It’s not horrible if you’re on top of checking everyone in and can shout well when needed lol. Pinnies are easier to see but as a competitor I would hate to wear a pinny over my nice show coat.
The universal bridle numbers are cheap and convenient, I don’t see why we don’t just make that standard. It’s much easier for a rider to pay out $10 for a number they can use forever than expecting shows to pay for single-use numbers on too of all the other costs they’re facing.
Completely disagree, that is not my experience. Bib numbers work absolutely fine here, perhaps we’re not so fussed about showing off our nice jackets.
There were over 600 entries at one of the FHP shows this past spring. All their shows during season are HUGE… the sheer number of horses all over the place, rings running at the same time, and the volunteers required to pull it off is absolutely insane. I honestly don’t even know how they manage it. If wearing a pinney for all three phases means that:
fewer volunteers are necessary (getting volunteers is HARD y’all, and no one wants their show fees to go up if we have to pay people, imagine all the bitching that would cause)
volunteering is an easier/less stressful job (it’s already thankless enough!)
then I have zero issue with it. As said, this is 100% normal in the UK and really just… not a big deal. Your coat will still be pretty under your pinney - shoot, you could even get a coordinating custom pinney if you want to. Have fun with it. Make it work for you. It’s so not worth all the whining (which, ironically, is almost exclusively from men) when we have actual real problems. This ain’t one.
As for the people who say they won’t come to FHP shows because of this… LOL. They absolutely still will. These shows are some of the best here in Ocala, and during the summer they’re literally the only local recognized option. People will still come, even the ones complaining the loudest. They’ll be whiny turds about it for the first show or two, and then it’ll be normal and everybody will be over it.
If you want to put your number on your horse while it’s tied at the trailer, just wrap a bit of duct tape around the cheekpiece of your halter and write your number on it. Have done it a million times - real easy and simple.
I’ve volunteered in both SJ and Dressage warmup at FHP at both the Huge winter shows and at the schooling shows.
Back when I knew most of the riders in warmup by name, I could scream “hey, asshole, you are next!” (Not really, but wouldn’t it be fun to see how many people would head for the in gate? 
) Now, there are a lot of competitors I don’t know by sight, and riders don’t know their numbers, and can’t hear you. Pinney numbers will really help because I’ll know exactly where #52 is in a crowded arena.
The whining about this online has been entertaining but it does lead me to some larger questions. This sport is run by people that take vacation days and give up their free time to sit in bad weather and volunteer, so a lot of people can make a living at what is an exclusive hobby compared to much of the rest of the world.
If a change will make it easier for volunteers and staff and the only downside is that pics won’t be as elegant? I think it’s a real flex to try to stage a protest. If you won’t show at a venue because of this rule, perhaps it will be a better show without you there. Because I can tell you this, the most vocal opposition to this is coming from riders who are on the list of ones who aren’t nice to volunteers generally. It is a shame they will miss the shows at one of the best run venues in Ocala.
Also, I’ll be at FHP in the spring before this rule takes effect with my bedazzler and accessories and can glam up Pinney holders if anyone wants to still look fancy!
I don’t think we’re particularly fussy here, but YMMV. Pinny holders are annoying and clunky, I don’t even like wearing mine x-country let alone over my nice coat.
Well, to disappoint those that fear their beautiful coats will be hidden by a number bib, one of my hobby horses is that all riders walking a course should be required to wear their numbers. Too often fellow competitors are precisely the people who get in the way of riders running.
I’m honestly not sure that would help at all. Most people (myself included) don’t respond to their numbers being shouted out, so you’d end up defaulting to the standard “hey you!” anyway. Not to mention the coaches and friends walking the courses that have no numbers. In the warm-up ring there’s at least a list of riders with names and numbers; I usually call the number once, get nothing, switch to the name and get an immediate response. I do agree with you though that there should be some way of holding people accountable for wandering the x-country course with their head in the clouds, it’s amazing to me how many people who should know better are totally oblivious to being screamed at by a jump judge while a horse thunders up behind them.
