too much at my age (70+). It was fun --great memories!

[spacytracy]

Thank you so much for this info! I hope I have many years of hunting ahead of me - the woman in the same flight as me was 80+. Her children and grandchildren were along as well. Very very cool.

[alar24]

Funnily enough, Foxglove, I think I use the exact same gold JoAnn Fabrics safety pins for my stock! The crossover between sewing + horses made that an easy choice.

One of the hunts near me also runs a second-hand tent at very discounted prices during their hunter paces. Maybe there’s one near you that does something similar?

[McGurk]

Here’s a nuance that often gets overlooked in concerns about attire: basic formal is always correct. You will never be wrong in black dress boots, a black three button coat, buff breeches and a white stock (learn how to tie a four fold, or at least a shaped tie, they look tons better and are easier to maintain.) The canary vest is nice, but also optional. The only good reasons for the vest are it’s an extra layer of warmth and if the masters waive jackets on a warm day, a vest looks tidier. That’s it.

Cubbing attire is optional. If you want to spring for the brown or black field boots, tweed coat and colored stock, great, but you don’t have to. At most hunts, a conservative show coat and show shirt is acceptable ratcatcher, especially for a guest or capper. And you’re never incorrect in black dress boots, buff or canary breeches and a white stock tie.

Again, talk to your hunt secretary, she’ll have great advice. At my hunt, the rules for guests/cappers are any tall black boots or paddock boots and smooth half chaps, any black riding coat. Because we want to make it easier for new foxhunters, and nothing is more discouraging to newcomers than feeling like they have to buy a whole new wardrobe.

One last recommendation: Call the Middleburg Tack Exchange in Virginia and tell them what you’re looking for. They have an incredible selection of secondhand hunting clothes, and they won’t steer you wrong. Yes, you’ll have to pay to have the stuff shipped to you, but they’re a great resource.

[coffeehag]

As someone who does NOT live in traditional hunt country (ie: Texas), I HIGHLY recommend On the Hunt Outfitters on Facebook and Sweet Rose Sporting Finds, also on Facebook.

Both gals have been INCREDIBLE. They find gorgeous tweed across the budgetary spectrum – I actually just messaged Sweet Rose and said “here’s my budget, do you have any bargain bin canary vests?” and she sure did!

Also, friends who will sew you stock ties!

That said if anyone knows where I can find an affordable flask…

[FitToBeTied]

@McGurk

Here’s a nuance that often gets overlooked in concerns about attire: basic formal is always correct. You will never be wrong in black dress boots, a black three button coat, buff breeches and a white stock (learn how to tie a four fold, or at least a shaped tie, they look tons better and are easier to maintain.) The canary vest is nice, but also optional.

I will second this. formal is always acceptable. Personally I like a tatersal vest instead of canary.

For staying warm, go with UnderArmour Cold Tech. It is thin and very warm. When you get boots try them on with the socks you will wear in the cold weather. I wear a very thin pair of sock liners and then good wool socks over that. A little room in the boot helps in the warmth department. I can’t find them now but someone makes thermal overshoes for riding boots.

[McGurk]

I am trying to channel all the turnout police I’ve encountered in my time hunting, and something is niggling at me that tattersall is typically worn with ratcatcher, and canary typically worn with formal? I think not strictly observed now, and you only see a little bit of the vest, so I’m not sure it matters.

BIG CAVEAT on any post on attire: your fellow hunters care way, way more about your horse’s manners, your knowledge of hunting etiquette and how your horse is turned out than they do about your turn out.

If you keep a safe following distance, turn your horse’s head toward passing staff, don’t chatter at covertside, get your share of gates and your horse is in condition, workmanlike and tidy, I DON’T CARE if you’re wearing a purple velvet saddle seat habit. Of course it’s nice if your turnout is correct, but if those other things aren’t present, I don’t care if you look like the cover of Covertside magazine.

[2bayboys]

eBay. I am the queen of finding fabulous deals on eBay, including a gorgeous Caldene tweed cubbing jacket that was listed by a thrift shop for $15. Have fun hunting and shopping!

[spacytracy]

Thank you for this! Yes, I was particularly concerned with both the turnout and ensuring my horse had proper manners. I did as much reading as I could and had fabulous people on the hunt who gave me pointers as needed. I have to give my horse credit, he was a rock star. Really settled in and he’s naturally lazy, so stopping along the trail was great for him. He was also trained around all sorts of farm animals so the dogs being around really didn’t seem to bother him!