Please help with attire, the single most intimidating part of foxhunting

[Libby2563]

I’m going out foxhunting for the third time this weekend, as a guest. I am very nervous. Not about galloping and jumping and possibly falling off or getting run away with and accidentally passing the Master or running over a hound. No, I am nervous about wearing the wrong clothes and thereby giving insult.

The two previous times I went were with two different hunts and despite making a greater and greater effort to conform, I’m sure I have and will continue to commit attire faux pas. Why is it so damn confusing? (Or am I overthinking it?)

My host is slow to reply to emails and I hate to pester her with too many questions, so I appreciate any guidance anyone can offer!

Here are the guidelines for the hunt we (both women) are riding with:

Coat: Black for men; black or dark blue for women. Bone buttons, except for Mastership.
Waistcoat (vest): Canary or tattersall.
Breeches: Beige, buff or canary are acceptable with a black or dark blue coat. White breeches are worn with a pink coat.
Boots: Plain-topped black. Brown-topped black boots are reserved for pink coats. Black boots with black patent leather tops are reserved for ladies wearing colors.
Neckwear: White stock, neatly and properly tied.
Headgear: Cap ribbons for members of the field must be securely fastened up. Rider safety is important, and therefore, velvet-covered caps with chinstraps or a harness are encouraged. The straps must always be snugly fastened while mounted. Badly torn or damaged caps should be replaced or repaired. Black or blue velvet covers only on caps.
Gloves: Natural colored leather are preferred. White string are proper on rainy days.

Questions:

1. This doesn’t say no field boots but I think that’s a rule, right? Can I wear mine? All my dress boots are stiff dressage boots, not good for galloping and jumping. I wore field boots the last time and did not get chased away. I asked my host in advance and she basically said, “Well they’re not correct but better comfortable and incorrect than correct and bleeding.”

2. My teenage niece is going with me and their website says juniors under 21 should wear ratcatcher/informal attire, which can include paddock boots (great because she doesn’t own tall boots) but also a “hacking jacket.” I believe her jacket is solid navy. No good? If she wears that jacket can she wear black paddock boots? She is a really odd size in boots (and everything really, she’s not short but is very very slim) so borrowing some is unlikely, though she will try. I think half chaps are a big no-no but what if they are smooth leather and give the appearance of tall boots? Is that better than a navy coat with paddock boots? And if she goes informal she needs a stock tie that isn’t white apparently. Ah, my head hurts…

3. My black coat has silver buttons–will that stand out too much? I don’t use it for shows anymore so I could swap them out for plain black ones if it really matters.

I should add, I am super excited about this as I’ve had a blast every other time I’ve been foxhunting!! I would love to join a hunt next year when my young horse is 4, and at that point I could invest in 100% appropriate attire (if I can even understand what that is). But I don’t want to unintentionally insult anyone by dressing inappropriately. I wish the rules could just be “wear a coat (but not red) and look tidy!”

[Willesdon]

Well, you are visiting as a guest and you are not a paid-up member so I would think a bit of leeway might be expected. So long as you look neat and tidy and have safe tack then you are following the spirit of the sport. Introduce yourself, be polite and explain you are visiting - pay your cap - and I don’t think you can go too wrong. Most people want you to have fun and become interested in their passion.

[RiderInTheRain]

I agree with Willesdon that as a guest, if you look neat and tidy you will likely be welcomed!

Generally for ratcatcher attire such as what your teenage niece will be wearing, a conservatively colored men’s necktie is also appropriate instead of a non-white stock tie. That might be easier to come up with on short notice Typically juniors get the greatest leeway in attire since they are growing and hunt attire is expensive, so her navy coat will probably be fine.

[McGurk]

1.) The master gave you the answer to this one already, wear your field boots.

2.) For teenage niece, I would go with the paddock boots and half chaps if they’re the kind that can truly substitute for tall boots and the navy jacket. (IMO, paddock boots on a child past puberty looks…odd.) Go ahead and buy a colored or print stock tie and let your niece borrow it, then put it away for when you go hunting on ratcatcher days later on. Stocks are not terribly expensive.

3.) I think trading out the buttons on the coat is easy and inexpensive and will contribute to a workmanlike turnout.

Having your horse impeccably turned out, and being neat and tidy, will go a long way towards smoothing over any of your wardrobe glitches.

[SouthernYankee]

What McGurk said.

If you want to you can cover the silver buttons with black electrical tape for the hunt then remove tape after.

[Foxglove]

At Battle Creek Hunt guests are encouraged to ride in attire that makes them feel safe and comfortable. If the attire is extremely colorful (hot pink ski jacket, for instance) the guest is encouraged to ride to the back with his/her host so not to spoil the view for other riders. I’ve taken out two guests in the last two hunts --both used western tack and attire with helmets instead of western hats. Both were made to feel extremely welcomed and complimented on their decision to attend the hunt. One member for YEARS rode in a western saddle in full hunt attire as she preferred having a horn. Eventually she switched to an Aussie that also had a horn.

Frankly, our club is thrilled to share our sport with guests --come dressed as you choose, have a good time, and come back again.

