is sarcasm the same thing as being mean?
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I’m not directly involved: I’m several thousand miles away across an ocean, but it does seem to me that you are setting yourself up to fail by stating all judges and fellow competitors are “snooty” and won’t judge you fairly BEFORE you have even given the discipline a try. When trying a new activity, how about trying an open mind too? You might be pleasantly surprised, meet nice people and have fun with your horse.
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From what I’ve seen, everyone here has been incredibly welcoming and encouraging to newbies, including you. And there are certainly discussions of attire and tack (including this one started by you), but they’re usually (not always) oriented towards something helpful rather than what is more expensive or more on trend, like: what show coats don’t make you too hot, what saddles fit certain types of horses well, what bits help address certain mouth issues, what wraps don’t overheat legs, etc.
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You say pretentious, I say discerning. 
As a person hones their skills and moves up the levels, small details about equipment often become more important. There is a lot more information out there now about bridle fit, appropriate bitting and saddle fit, and most of us want to optimize our gear to make the most of our training and ensure the horse’s comfort. Stiff dressage boots are another example of where a rider might decide to invest as they move up, as they serve a specific purpose, and aren’t just there to look fancy.
As probably one of the top contributors to the Hufglocken saddle pad thread I will cop to wanting some nice-looking matchy stuff now that I’m actually able to participate in clinics following many lame/crazy horse struggles. After almost 15 years of piecing together random eBay finds, it’s nice to be able to order quality pads that are to my exact specifications and will last a long time. Rather than pretension, I think of it more as demonstrating pride and care for my horse, just as you are with the items you’re selecting for your mare.
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My point actually is that the very plain style of traditional dressage style actually allows competitors to use basic gear, boots and helmets and bridle, with just the addition of black jacket, white breeches, and white pad, which can be sourced cheaply. Past those basics no one is really looking at your gear.
Dressage riders do put a lot of thought into the functionality of their saddles, the fit for both horse and rider, and how to get that functionality on a budget (second hand, good saddle fitter, etc).
OP, it is always intimidating to enter a new discipline, especially one with a dress code that isn’t exactly what you’d choose on your own. Nobody schools in white breeches and saddle pads 
they keep them safe and clean in storage until needed. But just because the traditional look is very tidy and plain doesn’t mean people are snooty under it. They are just all dressed up in things they don’t wear every day. You can even go in lower levels in half chaps!
So honestly, I’d suggest not dropping money on colored or shiny things and just getting a saddle, bridle, and bit that works for your horse.
Your saddle choice is likely to change as your horse’s back changes and your seat and leg develop. You may well need different saddles for different horses or perhaps fairly pricey shim pads to make a saddle fit.
You can have all kinds of colors for clinics and schooling, but ironically the match matchy pretty colored pads and polos don’t even go in the show ring.
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And you don’t need white breeches. Light color breeches are within the rules.
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I think you made great points in all your posts. I was trying to address the idea that the threads on this forum about tack and apparel signal pretension or snootiness. And as you say, the saddle pad obsession that I called myself out for will mostly not even make it to the show arena (I do have a navy pad I plan to show in matched with a navy coat, but I don’t expect the judge to care about that).
However, with riding, as in life, liking how one looks can give a confidence boost, which is something I always need in the dressage ring!
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I like matchy matchy sets myself, though I have LeMieux sets. I hate to think that buying stuff I like the color of makes me pretentious or snooty. Discerning sounds much better 
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In my circle of horse friends, those that aren’t active dressage enthusiasts also describe dressage as being snooty / pretentious etc. In those cases though, that feeling is the result of not scoring particularly high and/or clinicians/coaches not making much of their mounts gaits. It’s rather understandable though with the scoring system currently favoring the big gaits of the warm bloods. As far as turn out, I think dressage is actually relatively relaxed. Nobody cares if you’re wearing full seat or knee patch breeches and lots more options for manes (braiding, reaching etc)
I hope you will enjoy dressage!
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i enjoy dressage, (the discipline/the conversation), with my horses VERY much! I’ll dress up my mare and I will like how she looks even if other people don’t. Who knows, maybe in 10 years i’ll become all about tradition~!?
Most people are not competing in dressage because they like the outfits - like you, they enjoy the discipline and they are following the rules/conventions in terms of what they wear in competition.
If you pay close attention at a local competition, you will probably notice a huge variety in what they are wearing in terms of brand name and price. It looks similar from a distance because they are all wearing light breeches and dark coats. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. As Scribbler said, it’s a uniform.
I agree with others who said scribing is a great opportunity. If you want to compete in W/T classes at a local show, ask if you can scribe for those classes. Then you will get insight into the judging and also how riders present themselves.
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Well, today I learned that being neat, clean, conservative, and well turned out equals being a snooty bitch.
Turning myself and my horse out in the best quality, most attractive things I can afford announces to everyone that I have pride in my appearance, my horse’s care and grooming, and the sport in which I participate.
