@Foxglove, those outfits are STUNNING! I love them all but I think my favorite might be the blue w pearls. Thank you for sharing them.
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Love your memories and your fabulous outfits! After my last hunt horse died (two years ago) I havenāt felt inspired to start another horse in the hunt field. I have so many wonderful memories and was lucky enough to have three fabulous hunt horses. At almost 65, the thought of starting another one is daunting.
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Beautiful post foxglove.
Iām late sixties and coming up on my 30th hunt season. Iāve already decided the current hunt horse is my last. If all goes well, Iāll be mid-70ās when I have to retire him and then Iāll be done. Iāll go out with lotās of great memories. Thatās an awesome part of foxhunting, the memories.
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Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recounting of and tribute to an exceptional career in the hunt field. All the best to you and Bob! Hope W enjoys his hunt-retirement too!
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Your post along with the pictures may be one of my favorite on COTH in the over 20 years Iāve been here. Thanks for the beautiful memories, plus reminding me of the old Jean Hardy patterns. Iām sure those are the ones a friendās mother used when she made her habits for the big Saddlebred shows.
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This one? Made it for my saddle seat riding kiddo.
? 
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Your summary of hunting was lovely. It gets into your soul when you are with a great hunt club.
I love how you are transitioning into a different activity. Your rhinestone shirts are amazing!!!
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the quiet winding down of your hunting careerā¦ Iāve never had the pleasure but I appreciate your love and respect for the sport and its traditions. May you and your boys continue to have all the fun!
Speaking of tall girls, my mother and I were also tall- she was a sewing teacher and encouraged me in that endeavor which turned into Hobby Horse Clothing Co. where we made affordable western show apparel for 40 years and a former customer continues that businessā¦ youāre doing great with your design ideas and I suspect youāll have a wonderful time in the world of shiny with fringe!
Happy Trails to You-
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@Miss_Motivation -Thank you for Hobby Horse! Items were always high quality. At one point HH offered a plain, unfinished shirt for the buyer to decorate --what a great idea!
I am truly sorry to say that my days of bling shirts for Western Pleasure and Showmanship are over. GD is 25 now and no longer into horses. Her last 4-H horse, Max, died of bone cancer a year ago June --he was 24 and lived with me all his life (as did granddaughter from age five until college, then summers until she graduated).
Granddaughter was the only one of my kids who settled into Wester riding (until I decided to make the switch, gradually) a year ago. Her showmanship and Western Pleasure riding seemed to demand as much bling as one could put on a shirt. After looking at a few when she was 10 --the cost was prohibitive. She drew a picture of what she wanted, and I started sewing her ideas.
Thank goodness for a nice lady on line, Peg Johnson who had Show Clothes Unlimited --just starting out then --who sold DVDs, Patterns, and would answer any question about sewing and sewing riding clothes in general --and offer tea and sympathy when things didnāt go right --a side-saddle skirt ended up with lining on the āright sideā and fabric on the wrong side --no fix but to start over. https://www.showclothesunlimited.com/
Looking closely at Hobby Horse chaps --and with Pegās encouragement --I started sewing my own --I think Iāve made 20+
I found I could make a showmanship outfit, with bling for about $50 āhowever, the hours it took to attach the beads and crystals one-by-one eliminated any āprofitā possibility. I have no idea how the manufacturers of the crystal encrusted outfits make money. Using Pegās suggestions (jewelerās wax stick, a specific glue, and binge watching a TV series) I could attach crystals painlessly, but never quickly.
Another challenge was teen age girls! They wanted their showmanship and riding pants to fit like YOGA pants, but then didnāt want any āpanty-line.ā --AGH!
Well, those days are behind me now as Ranch Horse calls for NO BLING (actually against the rules). I made my leather chinks and called it good. Every time I think about making another pair, I remember that I can only wear one at a time! LOL!
Again, thank you for Hobby Horse --loved their clothes!!
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Your original post brought tears to my eyes, thank you so much for sharing it. And your outfits are so joyful. I absolutely love the navy with pearls. They are all so lovely, you have such talent.
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Absolutely this needs to be a COTH article! Beautifully written and with passion. Thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
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Second this, wonderful story, thanks for sharing it with us.
One little question, is there something that you canāt do and do so well?
Awesome! 
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@Bluey I canāt make Jello. Tried many times. Canāt balance a check book (married a CPA so never had to in 49 years of marriage). Shelling hard boiled eggs is something I canāt do ā¦and sunflowers- the one year I had success they grew to 15 feet before a horse figured out he could stand on his hind legs and eat the flowers even though they were fenced offā¦
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Well, no one is perfect, but you come very close.
Yours is a wonderful story and so well told, thank you. 
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That was a treat! Thank you.
I didnāt know that my last hunt WAS my last hunt but one day other things started taking priority and that was that. After decades of hunting 2-3 days a week and whipping-in so having to be thereā¦it was amazing how much time was freed up for other pursuits. Itās approaching a decade and the hunt clothes are still in the closet just in case. But when I occasionally think of going and capping it doesnāt fill me with joy. Other horsey things do.
Have a great time with your new adventures. Iāve recently started dabbling in working equitation with my dressage horse and having a blast meeting new people and facing new challenges. Lots of opportunity for beautiful outfits to be made! Maybe youād love it too.
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@Badger --the members in our club that are my age 70+ have, one-by-one drifted away: moved away to be closer to kids or grandkids, age related problems that make them unfit or unwilling to ride, and most recently, some truly ugly injuries that preclude ever riding again --in fairness, one was on the hunt field, the other in a dressage ring . . .but still, two people my age who will never ride again. It adds up until, like you, other things start to take priority. There was no actual nail in the coffin moment --just a combination --the drive last year to the hunt club (fog) that too 3 hours instead of 1.5, my two best mates moving away to Washington state --and fewer and fewer people I knew well chatting me up at the bar after a hunt. And so, I made my decision --as I said, my faithful hunt horse turned 28 this year. We had been riding 2nd flight for 3-4 years, and this year, we often pulled out after 2-3 hours --I didnāt want to push him.
There have been a number of people who suggested working equitation --but I am trying Ranch Horse this year --maybe next year Iāll try that, or Western Dressage āright now, a few ranch horse classes at a local show in May will suffice.
And like you --I have found meeting new people is FUN!
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Wonderful Memories & pictures & smiles ~ @Foxglove ~ thank you for sharing ~
((Hugs)) laced with peace for your hunting world heart ~
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What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing your story with us and the photos. Your clothing is amazing! Not many people have that kind of talent.
All the best to you and Bob on your new adventures!
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