Once you are a member (in our clutches?) we hope you will acquire the suitable attire --and our club members will help you. I make it my job to give stock ties to members in need, I currently have 4 Melton coats waiting for new owners (given to me by members who have left, asking only that they be passed on). In the fall there is usually a vest or two looking for a new owner since it has shrunk in the closet.

Only rarely has a member been spoken to about attire (we are all adults, after all) --and to my knowledge, no guest has ever been spoken to about attire except for someone to say something complimentary! The few times a member was spoken to were profound breeches in acceptable dress --a woman wore PAJAMA PANTS over her riding pants and boots on a hunt because she said she didn’t want to be cold. Another time (same woman) wore a rainbow cover on her black helmet because “it was pretty.” --she did stop hunting eventually and has told more than one person we are a snooty group. We are what we are and have been for almost 90 years --and don’t think things can’t change --this year women were allowed to wear red coats --if they were staff!!!

[Foxglove]

At Battle Creek Hunt guests are encouraged to ride in attire that makes them feel safe and comfortable. If the attire is extremely colorful (hot pink ski jacket, for instance) the guest is encouraged to ride to the back with his/her host so not to spoil the view for other riders. I’ve taken out two guests in the last two hunts --both used western tack and attire with helmets instead of western hats. Both were made to feel extremely welcomed and complimented on their decision to attend the hunt. One member for YEARS rode in a western saddle in full hunt attire as she preferred having a horn. Eventually she switched to an Aussie that also had a horn.

Frankly, our club is thrilled to share our sport with guests --come dressed as you choose, have a good time, and come back again.

Once you are a member (in our clutches?) we hope you will acquire the suitable attire --and our club members will help you. I make it my job to give stock ties to members in need, I currently have 4 Melton coats waiting for new owners (given to me by members who have left, asking only that they be passed on). In the fall there is usually a vest or two looking for a new owner since it has shrunk in the closet.

Only rarely has a member been spoken to about attire (we are all adults, after all) --and to my knowledge, no guest has ever been spoken to about attire except for someone to say something complimentary! The few times a member was spoken to were profound breeches in acceptable dress --a woman wore PAJAMA PANTS over her riding pants and boots on a hunt because she said she didn’t want to be cold. Another time (same woman) wore a rainbow cover on her black helmet because “it was pretty.” --she did stop hunting eventually and has told more than one person we are a snooty group. We are what we are and have been for almost 90 years --and don’t think things can’t change --this year women were allowed to wear red coats --if they were staff!!!

[dynamite0319]

I agree with the comment above about neat and tidy as well as going for changing the silver buttons on your coat to black ones. Use a contoured saddle pad. Put your hair in a hair net of some sort. Hunts are always excited to have guests and prospective new members, so I would imagine that would outweigh most any attire “faux pas” you may make. Have fun!

[RPM]

Kudos to you for wanting to be correct in your attire – and your niece too! And kudos to the hunt for having a dress code!

Part of me was thinking, oh, good grief, safety over buttons. But the stickler in me was saying follow the rules as closely as you can. But I think when it gets to the point where a guest is nervous about clothes more than about injuring a hound, then it’s a little extreme.

Do they still make spur straps with the wide pieces of leather that were designed to cover the laces on field boots? I haven’t seen a pair of these in ages, but they were a great idea. I’m not saying wear spurs, just that maybe there is something else out there now that serves the same purpose? Plain boots would be safer than field boots (no laces to snag on anything), but if your dress boots hurt your feet, that could turn into a safety issue too.

[Libby2563]

Thank you all so much for the input!! I love the electrical tape idea for my buttons since I’m not sure I’ll have time to buy and sew on replacements. I’ll see about acquiring a non-white stock tie too. Thankfully I am borrowing a horse for myself and hiring my niece’s so tack and equine turnout will not be ours to worry about.

After I started this thread I was chatting with a coworker who told me this story (which come to think of it he has told me before). When his youngest daughter was 5 his family went foxhunting as guests. His daughter was kitted out in tiny jods, tiny boots, and a tiny little hunt coat and her hair was French braided and tied with pink ribbons. Everyone thought she looked lovely. The Master came up to her and said, “My dear, you look very pretty but don’t ever let me see pink ribbons in your hair in my field again.” To a 5-year-old! My coworker said he was glad his wife was with the girl at that moment instead of him because he would have been tempted to deck him. That pretty much drove their family of 5 humans and 10 horses away from foxhunting for good. And he thinks it may be the same Master as the hunt we are going with this weekend.

I’m really very interested in the sport but daunted as well and stories like that don’t help! Thank you all for your willingness to help a newbie!

RPM, just to be clear I also don’t want to endanger any hounds but I am way more confident in my riding skills than my fashion sense and understanding of all the rules! :winkgrin: The spur straps you describe are intriguing! I’ll have to look that up.

Foxglove, I love your description of your hunt (and your vest-shrinking closet)! You sound like a fun and welcoming crowd.