At the last recognized I went to (in Area 2), I was told that having a number on the horse was required, in addition to the rider number, for stadium and was sent back to my trailer to find one (this event only gave out paper pinneys).
I see the rationale, but if that is a rule it is so rarely enforced, a lot of us were not prepared.
as I haven’t competed in over 20 years, this doesn’t apply to me. But, how are you supposed to get and keep your number from event to event? If I am #6 at the first event of the year, am I #6 for the year? Are you supposed to print up your number? What if you don’t have a printer?
I understand the reasoning behind this as a volunteer. I usually volunteer as a ring steward for dressage. I’ve always found the bridle numbers easy to read but there are people of all sight spectrums on the team and at big venues with a churning warmup, I can see how pinnies would provide better visibility. I absolutely see the merit in pinnies required for XC - sometimes some pairs whiz by you so fast, or their bridle number is on the wrong side, so you can’t catch their number – so having it on a pinny front and center for XC is absolutely a good thing.
As a competitor I don’t love being required to wear pinnies for dressage, though. If USEF (or the venue) is going to micromanage what clothes I get to wear as I trot down the centerline, they shouldn’t then be telling me to cover it up with the equivalent of a modified contractor bag with ugly numbers. Especially when those clothes cost way more $$$ than athletic wear.
FHP is a pretty big venue. I wonder if other venues will follow suit.
To be prepared, I have gone ahead and ordered bridle numbers for all my horses. 
Thank you for sharing the link.
I do see the reasoning behind wearing pennys, and the show not providing bridle numbers to save $$$, but I’m still not convince I want a penny over my beautiful ( and let’s be honest show coats aren’t cheap) coat.
You are supposed to provide/print your own number.
If you buy a reusable bridle number, you can write it in thick black sharpie on plain paper, or just print it out.
I always save bridle numbers from past events, as most are not collected back. I will flip them over and write my number on the blank side at some events where they don’t provide them.
I will say, at the last show I went to, the dressage ring steward made it known that she would call out numbers, but it is the riders responsibility to know who was in the ring, and keep an eye on when they were to go and be on their way to the ring when it was time to be.
They had a board with all riders names/ numbers/ times and the rings they are in. Also a clock next to the board.
I whole heartedly agree- it is the riders responsibility to know this- at ALL levels. It is not the volunteer’s responsibility to keep a rider ( or hundreds of riders), on time. I think this would help out the volunteers tremendously
I forgot to mention this in my post above - horses don’t just get loose on XC so I wonder how a lack of a bridle number will impact these cases. Technically, at most venues a horse out of its stall is supposed to have a bridle number on it at all times for this reason.
I was at the June GMHA H.T a few months back. I don’t know if it was the atmosphere or what, but something was in the air and there were a lot of loose horses while I was riding. I counted six across my ride times, with two of them having gotten loose at the trailering area with no riders. The other four happened with riders - 2 in warm up, and 2 out on XC.
The reusable bridle number I have has laminated numbers in it that you can switch out to make any three numbers. For the pinney holder numbers some give them to you and some require you to make your own but it just requires plain paper and a sharpie.
I haven’t got this magnetic number pack for pinneys, but am thinking about it:
I do have this, and love it:
I agree with this!
Totally. The reusable bridle numbers are tiny and hard to read.
And as someone who typically works warm-up, no one is riding by me saying their number so it is a constant battle to find number 253, who is either not there or just did not check in, but I can’t tell because I can not read any of the itty bitty numbers.
Pretty much Standard Operating Practice at any UK show, in any discipline. Riders know their numbers, white board list of their numbers and a Steward feeding competitors through on time and in an orderly manner. Room for a bit of flexibility for early or late runs, so long as the Steward is informed.
I often volunteer for the dressage ring at local events and I can’t tell you how many riders I have who put their bridle number on one side and proceed to seemingly only warm up going in the other direction so I am struggling to see their number! I think pinneys for warm up would be nice, but would also be great if you could still use a bridle number and opt to dump your pinney at the in gate!
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