Attire for the March COTHer Hunt
Questions for those who know ODH attire - Is a velvet helmet cover acceptable? How about the stock, vest, and field boots? Turtle neck ok? Still need the stock? I believe Betsy had said half chaps were acceptable (within reason).
:eek:
ODH hunting attire
ODH guest attire, (subject to Betsy’s agreement) The coth hunt is on a Saturday, so it is a formal hunting attire day.
You can use your velvet helmet cover as long as it is black or very dark blue. The helmet cover doesn’t have to be velvet. Any material that stays on is ok. Betsy’s cover is a matt black nylon racing type. NO BIG BOW on the cover.
Betsy keeps her cover on with a normal colored rubber band. There probably are color co- ordinated rubber bands somewhere. I’ll check with the eventing folk, as they have been doing the custom cover look for eons.
Black or dark blue solid color coat. 3 buttons, preferably. (They aren’t going to have a snit if you are wearing your dressage competition coat that for some reason has 4 buttons, so don’t panic) You can wear wool or synthetic, so bring whatever will work for the weather. Bring a large suitcase because our weather can/will change. Choices for cold or warm are worth the space.
Stock ties can be white or off white/ecru/light beige. My old silk ones are looking antique cream at this point. Stock ties can be tie-ons, cut to shape, tie yourself, or 4 fold. We can teach or help you get any of them on. You will need a bunch of sharp small safety pins that won’t be visible once the coat goes on. Bring extras. (I keep a stash in my car along with extra hairnets and gloves) Stock material can be cotton, silk, linen, microfiber, polarfleece, or synthetic. Whatever feels good on your skin and holds it’s shape for the knot and fold over. The length has to be long enough to stay tucked inside your jacket.
If you look back through the posts on the thread, you will find Betsy’s and my thoughts on breeches color and boots. My post, “What you see isn’t what is” addresses the turtleneck question. Field boots in black, the paddock boot/ half chap that looks like a tall boot in black works, too.
Betsy suggests light color breeches that most people have. Beige of some sort. I have been wearing colors for so long that I have forgotten this part of the outfit. (I haven’t been visiting other hunts in formal season for many years)
The vest is optional.
Have I covered your questions?
Thanks Whicker. I think you covered everything. I just need to do a little shopping now. Can’t wait to meet all of you guys. 
Velvet’s fine but it is … well, less attractive (IMHO) than black nylon for a helmet cover.
Beige-ish breeches
Formal (non field)tall boots in black is first choice. Black field boots (tall) second choice. Half chaps - black, with black paddocks, polished and pretty, is the final choice. Acceptable, just.
Vest totally optional.
White (ish) stock. Plain pin.
Hairnet
I wear off white mesh gloves with a brown leather palm. I realize that ‘brown gloves!’ are listed as preferred, but that was in the olde days when black dye always bled onto your hands, making brown ‘better’. However, I think brown looks Re.Tard.Ed. with a black (or navy) jacket, so … your choice. Many wear brown gloves b/c ‘it is proper!’ Many others wear black b/c you don’t look so … color-blind. : o )
Helmet WITH HARNESS (please.) Black cover of some sort.
Nice to know I can get away with black gloves. My winter Roeckl gloves are my absolute favorite, but they’re black. However, they’re also thin and may not hold up to the abuse of rubber reins, so I may be wearing the Cabela’s tan gloves.
OK, my goal is to wear my field boots, not my half chaps. I’ll test getting them up over insulated breeches Saturday morning and see what the shituation is. If dieting doesn’t work (already down a few pounds, nothing motivates a diet like posting web photos of yourself wedged into a large-ish side saddle) I can wrap my calves in SaranWrap for a week, sleep in my breeches, and pull the boots on before my feet hit the floor. You guys will help me get out of them right?
I’m sure we’ll all help out as human boot pulls for anyone who needs them. If anyone coming needs to borrow a pair of black field boots, size 8.5 with a wider calf, I have my sister’s boots and would be glad to bring them along.
Attention fat calves!!!
OK all you chubby legged chics out there. Read and Heed!!!
Here is the masters secret…knee high nylon hose. Put on over your sox combination then sprinkle your calves/feet and boot insides liberally with baby talc powder. Rib it around lightly then Slightly tap off excess…pull boots on!!!
TA DA!! You got R done!!! TA DA!!:D:D
And they’ll really come off easy too. The knee highs also provide some warmth.
It wouldn’t hurt to have options. I do wear a 8.5 X-Wide.
I never go far without my boot shaft stretcher. That thing was one of the best investments I ever made. The darn things actually shrink back overnight. But I ought to be OK first thing in the morning.
I hear ya about the hose. It helps so much to have slick fabric. I’ve decided to forgoe splurging on a pretty yellow vest and put the money towards tan Sit Tight N’Warms instead. I’ll use them more often anyway. Thankfully the fabric is sort of slicky. Not as good as my summer riding tights, but alas, the summer riding tights will be in storage for months and months.
I just pulled out my boots last week, to make sure I can even get them on again, and to start getting used to riding in them again so I don’t embarrass myself too badly in March. :lol:
Unfortunately mine have zippers up the back, so talcum powder and nylons won’t help very much for me. Can’t get them stretched either without damaging the zippers. I can get them zipped right now, but its awfully dicey around the widest part of my calf. Months of not riding and swimming/running instead have changed the shape of my calves enough to make the boots extremely snug. But they do go on, and I can handle the loss of circulation for a few hours. 