[RPM]

I apologize for not being clear. When I said this:

But I think when it gets to the point where a guest is nervous about clothes more than about injuring a hound, then it’s a little extreme.

what I meant was that the hunt was going a little overboard, not you. If they get guests so nervous about dressing correctly, then they need to chill a bit. But then, like I said, I’m a stickler for what’s “correct” in the hunt field, so …

I thought it was cool that you aren’t nervous about galloping and jumping and all the rest, which are the things I would be very nervous about! :lol:

When I read about the pink ribbons on the 5yo I thought, “Oops! Hair net, hair under cap/helmet.” Yep, even for a 5yo. (But that’s just me, the stickler … ) And the guy should have said it to the parents, quietly, at the end of the day …

[Hinderella]

If the hunt with whom you are capping has a web site, take a look at the pictures you find there, that will give you an idea of what that hunt finds acceptable. Hunts in northern (colder) climates are sometimes more flexible in their attire, in deference to the weather. Though pajama bottoms would be out anywhere!
As a guest, most of all, you want to blend in, not stand out. Black coat, white shirt, tan breeches, black boots polished and clean should get you through the day.

[Foxglove]

Ummm the pink hair ribbons might have become problematic. When I was in my 20s I whipped in and wore a red coat as I was member of staff. Whips generally have no one in sight but wayward hounds. At one point, totally alone and feeling an urgent call of nature, I dismounted and dropped my breeches. As I pulled them up and tucked in my shirt I heard a cough. There was a gaggle of lost members, who, seeing my scarlet coat in the brush assumed I was staff looking for a hound and would know the way back. They politely waited, eyes averted while I finished what I was doing. Terribly embarrassing. I had to speak with my horse AT LENGTH after that to remind him to whinny or something if other horses approached. So had our little girl needed to attend to similar personal business, she might have attracted an audience as did I.

[Libby2563]

LOL Foxglove!!! I have to admit that particular hazard did not cross my mind.

RPM: I thought that’s what you meant but just wanted to make it clear that I’m concerned about the hounds and more “substantive” rules too, lest someone else misunderstand!

Hinderella: Great idea, thanks! Their website is very limited but they have a Facebook page with photos. Now I’m looking at them and getting even more excited about our outing!! I think I might see some field boots. I also definitely see helmets that aren’t 100% plain velvet, dark-colored gloves, and a variety of coats/number of buttons. I think I even see some white stock ties during cubbing season!? Black buttons look like a good idea though.

[gypsymare]

Any appropriate fabric can be easily fashioned into a 4 fold stock tie. Cut to about 8"x 6 feet and fold the raw edges inward in half lengthwise and in half again. Easy. The raw ends will be hidden beneath your vest or coat. Add two inches in width and hem the edges for a finished tie.

I cut up a pillowcase one morning when my white stock was MIA. Looked perfect.

[pheasantknoll]

Gypsymare-- BRILLIANT!

[McGurk]

I think most hunt staffs will appreciate the effort to be prepared and suitabley attired without being horribly picky about the details and I think your asking these questions here beforehand shows that you’re approaching it in the proper spirit.

I’ve seen some interesting things back in the day, my favorite was the lady who hunted with oversized, tinted ski or motorcycle googles fastened over her helmet. She has some eye problems and she felt it was prudent.

I hunted in field boots for years when they were the fashion in the show ring and I could only afford one good pair of boots. No one ever said anything.

I also remember one of the last remaining true working famer/landowners coming out in rubber boots and corduroy trousers and no one saying a thing except how glad they were to see him out.

My corollary to the pink ribbon story. I was supposed to escort a group of first time hunters on the Pony Club hunt, a separate event from the junior hunt. The DC at the time was a keen hunter, these kids had all attended mounted and unmounted classes, and the mounted included galloping in group, hold hard and ware staff exercises. In short, these kids were very serious and very well prepared.

But a cold front blew in that morning and the temperature dropped to near freezing, and these kids were in show clothes. So at the meet, before the masters arrived, one of the PC Moms, thinking she’s doing the right thing, asks if it’s all right if the kids wear ski jackets or down vests (in conservative, dark colors) over their show clothes. Unfortunately, she asked grumpy, stickler, kid-hating member, not the “want to ensure the future of the sport” Joint Master.

GSKHM went off on a little rant; wanting to know who would send children out in this weather not probably dressed, surely they could have worn long underwear under their show clothes, etc., etc… Loudly. In front of the kids.

So when the JM showed up and said, of course, they could wear dark coats over their show clothes, they refused. No way were they going to put coats on after that tirade.

So they were abjectly miserable for the rest of cold, blustery day. I was moderately miserable, and I was wearing a good melton wool frock coat and vest.

We did not teach any new juniors to love hunting that day.

So, OP, do not despair if the hunt that is hosting you has a GSKHM. The masters, and the rest of the membership, REALLY want you to have a good time and learn to love hunting. They want you to come back, learn, get addicted and put together proper kit over time. They care about that way more than the color of the stock or the finish of your buttons.

[RPM]

You do realize you will have post pics for us here on COTH. That is de rigueur. Even if your horse is not wearing a sewn bridle, a sandwich case, flask, and an extra pair of gloves under his billets.

Have a wonderful time!

[McGurk]

And the sandwich cut diagonally. And port, not sherry in your flask.

[SnicklefritzG]

Does the crust have to be cut off ?