Dressage attire- bold with color or keeping it simple

[Dressage_Julie]

So I recently had a discussion with a friend at the barn regarding choice of saddle pads and wraps compared to level of riding.

I have competed at up to I-1 and have no problem wearing a colored saddle pad (leopard print) and hot pink wraps while at home. Now I wouldn’t school at a show like this, or in a big clinic. But at home by myself I see no problem with adding a little spice to my dressage bubble. Our trainer comes in and doesn’t care, and I have used the hot pink wraps with him- doesn’t effect his opinion of me in one bit.

My friend has also competed at I-1 and thinks that only black or white are appropriate for saddle pads and wraps at all times.

Help us settle our dispute. What is acceptable and when?

Edited: Friend claimed that only lower level riders used color, and that you do not see many upper level riders willing to deviate from traditional black/white. I told her that I was sure I could find other people who have shown/are showing at upper levels that would also school in something other than black or white. I realized once this thread started to get dialog that I wasn’t seeing the level part- so if you wouldn’t mind can everyone please also put what level you have competed at? If I can drum up enough people, I will win our “fun argument” and she has agreed to use color one day, if she wins I will have to retire the color for 2 weeks. Responses are greatly appreciated!

[arielise]

I think that you can do whatever you want at home. At shows be conservative, but who’s to tell you not to have some harmless fun on your own time? I have every color under the sun for at home.

[MagicRoseFarm]

I showed my giant chestnut with white legs and a blaze in brown tack, and a cream swallowtail pad…and myself in cream breeches. In black and white we would have resembled a monster. The swallowtail shortened up his length and the tack/pad combination quieted and created a very harmonious picture during competition…

To add to this, and because I have always thought Dressage needs a tiny bit of style , I would love to have a custom shadbelly made in green, so dark that it would be easy to confuse for black… but undeniably, NOT black or navy… girls just wanna have fun…

At home, to each his own, I do this for MY enjoyment.

[pintopiaffe]

MagicRose, when you get your shad made, tell them they can buy enough fabric for me too. “Midnight Green” is the shade I want. Meanwhile RJ Classics has one this year with emerald green lining… <swoon>

My bright copper chetty (and tobiano/sabino/rabicano) looks SMASHING in dark, deep purple. At first it started as a joke, friends would give me stuff in purple. Then I realized I love purple and always have. So barn colours are purple and green. And we BOTH wear a lot of it. :lol:

I’m actually pretty excited, for years the ponies have been too blingy themselves for me to have much fun. Solid, dark purple is about as exciting as I’ve gotten… but coming up I have a plain bay, a perlino, and a grey.

I have been shopping for things like PLAIDS and PAISLEYS. Oh, the opportunities are endless.

I’m actually not all that into bright colours, but I love textures and tone-on-tone and such. Rich jewel tones and the sort of sage/heather/periwinkle stuff.

Life is short. If black and white please you–GO for it. Me, I love colour.

[ThreeFigs]

Agree that conservative is the way to go at shows, but be as wild as you like at home!

However, I love my blingy browbands for shows & clinics. My show getup includes cream shirt/stock, breeches, gloves and saddle pad, just because I don’t like stark white on me and it’s a teensy bit “different”.

MagicRoseFarm, I’d love to see that dark green shadbelly! Bet it will look spectacular!

Dressage_Julie, you and your friend may have to agree to disagree.

[JRG]

I love colour at home, and I am conservative at shows.

There is a women at my barn that makes the wildest saddle pads. She does them mostly for the h/j people, but she has made a couple for us Dressage folks and they are wonderful.

If I had the nerve, I would love to show in something less conservative.

[caddym]

There was a vender at one of the shows I attended who had a very dark green top hat. The women trying it on had red hair and it was absolutely stunning It was dark enough that it would be suitable - but you’d need a dark green coat.

I love color at home - but always buy plain white. Both of my horses are very dark bay with lots of white and they just look best with white. Also, the few times I’ve bought saddle pads with piping, the piping would shrink a little in the wash and never fit as well

[aurorag16]

I love color and bling, and I plan on adding a little, subtle bling to my show outfit. I am keeping the traditional black and white, but I have gold piping on my saddle pad and on my stock tie and gold buckles on my bridle. However, if I were in the market for a new dressage coat, I would have to buy this coat from RJ Classics. I love the subtle grey floral trim on the collar and I think that coat would look smashing on a grey horse!

[quietann]

For home, WTF is the problem with being as wild as you want, or not? I don’t do leopard prints, but I use colored/printed saddle pads at home and maresy’s accessories are mostly royal blue. She is palomino, and a princess, and so far I have resisted the many, many suggestions that she be done up in pink.

Last year I used a white pad with royal blue and light blue trim for show; her bridle is dark brown and saddle is black. We’re not showing this year (insert cursing about suspensory ligaments), but I would love us to make our comeback in brown and cream!

[SillyHorse]

@Dressage_Julie;4702602

Help us settle our dispute. What is acceptable and when?

Why is there a “dispute?” Is either (or both) of you insisting the other one do something different from what you want?

