With the introduction of a new schooling circuit, run by a great group of people, at the fairgrounds a short hack from home, it looks like I’ll be doing more showing in the western ring this year! And as such, I really need to look at my wardrobe and see about adding an outfit to designate as my show clothes for the season.
The sort of classes offered are things like showmanship, pleasure, horsemanship, “suitable to be a reining horse”, trail, as well as some separate-from-your-division reining classes. Trainer thinks I should try the green horse reining class for the heck of it. haha
We don’t have a lot of male riders at any of the local shows, be them western (mostly pleasure) or english (though there are more in the dressage ring than the hunter/jumpers lately), so I really don’t have much to go by as far as what I should emulate, versus what I’d be best to avoid. There’s one reining show on the island, and there’s definitely guys there, but they’re still super outnumbered, and most actually come over from the mainland, apparently. I’ve also been told that men in the reining ring dress much different than what a man showing in the pleasure ring would wear.
So, I need some help. Haha. I come from the hunter and dressage world, back in my showing days, so am really a fish out of water here.
At the show I did last year, I went with boot cut jeans and a colourful plaid shirt (trainer suggested the colourful one instead of the plainer one I took as well, thinking I’d fit in better with all the flashy slinky-type shirt wearing girls I’d be riding with), along with my helmet (I’m not comfortable riding without one), and my black boots. My black belt broke (grr) the day of the show, so I had to wear my brown one instead. Pony was in his tan tack with a plain black, canvas-topped felt saddle pad. I’d like to invest in something a little nicer if I’m going to be doing more than the one show.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7jqNTC-vieOXzdnVDV2NkRERVU/view?usp=sharing I fully admit that the jeans don’t fit me the greatest, and that I may need to go with a cut other than bootcut in order for them not to be absolutely enormous on my legs. Apparently guys with my waist size have bigger thighs than I do? And I’m not exactly lacking in that department, haha.
I don’t know that I can afford chaps this year, but if I happen to find something that fits and I can afford, what should I be looking for? Black, I’d assume, both for versatility and because my tack is tan with a black seat. Saddle is roughout, if that makes any difference?
As for saddle pads, the saddle fits well enough that a blanket with liner would be plenty. He doesn’t need any special padding. Am I best to go with a plain black wool blanket, or does anyone have other suggestions?
I need to get a wither strap that matches my tack. The one I’ve got now sticks out like a sore thumb, but I need one to keep the breastplate off his shoulders, and need the breastplate because he has no wither/topline to stop any sideways roll (even with a nonslip pad), and with my lack of feeling in my left leg, I can’t always feel it happening (it’s something that anyone who rides with me, or is around the ring when I’m riding has to call out to me for. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot I can do about it other than to ride while looking down at the saddle…)
He has a roached mane year-round. He’s got a typical drafty poof of a double mane, and he overheats if I let it grow out. Plus, it weighs him down and makes his already short/thick neck look enormous! Actually, his roached look was one thing the judge last year really liked about him, oddly enough.
Sorry for the novel, and the really unflattering picture (it was the best view of the whole shebang). But thanks in advance for any help you can offer! I’m both excited and nervous!
