How long is my darn show jacket supposed to be?

[RolyPolyPony]

I’m planning on actually showing this year - huzzah! And looking at pics from the last times I wore either of my show jackets, I’m now convinced they’re too long! The bottom flapping over the cantle just isn’t right, right? Or is it, and I’m just trying to justify a new coat? All the pics in catalogs/store sites have the models unmounted, and googling leads me to 900 pictures of riders over fences, which is unhelpful!

HALP!

[tunamarie]

This is from Dover’s guide to fitting a show coat:

“Viewed from behind, the hem of the hunt coat should in general fall at a point where two to three fingers’ width of your bottom is visible. However, some people prefer the hem to fall at a slightly lower point. If the hem appears to be correct, but there is a horizontal bulge of fabric running from hip to hip across your back, then the jacket is probably too long. Try a jacket in a short length or one from another manufacturer. Conversely, if the jacket is too short (you can see most of your bottom) try a jacket with a long or tall length.”

And this is from Maryland Saddlery:

“For a traditional fit, the length of the jacket should just pass the bottom of the rider’s bottom. When seated in a saddle there should be 1 ¼” of extra fabric lying on the saddle. For a modern fit on a tech coat, the length is determined by the cut of the coat. Some may be as high as totally above the rider’s bottom."

I prefer the look of the “modern fit”.

[Foxtrot_s]

When deciding take into consideration the shape of your bottom. Sometimes a shorter jacket just looks too small on a larger derriere.

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;8625323]
When deciding take into consideration the shape of your bottom. Sometimes a shorter jacket just looks too small on a larger derriere.[/QUOTE]

So true. Or reading TM’s post, my posterior has seemed to have dropped down as I aged (nevermind expanded). So I prefer a coat that covers most of where my butt should end (note I say should, I’m not counting the butt creep I am currently experiencing) but doesn’t hang or flap over the cantle. However, I think the general appearance can be skewed by long or short torso etc. But no flapping over the cantle, IMO.

[PNWjumper]

I’ve always thought the rule was that you wanted the back of the hunt coat to just touch the saddle. So I went and looked through some of my recent pictures and can say that my hunt coats (all technical fabrics, which, IMO seem to be a bit shorter anyway) are mostly shorter than that and probably more closely follow the Dover guidelines.

I think you’d be fine if your hunt coat just touches the saddle, but any longer and I think you end up sitting on it or having it flap over the cantle…both would seem to indicate a new hunt coat (or alterations) would be in order!

[ybiaw]

There was just an article in PH written by Hoffy with info about this!!

http://practicalhorsemanmag.com/article/showday-turnout-tips-30947

She says, “Jacket length can be about mid-fanny or go to the bottom of your derriere when you’re standing up. It’s your preference, but the jacket should not be so long that it gets caught on the cantle.”

[RolyPolyPony]

Thank you all! I’m pretty sure mine are too long - which is what I was suspecting. I think the problem lies in the fact that I am tall, so have long arms, but actually my height is all in my legs, so have a normal length torso…so getting longs/talls in jackets works for the arms, but not the general length.

Now if I can just find a good seamstress/tailor around here!

Thanks - this was very helpful!