Hello, I ran across old posts for dressage legal showing colors for both jackets and pads. I found a hunter colored coat on clearance and now wondering what will look best with it to show. I am just doing schooling shows at training level, ( well I was until the COVID put them at a stop) I want to look sharp. So matching hunter pad or white pad? White or tan breech. Google images are not helping me find much inspiration. I also have a navy coat same ideas needed. photos a plus. horse coat is palomino. My inspiration photo , too matchy matchy??
I don’t show, so take this for what it’s worth. I don’t know what is legal or considered acceptable. My fjord is a medium dun color, so not palomino, but close. I have a very nice sage green dressage pad with cream piping on it that looks really sharp in him. Understated, but elegant. Might go well with a hunter green coat without being too matchy matchy. I’m a bit traditional, so would probably stick with white bitches if they look good with everything else.
Is that photo of you and your horse? Very nice. Lovely looking horse.
Not my horse, its a stock photo from a tack shop. Thanks for the feedback
The rules state “conservative” pad color, so you have a lot of options. Personally, I think closely matching colors is hard to pull off and coordinating shades will look better.
With the hunter green coat, I like white breeches. It will make the coat color pop more than tan. There are a lot of hunter riders with the green coats if you want to see the tan/hunter green color combo.
What about a lighter color pad that’s not white? Lemieux has a lovely champagne color - https://www.horsehealth.co.uk/saddle-pad/dressage-pads/loire-dressage/loire-classic-dressage-square-champagne
and PS of Sweden has something similar in walnut - https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/ps-of-sweden-dressage-saddle-pad-22166?utm_source=cpc&utm_medium=google&utm_content=nb_shopping_tack_mbl_3p&utm_campaign=&utm_term=2109854843&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6c6D7_iu6AIVA56fCh2MngzTEAQYBCABEgKzFfD_BwE
I love the Lemieux Champange color and the PS of Sweeden walnut, and I am liking the sage as well. I was worried that an off white pad, or a pad with yellow in it would look like it was a dingy white, but these do not make them look dingy.
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I think hanging with all colors of bitches adds spice to life. But tradition is tradition, so I do understand if that’s what works.
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@Silverbridge :lol::lol::lol:
Inspiration photo is lovely - yes, it’s too much, but you wouldn’t show with the polos, so I think without those it’d be nice. I personally prefer a white pad for shows, schooling or rated, perhaps with a piping color that matches your coat.
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I like the coordinating shades idea from GreyDes. I am leaning to the sage green pad with the hunter coat and a lt blue gray pad for the navy. Traditional black and white is a bit boring. If its allowed by USDF rules why not add a little pop of color, as long as it is tasteful.
I saw some lovely burnt orange and sorbet pads that are yummy but i wouldn’t dare try and test in them. LOL
DR120 Dress
- The dress code for all Dressage tests and classes through Fourth Level (see .5 below) is a short riding coat of con- servative color, with tie, choker, stock tie or integrated stand-up collar, white or light-colored breeches or jodhpurs, boots or jodhpur boots, and protective headgear as defined in DR120.6 and in compliance with GR801. A cutaway coat (modified tailcoat) with short tails is permitted.
Breeches must be white or light colored.
What color is your horse?
I have chestnuts and bought a dark green jacket last year. I ended up ordering a black sheen Mattes pad with hunter green binding, and will wear white breeches. My thought was that if the greens don’t match exactly, it won’t be as obvious as if the whole pad was green. However, if you can pull off a good match, I think a green pad with white piping, and white breeches, would look great. I don’t particularly like the lighter colored pads for showing unless they’re just white, or a neutral like cream or dove gray (depending upon horse color).
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As a chestnut owner, I LOVE the look in the photo for schooling! For show, I would go with white pad and white breeches. I think the crisp white looks sharp against the green and would work well with a palomino. I would guesstimate 80-90% use the traditional white saddle pad when showing up in my area.
But if it’s legal and you love it, go with what you love.
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I have the pad in your picture, inspired by that exact picture and owning a palomino GRP. It looks great on her, but I’m not sure finding a show appropriate coat to match would be easy…it’s a bit more vibrant green in real life than what I see available for show coats. I’m not overly fashionable and I’m sure there are lots of great ways to incorporate the pad into a nice show look, just thought I’d chime in that you might want to see the pad in real life first if you’re looking to match exactly as the color (at least on mine) is slightly different to the pictures 
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It depends on the formality of the schooling show. For my personally, at a more informal show I might use a non-white pad (navy for me) but then I probably wouldn’t wear a coat. For a rated show, even though the rules may say “conservative color” I always use a white pad (usually all white, though I have one with black piping).
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I’m old enough to remember when the tradition was only men wore white with top boots. It’s fashion rather than tradition and the rules only ask for a conservative colour.
OK, I will now dismount from my I-think-white-clothing-around-horses-is-just-silly hobby horse. Back to the discussion…
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Totally agree; I’ll ride that hobby horse too. White is THE most impractical color . Who ever thought of it. Someone with a staff of grooms-in-waiting no doubt.
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I bought a hunter green coat last year. I haven’t gotten to use it yet because I had to unexpectedly retire my horse, but I plan to wear it with white breeches and use a black pad. I’m not going to try and find a green pad that matches the jacket because that’s going to be hard.
I agree that white breeches are a pain, but I think that tan breeches make you look like a newbie. Tan breeches with a hunter green jacket screams, “hunter rider who thinks switching to dressage is easy.”
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Thanks everyone for the input. I think white breeches for both coats. I still will like to do a colored pad, con- servative of course.
[QUOTE=Can’tFindMyWhip;n10606231
I agree that white breeches are a pain, but I think that tan breeches make you look like a newbie. Tan breeches with a hunter green jacket screams, “hunter rider who thinks switching to dressage is easy.”[/QUOTE]
How about, been there, done that and now on the other side tan breeches?
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I have a white pad with green piping, saw a dark green jacket at Devin last year (on a rider, not in the stores) that I would LOVE to have. I have an understated green jeweled browband, I just LOVE green. Even my conservative, black and white is what needs to be worn at shows self would LOVE to show in a green jacket, white breeches, white with green piping saddle pad, and an understated green jeweled browband. And my horse is a plain jane brown, on a buckskin or palomino, green is the BEST!!!
I have a palomino too and I personally prefer to show in dark pads. I show in a navy pad and while breeches. Last year I had a black coat and this year is navy (too preggo for old one). It’s not an exact match but I don’t think it looks weird. I would love to get him navy boots and bells for the warmup so he could be totally matchy-matchy but I’m trying to be frugal.
I got a black with rose gold piping pad for Christmas that I love but can’t decide if I wanna save for shows or just use. It’s sitting in my closet justifying my husband’s complains that I own too many saddle pads-but he’s lying :winkgrin:. It’s from Dover if you’re interested.
