saddle pads - after all our combined work....

[Wanderosa]

@Shagyas Rock

Me too! I am dismayed by all the bling - good grief - if you want bling, go into the western pleasure world -
why detract from the beauty of the horse and its movements?

I think too much is a little silly. But I see no issue with a few judiciously placed small crystals on the tack to catch the light and draw the eye to the shape and movement of the horse. I love how a conservatively ornamented browband looks on a perfectly turned out horse. Everything should enhance the beauty of the horse. I dislike grey jackets for that reason. They always look ill-fitted and cheap to my eye, no matter how expensive. A blue jacket coordinates better with bays than a black jacket. Otoh, I dislike anything but a black jacket with a black horse.

Dressage has a special formality due to it’s military roots. Military dress uniforms are perfectly fitted and eye-catching in their ornamentation. They’re symbolic of strength and discipline. A little bit of the same translated into modern dressage isn’t a bad thing in my book.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

@Shagyas Rock

Me too! I am dismayed by all the bling - good grief - if you want bling, go into the western pleasure world -
why detract from the beauty of the horse and its movements?

How does my saddle pad detract from the beauty of my horse?

It doesn’t. At all.

[DressageChic2]

just bought a shiny navy KEP with silver snakeskin inserts to match my navy jacket with silver sequin trim!

[atlatl]

@lorilu

I just wish breech makers would make eggshell breeches to go with my new brown coat. BOnus if FITS did it.

FITS used to make cream breeches. I have two pair. I found one online and the other FITS actually tracked down for me as they’d been languishing on the shelf in some tack store in Bend, OR but that was about 5 years ago. They are perfect with my brown coat.

[soloudinhere]

@alibi_18

FITS used to do them. A friend of mine has a pair.
I don’t see why they wouldn’t still do them. Just check.

They discontinued them years ago. Probably due to lack of sales for the 15 years that black/white was the done thing.

Ive got a pair of dove gray Harry halls from…1992? Which is probably the last time they were in style.

[kcmel]

I have a mostly white paint, so a white saddle pad is out. If I’m doing a recognized event I use a taupe pad with dark brown trim (my tack is brown–black would look horrible on him) or navy. For schooling dressage shows anything goes–I like burgundy to match a burgundy vest. I typically use a white pad on my bay, just because I felt left out that I couldn’t use white before:lol:.

At my first recognized event I was the only one that I saw not using a white saddle pad. And I thought eventers were suppose to be wild!

[fancy.pants]

OP, what did you mean about “after all our combined work”? Was there a recent rule change about saddle pad colors? Also, Pikeur makes cream colored breeches–they are lovely. The hard part is finding pads that are cream, not yellowish!

[lorilu]

@fancy.pants

OP, what did you mean about “after all our combined work”? Was there a recent rule change about saddle pad colors? Also, Pikeur makes cream colored breeches–they are lovely. The hard part is finding pads that are cream, not yellowish!

Not recent - a few years ago, conservative colors are permitted. Was once limited to white (or black, maybe).
And thanks for the Pikeur idea. Centaur makes a nice cream pad, but it is on the smaller side and I prefer a larger pad.

[Dutchmare433]

@lorilu

Not recent - a few years ago, conservative colors are permitted. Was once limited to white (or black, maybe).
And thanks for the Pikeur idea. Centaur makes a nice cream pad, but it is on the smaller side and I prefer a larger pad.

I have that pad in grey, very pretty but small and almost shaped like an AP pad…really doesn’t work for a Dressage saddle unless you have short, forward flaps!

[atlatl]

@lorilu

Not recent - a few years ago, conservative colors are permitted. Was once limited to white (or black, maybe).
And thanks for the Pikeur idea. Centaur makes a nice cream pad, but it is on the smaller side and I prefer a larger pad.

Tolkats Classics III extra large pad in champagne from Dressage Extensions

[dressagegirl123]

Exactly what atlatl said. The Classics pad matches the Pikeur breeches color.

[see_u_at_x]

I’m curious as to which style(s) of the Pikeur breeches you’re referring to that come in the cream color. I’ve looked online, but haven’t found their website to be the easiest in viewing the colors.

[dressagegirl123]

The Lugano or Lugana. Try Amira Equi.com in England. Great prices and service.

[Jealoushe]

Oh I love the argument over how things “detract from the beauty of the horse”.

OR if you are into those things, perhaps you think they enhance their beauty, like me! That’s like saying make up detracts from someone’s beauty when we all know (for the most part) it actually enhances all the good parts.

I’m not saying everyone has to love bling and colour, but why do you have to hate on others who do. Personal preference.

I use a white pad with coloured piping, and my CO helmet has a glitter skunk stripe right down the middle I always joke it’s to blind the judges :lol:

Ogilvy makes amazing dressage lads with custom colours and they are super affordable for anyone looking.