Who here has a dress code for lessons or in general at the barn?
looking for ideas of how to gently say tank tops are not appropriate dress. Mostly speaking of during lessons or schooling at shows- what’s Is your barns policy?
Riding at home: Helmet mandatory. Breeches and boots (or paddock boots & chaps) mandatory. After that, no rules. Dress as you think you will be most comfortable. Enjoy yourself. I find most of them dress it up a little for schooling at the showgrounds without having to be told.
My IHSA coach would open up his “dress code” discussion every year by telling us the story of “Tina,” who wore tank tops to the barn. When Tina’s horse shut off at the long ride to the oxer, Tina came over the inside shoulder and fell flat on her chest. Not only that, but because Tina kept hold of the reins, when the horse continued to go sideways to avoid her, Tina was dragged. When Tina stood up, her tank top neckline had been pushed underneath her chest due to friction. Unfortunately, so had her bra. So she was rather exposed in front of the whole class and also had extraordinary road rash. “Don’t be like Tina,” said the coach. “Wear a shirt with sleeves.”
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I don’t have a dress code at home (other than for safety), but I do tell my students what to wear schooling at shows: shirts must have a collar or sleeves.
pretty simple - dress codes for lessons is XYZ, no tanks
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Our barn dress code (similar to what’s been suggested above) is posted in the tack room with the other barn rules. Trainer occasionally has to mention it to new folks.
Just don’t be like Tina :D:lol: Gonna be my new motto. Our dress code at our barn is breeches, boots or half chaps, hair up, and a shirt with sleeves. I don’t recall my trainer actually telling us a dress code but I do recall a few people being asked to change, when they were wearing tank tops or not dressed properly for lessons.
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I think sleeveless polos are fine, and I absolutely do ride in a tank top, but that’s my own yard, when no clients/visitors are present. I’m less apt to stress the possible exposure issues than I am the actual physical damage that could happen if you come off wearing a tank. Better to have that skin covered just in case.
As others have said, I think it is pretty easy to say, just be direct:
Barn Dress Code: Appropriate footwear at all times, absolutely no sandals or flip flops. No tank tops or exposed midriffs. ASTM/SEI helmet and riding boots (paddock or tall) required when mounted. Please wear a collared shirt and have hair appropriately contained for lessons or clinics.
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I’m glad that I keep mine at home and don’t have a dress code! Love my tank tops for summer!
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You would think with all the sun shirts out there and how bad the sun is for your skin, that no one would where a tank top.
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My last barn had a pretty strict dress code- no sleeveless and shirts had to have collars. My current trainer is more relaxed- but I still don’t do sleeveless, I just don’t think it’s barn appropriate personally. If I were you I’d post the dress code around the barn and maybe send an email to all the boarders as well- whatever you feel is appropriate!
Except those of us who spend most of our time in a stuffy indoor.
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I rode at a barn that had it posted on their website. Collared shirts with sleeves (logos kept to a minimum). In the winter, a nice, sweater over said collared shirt. Breeches & tall boots (clean & polished for all rides. Belts mandatory (plumbers crack was unacceptable). Hairnets mandatory when helmets were on. Gloves to match boots although the crochet top, leather bottom (summer glove) were acceptable.
I was was very in favor of it. We all carried ourselves with a different demeanor than other farms. There was a farm across the way, same prices, no dress codes, and many girls wore "hoochie shorts’. Their personas reflected it.
I say post it on the website, hang signs in restroom, tack room, and attach a copy to the release form. You are running a place of business. Do not be afraid to demand standards.
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It’s 95 degrees + humidity for most of the summer so tank tops are a-ok. I don’t wear them in lessons usually, but absolutely will otherwise on a hot day. There are many ways to wear a tank top and look appropriate (imo - absolutely no boobs or stomach showing). I don’t own sun shirts and can’t stand clothes that cling to my stomach so most of the styles that I’ve found won’t work for me. I do have some athletic shirts that are looser in the stomach area and have sleeves. Not collared, but they look fine so I wear those for lessons. When I ride it is to learn and for enjoyment, not to be in a fashion show. I’m so glad my barn isn’t stuffy… and no, just because we aren’t doesn’t mean we are sloppy and don’t care for the horses just as good as the rest of you. I suppose things are probably a bit different at your A/AA barns. We are a lesson program that does eventing and more of the local hunter jumpers.
