Long story short I have a health condition that makes me very prone to heat exhaustion. I have ended up on the verge of passing out more times than I can count riding and doing barn work in the summer even in mid 80 degree weather. I have gotten better at managing it but am a bit concerned when it comes to showing. I would like to get into ranch riding, and from what I read chaps/chinks are not required but it seems like everyone wears them and a wild rag around their neck and even sometimes vests! How they survive wearing all that is beyond me. Would it be unacceptable to show at local/regional shows with just a nice pair of jeans? I’ve never worn any sort of chaps before but the idea of adding a layer of leather sounds awful.
No it would not.
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Have you tried any of the ice pack cooling clothing? I have become increasingly heat intolerant as I have gotten older. When I lived in Florida, I had neck wraps that held a strip of small ice packs and a vest that held small, like maybe 4 inches x 6 inches, ice packs.
They were lifesavers for summer barn work and riding. As for showing, you could certainly hide the neck wrap under a neck scarf. The vest I had was too big to hide under any kind of show clothing, but that wasn’t one of my criteria when I bought it. I’m sure there are some available that would.
Note: If you live in a humid climate, those “magic fabric, wet it down and it will keep you cool” things are absolutely useless. They work on evaporative cooling and in high humidity, there’s no evaporation going on.
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Don’t worry about wearing chaps unless a particular show requires them - consider equisuede if you do feel you need chaps.
The way ranch riding is judged is very focused on the horse and scoring particular/defined faults. Your tack and clothing must be workmanlike, and is better off less “showy” or distracting. Make sure you wear a belt and that your shirt has sleeves and a collar, but there are some nice, light materials now. Ranch equitation (which is an uncommon class) might warrant a fitted shirt though.
Would synthetic chinks and lightweight jeans help at all?
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Ask the show and explain the situation. If it isn’t in the rules as required attire, I don’t see why not, especially if the show is local.
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It depends on what organization’s rule book the show you’re attending uses. ARHA does not require chaps or chinks; I show in just jeans (because I want to get back to the weight I should be before shelling out the money for them!), and I fit right in. If I were going to the World show, then I’d find a pair to wear, but at our affiliate shows, I’d say a good 1/4 of us don’t wear them.
Wear a pair of riding pants with fringe sewn on. You can still have an elegant, western look.
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I would absolutely not do this.
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This is never done in Ranch or any western riding and would look very strange.
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OK - I wouldn’t know. It sure seems like a good idea. 
Most local and a lot of regional associations it’s not required.
You will still people doing it for the aesthetic, but I know at our local show MANY don’t.
Especially in the heat of summer, yuck.
If you do find yourself at a show where you need them, don’t put them on until right before you have to go in. That’s what I do.
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Just check the rules of the show that you plan to attend. I have personally never seen it REQUIRED. I have only seen it “optional” and folks usually tend to do it to get the “ranch look”.
Especially for a local show, you do NOT need chinks.
I have a pair of chinks and I do show AQHA shows sometimes, and even I sometimes choose to not put them on when I’m at a local small open show when it’s hot. 
If you are going to win your class, it won’t be because you are wearing chinks.
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For shirts, try to find a used CR Ranchwear Sunsmart shirt. I resisted for a couple of years but was won over when a friend pulled hers out of the bottom of her garment bag where it had been all winter, shook it out and it looked perfect. Very breathable and not shiny, sticky, or see through. They seem to run about one size big in my opinion.
Fine, but don’t wear skinny jeans. Make sure the jeans are fairly long so that they cover your entire boot while seated in the saddle. Wranglers are totally acceptable and very reasonably priced.
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