[Dressage_Julie]

SillyHorse you are right, I wasn’t clear…She claimed that only lower level riders used color, and that you do not see many upper level riders willing to deviate from traditional black/white. I told her that I was sure I could find other people who have shown/are showing at upper levels that would also school in something other than black or white. I realized once this thread started to get dialog that I wasn’t seeing the level part- so if you wouldn’t mind can everyone please also put what level you have competed at? If I can drum up enough people, I will win our “fun argument” and she has agreed to use color one day, if she wins I will have to retire the color for 2 weeks. Responses are greatly appreciated!

[Quest52]

I find that once I grew to the upper levels, past PSG, that I grew “out of color” and started to more often wear muted things. Maybe a navy pad here or there, but i tend to now stick to traditional colors. Maybe it is something that i feel is the “respect” for the level of ability?? I don’t know… I’ve never thought about it before. But i do know that whether at home or at a clinic or a show, I stick to the traditional approach and no longer have the purple wraps that I had when I was learning and at 1st and 2nd level.

Maybe that helps?

[ThreeFigs]

IMHO, it’s silly to eschew color simply because you’ve moved from one level to another. The person who would dictate what someone else schools their horses in needs to get a life!

We’re schooling Second and some Third. I can’t imagine I’ll change my schooling colors just because we move to PSG eventually.

Want to show “Respect for the level?” Ride as well as you can.

[aurorag16]

My barn owner is schooling 4th + and plans on showing 3rd this year. Her favorite colors for her horse are purple and orange. She also loves to color coordinate, so she rocks bright colors herself too, and looks fab doing so!

[yaya]

A couple of years ago, I saw Hilda Gurney riding in the USDF Symposium with bright blue polos and a blue saddle pad (on a grey horse).

The horse wasn’t upper level, but SHE sure is!!!

So if Hilda can do it, at a Symposium even, you surely can do it at home!

[EmmyTheHemi]

Disclaimer #1: eventing is my primary discipline; color abounds.

Disclaimer #2: Training level.

At home, I like a coordinated look. So the royal blue/black trim pad and brushing boots are fine. As are the navy/kelly or black/silver or hunter green or the turquoise or purple… I do perhaps use the older pads/boots that are a bit faded or worn.

At training barn: Still the royal or black (I have a white-grey, so white is out – he just looks dirty), but a new pad/boots if things start fading or looking a bit beat up. That said, I do believe everone else (training thru 2nd) at the barn uses either black or white. :winkgrin:

Clinics: Black or navy for dressage clinics; royal or navy/kelly xc colors for eventing clinics.

Schooling and recognized shows: Black pads, white piping. I might dare to sport spanking-new royal or navy for schooling/hacking at a multiday show. :eek:

To me, color isn’t as important as how it all looks on the horse: neat, clean and flattering.

[ThreeFigs]

Purple and orange TOGETHER? At the SAME TIME? Gaaaaah!

There oughta be a law! Where are the dressage fashion police?

[aurorag16]

No, not at the same time. I agree that would be tragic. The orange is really closer to a rusty orange too now that I think about it, but it is quite lovely.

[Tif_Ann]

[QUOTE=pintopiaffe;4702687]
I’m actually pretty excited, for years the ponies have been too blingy themselves for me to have much fun. Solid, dark purple is about as exciting as I’ve gotten… but coming up I have a plain bay, a perlino, and a grey.

I have been shopping for things like PLAIDS and PAISLEYS. Oh, the opportunities are endless. [/QUOTE]

SO ME LOL … My pinto/show horse is a LOUD red roan overo and he has too much bling to add patterns or anything. But my beautiful chestnut QH … he wears plaids, argyle, you name it. Now that he’s retired and western trail only and living with my mom, I just look at his polos and sigh

But at home - I’m all into bright colors and matchy matchy. Pirate looks great in royal blue, and I have a pad, polos and boots to match the royal blue. I also have a teal/purple pad and boots, and then there are the ice blue, copper, navy blue and black pad/polo sets. He has matching fly nets for the copper and blues - but looks stupid in them. He also has a set of polo wraps that are black with pirate skull and crossbones on them … wears those with an ice blue pad with his name and skull and cross bones appliqued on them. I have a bunch of pads without polos too - purple, electric blue … hmm not sure what else.

Oh, and I dress to match too.

Edit: We are schooling Second Level, been introduced to a couple Third level movements, and will be showing First most of the season. I highly doubt I would EVER change my love of color and matching even if I was riding Grand Prix.

[Wayside]

I’m conservative pretty much all the time, but that’s because my mare goes much better in shaped pads. She’s convinced that the feeling of the corners against her side means something. The swallowtail pads are so pretty, but I think if I tried that I’d be in for a very exciting ride :lol: So I have a whole lot of plain white fleece that I use these days.

Me, I’m partial to plaids, but there’s not much point in it when everything’s hidden under the saddle.

And on my own self, well, I’m a klutz, so I wear a lot of brown. The closer to the footing color, the better