It’s time to invest in a decent shadbelly, so I’m looking for suggestions. Something that is reasonably light weight for mostly summer showing. Willing to spend some money on it, but not an unlimited budget.
So what do you have? What do you like? Anything fun that you’ve done with collars, points, piping, etc? Pictures welcome.
I have an Asmar - Black, white piping, silver buttons, 5 sets of points, solid and print. I liked it a fair amount, however it is a bit long on me and and also now too big as I’m down a few pounds. It was around $500. They come small, medium, large. More recently I bought a Romfh. It was less expensive, but is a little strangely cut around the armpits/ side of bust area. I want something other than just yellow points, but haven’t dealt with that yet.
I’d say you should try on as many brands as possible, because as 2tempe said, they are all cut differently.
Big shows that have a lot of vendors are great for this. You can shop and try on, and often sit in a saddle ( on a saddle horse) in front of a mirror so see how each one looks on you.
Jo McCracken of Southeast Sporthorses makes gorgeous custom coats at a very reasonable price point. Plus, with her you can pick your color, and her eye is excellent for colors that will complement your horse. She made me one that in a color I wouldn’t have thought of, it looks terrific on and off the horse!
I am crushing hard on the burgundy Animo shad with black collar, as seen here: https://top-hats-and-under-that.myshopify.com/collections/competition-wear/products/animo-lageo-custom-tailcoat-in-amaranto-it-40
@2tempe Thanks! I showed in a borrowed Romfh one last weekend. It fit ok, though I think maybe a smaller size would have been better. I’m not wild about black with yellow points.
@Hej I’ve been looking at Jo McCracken’s coats, maybe that’s what I’ll end up doing. I don’t want something super loud but I’m assuming she can do something a little more understated with some fun accents. I’ve been trying them on anytime I’m at a show, I just haven’t seen anything perfect that’s not $1300…
@soloudinhere That’s gorgeous! And that website has a bunch of options…thanks for that!
Does anyone have one of the Grand Prix Techlites? I tried a gorgeous one on at a show, it fit great but I wasn’t sure about the color…it was a deep teal. (I loved the color, just not sure how much attention I want to call to myself.)
I have an RJ Classics that I got for a screaming deal on FB. It’s super lightweight compared to my original wool one. Farmhouse Tack sometimes has RJ Classics/show coat sales in their Warehouse and I think people have called and had a salesperson go find what they were looking for during a sale.
I have an Ovation, 2 RJ Classics and an Asmar. The RJ Classics are the most breathable. The Asmar is the best quality and most stylish but hotter to wear. The Ovation actually isn’t bad for a cheap coat, it’s just not a perfect fit for me.
I purchased and returned a couple Pikeur shads. If they had fit me I’d have two of them. They are fabulous.
I fit in RJ off the rack - so I have two of those. One is a traditional but thin black wool with yellow points and gold buttons. It’s my favorite. I also have one of the newer stretchier ones in black with silver buttons and purple points.
Some day I’ll order a custom one so I can get turquoise points/trim on a navy coat 
Let me see if I can find the picture of me in my Jo McCracken shadbelly. I invested in it as we were almost there (before I lost the horse). But I did get to wear it in the Dressage Hack Championship at a Friesian show. It is beautiful and burgundy.
That’s beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
I can’t say enough good things about Jo! She is so amazing to work with. I am lucky that she is about 30 minutes from me, so I was able to do in person measurements for my show vest and shadbelly. But she does lots of custom orders around the country and every coat I have seen her make is fantastic! Check out her Facebook page.
My Romfh is actually navy. I am trying to sell the Asmar, but may take one or two of the 5 sets of points and have them cut down a bit to fit the Romfh. Or I could just drag myself to a fabric store…Fortunately I have a local seamstress who could whip up a set of points for about $10.
I have seen some of Jo’s work in person, and yes she does a very good job. I’m very much a tradionalist so there didn’t seem to be much sense in a custom job, but I did at least briefly consider it.
I’m working on a burgundy coat with Jo now as well for myself and my Friesian. This is lovely <3
Jo also made my shadbelly. It has stretchy mesh under the arms and on the sides that make it cool for our southern summers. I’m very traditional so I went with black, grey collar/points, and navy piping. Plus navy under the tails for a flash of color every now and then. The bonus was that it was custom fit to me and cheaper than most other shads on the market.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