Saying following the rules makes someone a conformist, snooty bitch - well then. Tell us how you really feel.
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It feels like there’s some irony in the OP of a thread called “Dressing my mare” dumping on people for… dressing their horses. If only I could find it.
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you did?
huh.
nice extrapolation.
Are you a judge who unfairly judges dressage competitors based on how they’re tacked and dressed? Because if you are, then yeah, you’re a snooty bitch alright.
Have you really every known this to happen? Have you ever heard of a judge unfairly judging a competitor based on how they’re tacked or attired? Even one instance? I’ve been in the dressage game for many, many years and never ever known a judge to be concerned with tack or attire as long as it’s legal. If you plan to enter the ring with illegal tack or attire, you won’t be judged, you’ll be eliminated. Them’s the rules, not snootiness.
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Yes, that’s a really good point.
You are disqualified if your gear breaks the rules. That can include the wrong bit, or accidentally going into the ring with polo wraps on.
But there is no place on the score sheet to mention turnout. It just isn’t part of the criteria. Have you ever tried to score a dressage test? I only tried once at a lecture and demo where we were all handed score sheets to watch a ride. Those tests move very very fast even at a lower level! I can see why the judges want a scribe, you can’t risk looking down to mark the sheet. Honestly you don’t have time to think about how the tack looks.
I expect the judge relies on the ring steward to catch illegal tack.
Other than that, there’s not much to evaluate in tack because every body is dressed the same.
The part of dressage that some competitors feel is unfair is that naturally big gaits count for a lot, sometimes more than good training on a modest horse. If you are going to hear complaints about scoring, that’s very much the most likely thing you will hear.
I have never heard any dressage competitor wondering if they will get “marked down” for having a Wintec instead of a Voltaire, or a Troxell rather than a Samshield, which are very common worries among teenage hunter riders.
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That doesn’t actually happen. You have invented a scenario that suits your personal narrative, before you’ve ever even signed up for a horse show. And then, when the prophecy is fulfilled because your nasty attitude causes people to treat you with disdain, you will say that you just knew it, everyone is so snooty!
The judge doesn’t get close enough to you to figure out what brand your saddle is or whether your boots are custom or not. They don’t care - unless you do something obviously illegal, like enter with boots or a martingale, or what you’ve chosen to wear is so distracting as to make the test difficult to judge. If you want to wear white gloves even though your hands are bouncing everywhere, or patent boots even though you nag your horse every stride, or you got a white noseband that shows off your horse who is unsteady in the contact, the judge will judge the things you chose to call attention to with your choices.
That said if you have such a problem with literally every aspect of going to a horse show - just don’t bother. Problem solved. Nobody has a gun to anyone’s head to force them to go to a horse show.
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One of the things about conservative traditional formal clothes is that they make everyone who wears them look, well, traditional and formal :).
This is why men in business and government wear grey and navy blue suits. You see a group of them on TV and they all look the same. There are fewer options like this for women in every day life, but the traditional little black dress is a bit this way. Also many uniforms, whether school or dress uniforms in military and police (fast food uniforms not so much).
Because almost everyone in dressage does the same basic black and white outfit, the outfit becomes invisible. Everyone is then free to focus just on the horse.
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That makes sense. i suppose if i have to look like that monopoly guy i will…but i want my horse to look good, and she looks good in blue and gray. She doesn’t wear black well. Brown either. I think i’ll be able to go all the way with gray. The backing on that set is white deerskin an soft as buttah. Easy enough to find a gray saddlepad too.
soloudinhere, what’s your problem? you were shitty to me about my mustang and here you are again. (you’re proving my point for me you know)
Not @soloudinhere, but I’ll take a stab on it.
In reading this thread and your others, it appears that you have never actually been to a dressage show, never scribed, never competed. Perhaps you’ve watched some high level competition on TV?
The horse you are contemplating competing is barely green broken.
Yet you continue to argue with people on this board who have DECADES of legitimate experience and are trying to help you by giving you correct and accurate advice. And not exactly argue civilly, either. That’s why people are pushing back and calling you out on your ill-informed opinions.
COTH is different than a lot of other message boards. There aren’t a lot of teenagers playing Fantasy Island here, and not a lot of backyardigans (myself excepted). There ARE a lot of serious horsepeople, including professionals, people with judge’s cards, national reputations and big names. Some posters here have competed internationally and on national teams. So BS that flies on other boards just doesn’t fly here because there are too many actual experienced people who KNOW wtf they’re talking about. This is why this board is perceived by some as a tough crowd - you’ll get called on misinformation or ignorance in a heartbeat. It’s also why I love this board and why I participate here; the quality of the information is priceless.
So, you have a choice. You can continue antagonizing people who are trying to help you and get called on it, you can change your attitude and actually learn from people here or you can take yourself to a board that will encourage and reinforce your inaccurate notions.
I’d prefer the second or third choice, but it’s up to you.
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