Bling? Colors? What say you?

[KittyinAus]

@rockonxox

I started riding 30 years ago and have never seen brown tack in the dressage ring nor in the photos in my riding books as a kid. How long ago was brown the norm (unless we’re talking the calvary days and not showing days)? Not arguing, just curious as I would never have thought of brown in the show ring as being the norm - learn something new every day. Hey, maybe it’ll start swinging back… brown came back in style in the last, what, 5ish years or so? Regardless of which came first, I still think black looks better. It is about the horse and not the fashion statement of being different.

I started riding over forty years ago and am Australian. Have a whacking headache and did some Googling to save myself from thinking.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forum…ack-Tack/page3

Strictly speaking, brown tack is ‘correct’. Originally, black leather was considered ‘inferior’ because it could be dyed to hide imperfections in the leather, whereas any flaws where visible in brown tack.

Agreed. Black tack was mainly on the continent and until the 70s/80s we stuck with our traditional English brown tack. The saddles I fit pretty much are only stocked in brown, apart from dressage saddles, black is to order. I like brown better on pretty much every colour, and even personally own a brown dressage saddle which had to be made to order! Brown leather generally wears much better.

I have only brown tack - a left over from many years ago when I worked in a yard owned by a master saddler - he always said to buy brown as it will always be the better of the quality as it was hard to cover blemishes with brown dye - Black dye on the other hand will hide many blemishes in the leather.

Australian thread from 2011.
http://forum.cyberhorse.com.au/forum…brown-saddlery

As you can see, brown leather was the norm until the late seventies, early eighties, scarcely cavalry times.

[twcolabear]

I love bling and wild colors! I’m still on a search for a perfect yellow saddle pad. In tack shops bling stuff is a magnet for me. That said, in show environment: black jacket and boots, crisp white pad, black bridle with a hint of bling and plan black helmet. I don’t know if I would have enough guts to ride in rhinestones head to toe in public

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

@KittyinAus That’s really interesting! After reading your links, I did a little fun Googling of the history of brown tack in dressage and FWIW, here is a photo of Robert Dover in brown tack:

http://dressage-news.com/wp-content/…WB-Kennedy.jpg

I think the horse I’m currently riding looks best in black tack but if I had a nice chestnut, I think a brown dressage saddle would look lovely.

[KittyinAus]

@Impractical Horsewoman

@KittyinAus That’s really interesting! After reading your links, I did a little fun Googling of the history of brown tack in dressage and FWIW, here is a photo of Robert Dover in brown tack:

http://dressage-news.com/wp-content/…WB-Kennedy.jpg

I think the horse I’m currently riding looks best in black tack but if I had a nice chestnut, I think a brown dressage saddle would look lovely.

Glad that you enjoyed the links.

[rockonxox]

@KittyinAus

I started riding over forty years ago and am Australian. Have a whacking headache and did some Googling to save myself from thinking.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forum…ack-Tack/page3

Strictly speaking, brown tack is ‘correct’. Originally, black leather was considered ‘inferior’ because it could be dyed to hide imperfections in the leather, whereas any flaws where visible in brown tack.

Agreed. Black tack was mainly on the continent and until the 70s/80s we stuck with our traditional English brown tack. The saddles I fit pretty much are only stocked in brown, apart from dressage saddles, black is to order. I like brown better on pretty much every colour, and even personally own a brown dressage saddle which had to be made to order! Brown leather generally wears much better.

I have only brown tack - a left over from many years ago when I worked in a yard owned by a master saddler - he always said to buy brown as it will always be the better of the quality as it was hard to cover blemishes with brown dye - Black dye on the other hand will hide many blemishes in the leather.

Australian thread from 2011.
http://forum.cyberhorse.com.au/forum…brown-saddlery

As you can see, brown leather was the norm until the late seventies, early eighties, scarcely cavalry times.

Thank you for all the information.