At clinics and shows collared shirts are a must.
If you do have rules you need to make sure to verbally tell everyone. Enforce those rules. See someone wearing something against the code? You need to tell them. Maybe have some “extra” polos so that they can throw one on if they are wearing what you consider inappropriate. We have an extra barn jacket (nice one with a logo) that we will give riders in the winter/cooler months to wear if they just have a t-shirt or something on at a clinic - which is a no no. Get the rules in writing and post them up in the barn with the understanding that many times those signs people just tend to look over. One of our “barn rules” signs is so small and in the other barn than where I usually tack up that I honestly just noticed it the other day.
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Makes a difference if you are home, at a casual lower end barn or one that has a serious business, or is trying to start one, showing, teaching and selling requiring a professional appearance be presented to anyone coming in the gate-including parents of younger children looking to shell out some bucks wanting a suitable learning environment.
Most require breeches and boots or paddocks and half chaps over decent jeans and appropriate undergarments. Never had a problem with it. Never found a tank any cooler then a light fabric top with at least a capped sleeve (but mine didn’t always have a collar, but nothing low cut).
If you show in the summer in breeches and boots…you ought to be at least lessoning in them.
You know there’s always at least one that’s going to take a mile when offered an inch so formulating and publishing a minimum dress code is a sound business move. Plus there are some legit liability concerns.
I’ve never been at a barn that had a posted dress code but I think it’s a smart idea.
Personally I always ride in breeches, boots, helmet, hairnet, belt, black gloves, and either a sunshirt, polo, or a sweatshirt over a polo. In the winter I wear a fitted jacket overtop, with a scarf and winter riding gloves if it’s below -15C.
I’ve seen some very ugly road rashes from people falling off wearing tanktops. The shoulders often take the brunt of the impact, and the skin there and on the back is often more sensitive/softer then your hands and elbows.
There are oodles of athletic polos (think golf shirts) that are a looser fit and breathe if that’s peoples issues. All of my sunshirts are a looser fit as well, they have to be tucked or they look funny.
If I was the OP I’d post it somewhere in the barn and I’d send out an email blast or text to everyone. Within a week I’d start calling people out on it.
My current barn (mostly dressage riders, very small lesson program, all boarders in mandatory training board - 1x lesson per week minimum), does not have a dress code. I think the youngest boarder is a university student, I might be next on the list at just under 30, and then most others are late 30s and above. The only hard and fast rules regarding dress are: helmet whenever you’re on a horse, and appropriate footwear at all times. The only person I’ve seen riding in anything other than breeches has been the BO when she hacks out one of her student’s horses. Most people wear athletic shirts / polos. It’s a super relaxed atmosphere and the barn has a mile long wait list as it is, so no real worry about impressing potential clients day to day. When showing or hosting a clinic, everyone turns it up anyway.
I taught at a barn that required a collared shirt etc etc and I didn’t think it was appropriate for the atmosphere. It’s a lesson barn with a small team of riders who half lease school horses and show locally. Mostly it’s kids learning to ride for the first time, and requiring a collared shirt seemed a bit stuffy to me. a clean, comfortable t-shirt (or other shirt that covers the shoulder) would seem fine enough to me.
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I grew up without a dress code and thought it was great that I could wear tanks riding, and didn’t understand why Pony Club said it was a safety issue - until I fell off the side of a horse, had my arm caught in a webbed rein, and was dragged on sandstone footing. I now have a scar that stretches from the back of my shoulder down around the front of my arm all the way to the elbow.
So there’s absolutely a good justification there to require riders to wear sleeved shirts, besides the fact that I think without some set rules the lines of appropriate barn-wear tends to become blurrier over time.
Maybe this is too obvious but how about “tank tops are not appropriate dress.” Or even better “Riders may not ride wearing tank tops.”
That’s not rude. Post it where you post other barn rules.
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