New to Dressage - hair and helmet?

[doublesstable]

Coming from Hunter/Jumpers with my horse; we did our first Dressage show and it was great… We learned we need to go more forward… and that bun - helmet thing is harder than it looks.

I put one of those bun covers with the scrunchy around it as low as possible on my head and my helmet wasn’t sitting right. I have a Kep helmet that is low in the back… I have been doing hunter hair for years… Don’t want to buy a new helmet.

What is your process of keeping your hair together and not ending up looking like a flopping sack on the back of your head… (this is my fear)

Thanks

[hoopoe]

Put you hair up in whatever way you you wish where it is neat and the helmet fits properly. Dressage riders, as a rule don’t get too caught up in these fashion trends . Go with what you have.

[alibi_18]

@doublesstable

I have been doing hunter hair for years… Don’t want to buy a new helmet.

What is your process of keeping your hair together and not ending up looking like a flopping sack on the back of your head… (this is my fear)
Thanks

Buns were nicer and fitted better with top hats.

Don’t bother with that hairstyle if it doesn’t fit with your helmet.

(Most if the time, it does look and feel like a flopping sack, but judges don’t even care.)

[Toblersmom]

I’ve ridden in a show precisely once in the last 30 years, so I’m hardly an expert, but here’s what I did with my fairly long, quite thick, hair. I parted down the middle, then did two low braids, one basically under each ear. Took each braid and folded it over the nape of my neck toward the other ear, bobby-pinned in place. Tucked the ends under, hair net over all. The helmet fit very comfortably, the only thing under the helmet itself was flat hair, the braids fit entirely under the harness of the helmet, and it held all day. No flopping.

[equiniphile]

Though it’s definitely the most popular hairstyle, I don’t like the look of the low bun and sparkly scrunchy bun cover. It feels heavy and obtrusive to me. I’ve shown through fourth level with “hunter hair” and think it looks much cleaner and neater. Do what feels the most comfortable to you!

[MojitoMare]

You can wear hunter hair if that is what you prefer. No one will look twice.

[Texarkana]

I’m nothing more than a schooling show dressage rider, but I still wear my hunter hair. No one cares.

Dressage riders certainly get swept up in trends like every other horse discipline. But since you’re basically riding against yourself, trends don’t seem to affect judging and scores like they might in a hack class. As long as you don’t distract the judge from evaluating the very specific things they are judging…

[Arlomine]

Hunter hair is absolutely fine. NO ONE CARES.

[mjhco]

Hunter hair all the way! Keeps me from feeling like my head and neck are immovable. AND I don’t have what looks like an opossum on my upper back.

[EVneo]

Lots of riders - ammy and pro - around here do hunter hair. Don’t also feel like you need the snood. I do a low bun (but wear a CO, which has more room for a bun than a KEP), put the hairnet on, and just put another hair tie over the net and bun - no snood.

[mjhco]

Yes on hair nets. No need to have yet another color. That bounces. I believe that if a bunch of those wearing the sparkly snood could see it from C as they move away from C there would be fewer snoods and snoods with sparklies. What might look stunning while you are looking in the mirror may not have the same appearance whilst riding a sitting trot in bright sunlight.

[MissAriel]

Wear your hair however you are comfortable. Its true, no one will care as long as it is neat.

[KBC]

@hoopoe

Put you hair up in whatever way you you wish where it is neat and the helmet fits properly. Dressage riders, as a rule don’t get too caught up in these fashion trends . Go with what you have.

@Texarkana

I’m nothing more than a schooling show dressage rider, but I still wear my hunter hair. No one cares.

Dressage riders certainly get swept up in trends like every other horse discipline. But since you’re basically riding against yourself, trends don’t seem to affect judging and scores like they might in a hack class. As long as you don’t distract the judge from evaluating the very specific things they are judging…

So that’s clear right? Dressage people don’t get caught up in trends, only they do!

@MissAriel

Wear your hair however you are comfortable. Its true, no one will care as long as it is neat.

This is the truth of the matter, there is no space on the judges score card to mark on hair, or braids or anything in appearance. They are far more caught up in watching your test and trying to make sure they mark you fairly. Make sure you and your horse are clean and tidy, set expectations that you are a competent and well polished pair, but don’t worry about fashion.

[Texarkana]

@KBC Well, it’s true. :lol:

People are kidding themselves if they think dressage is immune to trends.

The trends just aren’t as… impactful (?) as they might be in disciplines where all the horses are in the ring at once being directly compared to one another

[MissAriel]

@KBC - so on point!

Personally, I think we tend to muddy the waters when we start thinking that having the latest fashion will help us appear like a “competent and polished pair”. Especially for anyone starting showing or coming back from a long hiatus - why not try to look the part by making sure you don’t stand out with your fashion choices?

Plus, there is something to be said for wearing something that makes you feel great.

I did a schooling show a few weeks ago to give my horse some experience and give first level a try. Normally I just wear a solid color sun shirt and white breeches for these schooling shows, but I recently splurged a really pretty show shirt with lace detailing and thought I would wear that. I gotta say, it looks great and made me feel happy and polished and confident. It also is much cooler than my other show shirt, so that helped too!

[alibi_18]

@Texarkana

@KBC
People are kidding themselves if they think dressage is immune to trends.

Of course we aren’t immune.
And some trends even end up being believed as part of the rules!

Boots with laces forbidden, hard shell boots only.
Only white gloves and breeches.
Only white pad. (It’s actually optional even at CDIs.)
Sunglasses are forbidden.
Tack that matches in color.

[poltroon]

I have always done hunter hair. Trying to do some sort of bun thing IMHO is pretty difficult with a harness unless your hair is really long.

IME dressage people are much less uniform in hairstyles than hunters, fwiw, and for example dressage riders sometimes prefer that their hair does not go over the ears. The harness changes the options as well. Do what works for you!

[Belowthesalt]

When my hair was moderately long, I just braided it, folded that under, put hairnet over the whole thing and held it in place, low, with a black silk scrunchy. But if you’re good at hunter hair, you’re fine. No one will care/notice unless the style, whatever it is, is messy, and even then it’s not going to affect your score.

[CatPS]

As long as it isn’t flopping around distracting the judges, NO ONE CARES. It definitely should be bound up/contained in some way, but how is completely up to you. I have my own method of braiding, wrapping in a net, then binding up in a bun. It works for me. I’ve never gotten a single comment from anyone about it either positive or negative.

[J-Lu]

@alibi_18

Of course we aren’t immune.
And some trends even end up being believed as part of the rules!

Boots with laces forbidden, hard shell boots only.
Only white gloves and breeches.
Only white pad. (It’s actually optional even at CDIs.)
Sunglasses are forbidden.
Tack that matches in color.

Ha! I got my bronze wearing laced boots! And black gloves. And a black pad. Regional Championship at Third that year! I “wised up” and got real dressage boots for fourth. /s No white gloves or pad, though.