[Mondo]

"Well, since you included the helmet, instead of a top hat, you must be capable of change! " Haha! Miss Ariel, you got me. Although I will say that for YEARS I thought helmets instead of top hats looked SO dumb! (I miss my top hat, but value my brain more.) Now, it just looks normal.

[mmeqcenter]

In general, I’m not a huge fan of black tack. I don’t really like black as a color in general - it’s sooo harsh.
I definitely associate black with dressage though - really hate a black jump saddle :lol:
But I love brown in dressage, though it’s not common anymore. My dressage saddle is (old) brown. I’m desperately searching for a new one that isn’t a million dollars, and they’re literally all only available in black, it’s quite frustrating.

[Graymaresrule]

I don’t show, haven’t shown for years. But Sophie has a green People on Horses browband http://www.peopleonhorses.com/hampton-browband/
for her inspection and if I could I would get the same trim on a saddle pad…probably cost a fortune. If I could find the beads I could easily make it. I have a vintage diamond and emerald stock pin and if I could (and lost 30 or so lbs)I would get a dark green coat. And we have spurs with green rhinestones. If it was allowed I would put green rhinestones in her mane. Yes she is Irish.

But Sophie is basically grayish white. I would rethink the colors on a different colored horse.

[MysticOakRanch]

@mmeqcenter

In general, I’m not a huge fan of black tack. I don’t really like black as a color in general - it’s sooo harsh.
I definitely associate black with dressage - really hate a black jump saddle :lol:
But I love brown in dressage, though it’s not common anymore. My dressage saddle is (old) brown. I’m desperately searching for a new one that isn’t a million dollars, and they’re literally all only available in black, it’s quite frustrating.

Several saddle makers offer their saddles in both brown and black. I have a few friends and my coach who ride in brown. Exact matches to girth and bridle are not as easy because there are so many shades of brown. I like brown tack on a chestnut or palomino, and black on a bay or black. If you prefer brown, figure out which saddle you like, then order it in brown. Custom, Stubben, Bates, JRD, Neidersuiss, I’ve seen all of these in brown on horses

[Absolut_Equestrian]

@phoenixrises

Dressage USA shared on their FB a pic of someone with just a bit of embroidering on the inside of the cut of the tail on their jacket (I know I"m not calling it the right thing). I thought it was so lovely, and fine and not OTT. I want it now.

If you look closely, you’ll notice the saddle is an ancient Passier - because that’s just what the horse goes best in. It’s also paired with a navy OneK helmet. A nice mix of classical and modern :lol:
[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“large”,“data-attachmentid”:9855266}[/ATTACH]

[scruffy_the_cat]

@rockonxox

I started riding 30 years ago and have never seen brown tack in the dressage ring nor in the photos in my riding books as a kid. How long ago was brown the norm (unless we’re talking the calvary days and not showing days)? Not arguing, just curious as I would never have thought of brown in the show ring as being the norm - learn something new every day. Hey, maybe it’ll start swinging back… brown came back in style in the last, what, 5ish years or so? Regardless of which came first, I still think black looks better. It is about the horse and not the fashion statement of being different.

This little known horse/rider combination. Reiner Klimke & Ahlerich
http://storage.pferdiathek.tv/author/images/big/rklimke_biig_neu.jpg

Also other unknowns:
Margit Otto Crepin & Corlandus
http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/content/90-aachen-ottocrepin-corlandus-01

Christine Stuckelberger & Granat
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/98/55/af/9855af7d5e27e2189c79038991d7cd49.jpg

Just Google dressage images from the 1984 Olympics and you can see plenty of brown tack.

[redsoxluvr]

I make custom browbands, so I will be the first to admit that I like them. That being said, I am fairly conservative about turnout otherwise. I have a navy coat, a navy helmet and I want navy boots. This is for a loud ginger with chrome and a flashy dark bay. Saddle pads are just plain white, nothing fancy.

