I’ll be starting our showing “career” next spring at training level and am starting to think about rider/horse turnout. These are local bronze level shows at a basic but nice venue. Everyone seems to go all out on their outfits, but I’m sure there must be a few riders doing dressage on a budget LOL!
My mare is a large flashy chestnut so I don’t need to class her up at all, just clean and nicely braided should be good.
I have a pretty good idea of what to wear, but my question is this, how fancy and expensive does the show attire need to be? Would a basic black coat in the $200 (Canadian) range suffice or will it look cheap compared to other riders? I have my eyes on a Samshield helmet but $700 is pretty expensive.
My saddle and tack is older but high end, so I could just add a blingy browband to spruce up the bridle.
What are your thoughts?