But seriously, why won’t they give us the option to wear a protective vest OR a show coat (or both). I would much rather spend $750 on an air vest than on a show coat. Why is the safety of the rider not paramount over fashion or decaying tradition? I understand that nothing is stopping me from wearing an air vest OVER my show coat if coats are not waived, but why should I have to shell out for both? Why should I not have this choice?
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Well one, the jury is still out on how much safer air vests are, but two, all the other sports are required to wear them over a jacket as well if the class calls for a jacket.
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Can’t you wear a hard shell body protector under the coat? An air vest under a coat could make an interesting spectacle when/if it inflated.
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One of the air vest companies makes show coats that can allow for inflation of the vest (it will cost you another $700 on top of the $700 for the vest). I have a hard shell protector but find it difficult to ride dressage with (I bought it for ground work with my babies) because of the tailbone protection. Also my hard shell would never fit under my show coat–you’d need to go a few sizes up. All body protectors and air vests come in a tasteful black. I find it odd that people are so stuck on keeping the coats and think it’s ok to make you even hotter when you are working out by doubling up if you want safety too. Sorry but I think it is archaic. I’m not trying to take coats away from the traditionalists, I just want to have the choice between coat and safety vest and not have to pile one on top of the other.
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I would be 100% on board if there were evidence that air vests actually significantly increase safety. As it is I don’t think the rider is actually choosing between fashion and safety because the evidence is mixed on air vests; they are not like helmets that the evidence is overwhelming that they prevent serious injury.
Your argument is basically that the jacket is archaic and that more athletic apparel should be allowed; that’s a stronger argument IMO than safety vests should be a permitted alternative.
Eventers have to wear their air vests over a body protector over a shirt on a hot day. somehow they make it happen.
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That they are forced to do this, doesn’t make it right. The problem with air vest is that if they fail, there is no protection whatsoever, unlike the hard vests and exactly like a show coat. However, if they do work, then it will be 100% better than a show coat. I also agree that the costume is archaic and we need to move more toward sport attire. Either argument works for me but I don’t find them exclusive.
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No, the problem with an air vest is that it’s untested as a protective device unlike an ASTM/BETA vest and thus doesn’t meet the protective requirement, so if you want to wear one, you have to wear it over the required vest.
Same token: a jacket is required, so if you want to wear an air vest, you will have to wear it over a jacket.
You are, of course, free not to show if any given rule bothers you. That said, I wear an air vest all the time since I mostly ride young horses, and it makes zero difference to how hot I am. They have to fit loosely enough to expand; it’s significantly less hot than wearing an ASTM vest. I am 100% sure I would survive wearing one with a jacket for a 5-minute period of time in a test.
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I am absolutely free not to show or support the horse industry. But in my neck of the woods, this attitude is killing the sport.
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The not being able to wear an air vest in lieu of a jacket is killing the sport, and not the incredibly high cost of obtaining, training, supporting, and competing a dressage horse?
I guess I’d like to see some evidence that it’s the attire rules that are doing it and not literally everything else.
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No it’s the attitude–did you require people to wear hard hats on top of top hats when those safety discussions were happening?
The question I have for YOU is why is this so important to YOU if you don’t really care? I am not trying to take anything away from YOU. Wear your show coat. Don’t wear a safety vest. Wear a safety vest on top of your show coat. Let me make my own decisions about my personal health and safety!!!
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I don’t care what you do. I just don’t understand why you care so much.
Lots of other sports don’t allow protective equipment that isn’t sanctioned by the governing body. Presumably by your logic it should be up to any athlete to wear whatever they want under the guise of “my personal health and safety.”
I don’t know about you, but if I feel the required attire for a sport does not comply with what I personal feel is required for “my personal health and safety” I generally don’t do it.
But I don’t show up at an auto track and tell them that I think the requirement that exposed skin is all covered is too hot so since I have the FIA harness it’s “my personal health and safety” so I should get to race in shorts.
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At the national levels, top hats have never been required, at least not that I remember.
PSA: The hard shells made for the driving discipline are shorter and lack the tailbone protection so are appropriate for sitting. (I have one of these, purchased accidentally years ago instead of a longer version.)
I think would still be over-coat, however.
I couldn’t help but notice that the USDF guide to what is legal in terms of boots had lots of pictures of brands that make fancy boots like Kingsley and Celeris. Can’t help but wonder if there is money to be made by the USDF for allowing the custom boots since the USDF is basically advertising for them.
I think there’s money to be made for the USDF since these companies sponsor classes and shows and eccentric middle aged ladies such as myself want to be able to wear our loud outfits in peace so we keep paying our membership fees 
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Same here I love Kingsley boots shamelessly. Glad the USDF is finding ways to bring in money. Maybe more sponsors means cheaper showing opportunities. A girl can dream 
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Just found out my tailcoat is no longer legal. It’s brown with black mesh under the arms and on the side seams.
Ugh. That really sucks. And that is just dumb compared to some things that are legal.
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I wore a safety vest (not the air vest) over my coat all through WEC. You can barely tell in the pictures. I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
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Just a fashion reminder here…just because you can doesn’t mean you should! Too many mixing of color combo’s will make you look unkempt. Keep it simple! I saw a LOVELY young lady on a white horse wearing a dark aqua show coat and saddle pad last year. It looked great because she wore it with white breeches and black boots and the pad and jacket were very close in color.
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