[redsoxluvr]

@Graymaresrule

I don’t show, haven’t shown for years. But Sophie has a green People on Horses browband http://www.peopleonhorses.com/hampton-browband/
for her inspection and if I could I would get the same trim on a saddle pad…probably cost a fortune. If I could find the beads I could easily make it. I have a vintage diamond and emerald stock pin and if I could (and lost 30 or so lbs)I would get a dark green coat. And we have spurs with green rhinestones. If it was allowed I would put green rhinestones in her mane. Yes she is Irish.

But Sophie is basically grayish white. I would rethink the colors on a different colored horse.

Truthfully, the materials on that browband are about $20 at a bead store. You could easily sew them to a pad.

[Graymaresrule]

@redsoxluvr

Truthfully, the materials on that browband are about $20 at a bead store. You could easily sew them to a pad.

lo

Not in any bead or craft store I’ve seen, from our local JoAnn’s to online sources like Fire Mountain Gems. If you have a source I would love to know about it

[beowulf]

@redsoxluvr

Truthfully, the materials on that browband are about $20 at a bead store. You could easily sew them to a pad.

Eh… for POH, no… maybe for the cheapo plastic beads you see on Etsy but POH is high quality - a lot of it is actual precious gemstones and silver/metal.

I make browbands for funsies on the side. It is not a small task, so I don’t make them often… here’s a snap of a browband I did a few years ago, not the best picture but you get the idea (click)

The browband was salvaged from an Otto Schumacher bridle - if I had bought a channel browband, it’d be at least $20 USD.

The onyx stones on chain I ordered about a foot and a half of, it was $20.
The topaz inserts were $18.

The leather needle, nylon thread, glue and other supplies were about ~$20.

All in, once it was created I probably spent ~$60 to make this browband… It would have been more if I didn’t have a channel browband from my OS lying around. That did not include the time and arthritis it took to make it though! It probably took me a total of 2 hours to do – and threading the needle through the leather was a you-know-what of a task. If I had to sell it I’d say the only way it was worth my while was if I sold it for $110+.

[SendenHorse]

I started dressage in the early 90s, midwest and brown was everywhere! I had a lovely two toned brown saddle as my first saddle. Lovely! I like both color choices now, wish the brown was easier to match (I do HJ too so I have the best of both!)

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

I love the black horse that I’m leasing but this thread has now given me the strange urge to buy a chestnut pony, some brown dressage tack and boots, a dark green shadbelly, and a browband with emeralds in it.

[goldenstirrup]

I don’t like the bling that makes you focus more on the rider than the horse.

I do love the sparkly browbands such as the ones from PS of Sweden but I don’t want to be the weirdo that looks like she’s spent more money on bling than lessons with her green bean horse! :lol:

[Graymaresrule]

@beowulf

Eh… for POH, no… maybe for the cheapo plastic beads you see on Etsy but POH is high quality - a lot of it is actual precious gemstones and silver/metal.

I make browbands for funsies on the side. It is not a small task, so I don’t make them often… here’s a snap of a browband I did a few years ago, not the best picture but you get the idea (click)

The browband was salvaged from an Otto Schumacher bridle - if I had bought a channel browband, it’d be at least $20 USD.

The onyx stones on chain I ordered about a foot and a half of, it was $20.
The topaz inserts were $18.

The leather needle, nylon thread, glue and other supplies were about ~$20.

All in, once it was created I probably spent ~$60 to make this browband… It would have been more if I didn’t have a channel browband from my OS lying around. That did not include the time and arthritis it took to make it though! It probably took me a total of 2 hours to do – and threading the needle through the leather was a you-know-what of a task. If I had to sell it I’d say the only way it was worth my while was if I sold it for $110+.

I think the metal is sterling and the crystals swavorski

[beowulf]

@Graymaresrule

I think the metal is sterling and the crystals swavorski

Some of it might be but they have silver too. For my best friend’s birthday, myself & her sisters split the cost for one that looks like an early version of their Manchester; it was silver filigree with amethyst stone settings. It was not cheap, but 10+ years later is still beautiful and she does not take care of her tack well.