I have purchased a jumbo bottle of Advil, and have obtained the recipe for my friend’s version of “Skip & Go Naked” in anticipation of the cocktail hour, so I’m all set…:winkgrin:
I ordered a pair of Smartwool tights, because I hate the bulky feeling of long johns. I wore them to work today, and they kept me toasty warm in a chilly office and out in the yard with the dog, so I hope they’ll do well under my breeches. All of my warm breeches are the wrong color for the hunt, and I didn’t want to spend money on a pair in a larger size just to make room for the long johns. Anyway, if I can keep my top half warm, it doesn’t usually bother me to have chilly legs.
SmartAlex, I’ll add my sister’s boots to the list of things to bring along. If you don’t need them, they can still be handy as a backup pair.
Waterglen, maybe the tradition of light colored breeches was to disguise the dusting of powder that escapes from the top of the boots as you pull them on? And ODH members with colors have broken in their boots so well that they no longer need the powder and therefore can wear those lovely rust breeches?
Don’t suffer too much!
Sorry, Hinderella, the “brick” breeches were originally chosen to make less obvious the Va clay mud splatters. You know, the kind one gets from unplanned dismounts or opening gates without hinges…
I use the leather or boot stretch liquid for my problem areas plus conditioner. My thing is mink oil waterproofing and conditioner. More on the horse side of the boot as it gives some traction, too.
I will mention that I gave myself a blood clot in my leg from wearing too tight Vogels in preparation for a major competition. Came very close to being hospitalized instead of competing. :eek:This was back in the dark ages. The compromise was taking bute and having the boots stretched until I could get new ones. Then I read that Prince Philip had taken bute for the same thing. And that bute does terrible things to people! :eek::eek:(Wateryglen can elaborate)
The other reason for not suffering is that your legs will cramp big time if the boot is too small. It is quite painful to get out of the saddle, hit the ground and force your foot into position to hold you up, while the rest of the riders around don’t understand. Then it is even more fun when they try to help you.
The most fun is when it happens going into a jump. Ask Me How I Know. I couldn’t stay on the horse. I was thrown into some wild rose bushes and other thorny vegetation. I was grateful that the bushes were there, because they made a softer landing than the ground.
The first time I wore my tall boots riding, I fell off. Not bucked off, I accept full responsibility. I’m toodling along thinking “hmmm… I don’t feel like my heels are all the way down in these boots… I think my left arch is going to cramp…”
Grey did one of his sideways props left. Left calf in slick new boot fails to provide traction that blue jeans normally do. Second stride leaves me behind, I bounce off rump, and land on my fanny in the sand, sitting upright, both legs straight out in front of me. It was glamorous.
I now ride every time in tall boots, except during the winter when I switch to half chaps because calves in layers after sitting at a desk for hours do not fit in boots :(. Spring is going to come early to my riding wardrobe. :uhoh:
Just a heads up, ladies, for those of you who don’t live near VA. The weather may also be very warm that weekend! This coming Sunday the temps are supposed to be in the 60’s down here. You just never know what you’re going to get in VA in the spring! Bring a bit of everything!
Oh, I’m praying for warm and dry so I can use my fullseats instead!!! 50-60 and sunny would suit just fine, if anyone has any pull.
At this point in the year, just being able to see the ground without a blanket of white will bring tears to my eyes, regardless of the temperature! But anything above freezing sounds like nirvana.
Full seat sounds like a good idea after the long winter layoff, but my only full seats are an ancient pair of Tailored Sportsmans with the high “Urkel look” waist. I’m so accustomed to the lower waistband that the transition will be a challenge. I’ll have to wear them around the house to practice.
My Ovation melton just arrived, and even after ordering a long, I have to have the hem let out of the sleeves. I seem to have monkey arms.
Hinderella,
The “urkle look” just looks like you had them made for the formal tailcoat and vest. If you look at the current dressage gods, at say, WEG, their belts show and detract from the appearance. Quite Tacky! I remember, by cracky, when high waisted with built in suspenders were fashionable. Similar to ski wear.
If the waist is bothering you in your riding, you do have time to hit the tailor. Tailored sportsman is made to be altered.
Ps Wait until you see my collection of suspenders, heh,heh, heh!:eek::lol:
I should probably hit the gym instead of the tailor 
But perhaps they’ll remind me to sit up nice and straight and then I’ll look better in pictures. This time I’m hoping that Mr. Hinderella will get more pics of horses and hounds, and fewer of me. Or perhaps we’ll get lucky and the photographer from KLM will be there!
I agree with you that seeing belts & waistbands below your coat is tacky, and I can’t wait to see the suspenders!
Jesus, you guys. You will (should) NOT need winter gear. For crying out loud, it could be 70 degrees.
And the brick breeches were selected for ODH (and Rappahannock) during World War I to hold down costs of people doing dry cleaning and laundry as often as part of the war effort.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, March in your neck of the woods is supposed to be 2* below average with an average monthly temp of 37*. Below average precip, but that week is supposed to be “rain, then sunny, cold”.
The week before is supposed to be “warm” amd the week after “snow showers, and chilly”. I’m preparing for “cold” and hoping that fate will thumb it’s nose at my shopping and preparation and extend the “warm” and delay the “snow showers, and chilly” so I can return the insulated britches unused.
How’s that for a plan?
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