Randy is reserve but active now… will be retiring due to his injury. He’s a career officer. He has the attire for riding as he was actually part of the caisson platoon for awhile in DC… although I am not sure if he actually rode in a parade or not.
We will have to have zippers for him… but fortunately there are very good bootmakers that do the zippers now since they are the fashion in the show ring now.
I bought mine at Hammacher Schlemmer but it looks like this one. I used Hammacher because they offered a lifetime warranty and we know what hunting can do to clothing! Here’s a link. http://www.verseo.com/volt-rechargeable-heated-vest-torso.html?kpid=199&gclid=CLuxvvS0ysACFSgV7AodOBIAxQ It works well and doesn’t add bulk. I just wish they’d come out with breeches, too.
Foxglove
Thank you Foxglove!
[QUOTE=see u at x;7747502]
My experiences hunting, limited as they may be, are to be safe, clean, and presentable. I’ve worn navy blue show coats and simple stock ties whenever I’ve gone hunting - stuff I already had in my close.[/QUOTE]
Interestingly, when I hunted in the UK navy coats were worn by single women, black reserved for those who were married. Presumably a way to readily advertise who might be hunting foxes AND a significant other…
[QUOTE=ISR;7747986]
Interestingly, when I hunted in the UK navy coats were worn by single women, black reserved for those who were married. Presumably a way to readily advertise who might be hunting foxes AND a significant other…[/QUOTE]
Oh, wow…that’s too funny! And very good to know if I’m ever fortunate enough to participate in foxhunting while visiting the UK. I’ll make sure to wear black, then! :lol:
Note to self: If I go hunting in the UK, don’t take black coat, dig out old navy coat…
And what do you mean old people and zippers? I got zippered dress boots when I was 20 (had to custom-order anyway, I figured that was a LOT easier than boot hooks, never mind getting them OFF alone.) They’re still fine (they’re Bond Boots, though, which I gather is good-I just bought what the lady in the store told me to.) Now, if I get field boots I want brown. Of course given Lucky’s idea of acceleration is he’ll jog, if he must, I’d be toodling along with hilltoppers anyway. But people would have plenty of time to see my turnout.
[QUOTE=2foals;7746957]
I think our fashion angst is better directed at those messy manes and square saddle pads. [/QUOTE]
Now, just wait a minute on the square pads! For years, while the beagles were hunting in Phoenix, most of the field used the square pads with pockets. We carried water bottles in those pockets so the hounds could be watered.
What’s unconventional one place, just might be conventional elsewhere.
I definitely hunted a horse with a roached mane.
I know of a lady who has 2 horses, one of which has a roached mane. That’s her formal/high holy day horse. Only braids his forelock! His tail has been thinned/clipped for eventing so not able to be braided.
[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;7743924]
Following a badly broken leg at my half century mark in life…I can’t get dress boots (without a zipper) on. Putting my nice new zippered boots on for the first time at the hunt 65 miles from home…the zipper promptly blew apart - nice, well fitting boots - no pressure to zip them up. I grabbed a roll of black electric tape…bound them up tight and enjoyed a lovely, rousing hunt. At the breakfast I was bemoaning the tragedy with my boots and the woman I was speaking to couldn’t even detect the black tape. So…IMO…do/wear what you need to and hope your fellow hunters have more important things to occupy their minds with than the presence or not of zippers in your boots!! I’m a life long foxhunter and do like traditional turnout, but… some traditions need to be flexible!! JMO[/QUOTE]
I understand you need for zippers and think they are appropriate. The breaking of the zipper is why I do not like them. I have had that happen to a couple of students just as they were going into the show ring. Luckily, we also had black tape but for what they cost tape should not be required.
I’ve slowly accumulated, with lots of help from eBay,proper attire for both cubbing and formal days. And I’ve enjoyed using it and I like the feeling of being properly turned out.
But this weekend I brought a young (high school) friend to an Intro to foxhunting clinic. She has none of the proper attire, but showed up (after some hints from me) with clean proper tack, a neat saddle pad (albeit square) a black velvet cap, breeches and her well worn but polished paddocks & half chaps. And a collared shirt kept clean with a T shirt over it during loading & chores ( thanks, Hunters Rest).
But most of all I was proud to have her as my guest because she was neat, clean & polite and she handled her horse well in the field,even though it was the first time out for both.
And during the clinic,while the Master and staff certainly covered proper attire, they also pointed out that in New England they’re likely to be wearing L.L. Bean for hunts in January 
[QUOTE=jawa;7749989]
I know of a lady who has 2 horses, one of which has a roached mane. That’s her formal/high holy day horse. Only braids his forelock! His tail has been thinned/clipped for eventing so not able to be braided.[/QUOTE]
Thanks jawa. I’ve never had a reason to roach a mane before, but this mare I’m bringing along has a mane that parts in the middle and is enormously bushy on each side. I think that if I try to really get it pulled/thinned out manually she’s going to hemorrhage. The only thing that has stopped me from roaching it are turnout concerns, plus the fact that it’s a marvelous mane for grabbing ahold of in a tricky moment. In fact, if I tried to fall off of her I’d probably just stick to her mane like velcro!
2foals -
“it’s a marvelous mane for grabbing ahold of in a tricky moment”
This is a GREAT feature to have in the hunt field and I use it liberally myself. A saying I am fond of repeating is, “If God hadn’t meant for us to grab mane, he wouldn’t have put it there!”
Roaching permitted or not, I would try really hard to find a way to tame that wild thing enough to hunt with that built-in grab strap!
Happy hunting!
[QUOTE=rivenoak;7749793]
Now, just wait a minute on the square pads! For years, while the beagles were hunting in Phoenix, most of the field used the square pads with pockets. We carried water bottles in those pockets so the hounds could be watered.
What’s unconventional one place, just might be conventional elsewhere.
I definitely hunted a horse with a roached mane.[/QUOTE] Here shaped saddle blankets are almost unheard of in the hunt field. Most hunts have their own saddle blankets which you can buy, and they are all square, with a large pocket and the hunt logo on it.
I really prefer the look of the shaped brown pads over the shaped white ones that seem to be de rigueur here.
I roach all mine. I think it looks so handsome.
When the mane is roached, how do you keep the grab strap from sliding down the neck when grazing at checks? A piece of yarn secured to the breastplate?
I ride with it all…mane, breastplate and grab strap. I figure that way I should be able to get a hold of something!
I am not a fan of roached manes, they hurt like hell if you land on them by mistake. LOL
In Ireland, many female Masters wear blue coats instead of scarlet.
If a grab strap slips up too much, I just latch it under one side of my breastplate. It moves the strap back a tad (the breastplate strap isn’t in the right place to ‘grab’) but not so much that it negates the grab-i-ness of it!
[QUOTE=CarrieK;7742539]
I was having a converstion with some folks and mentioned that I have a pattern for jodhpurs (ok, I really call them puffy pants. As in: Lookit Teddy Roosevelt rockin the puffy pants!) and plan to sew some for riding (whenever I ride in public again)(:: sad sigh :: of the one-step-forward-two-steps-back equestrian).[/QUOTE]
You need to share that pattern! I adore proper flared breeches. I have a bunch of vintage pairs, but if they fit in the waist and hips, they rarely ever fit in the calf, and vice versa. I would dearly love to have a few pairs made that actually really fit everywhere, but without paying B. Weatherill’s outrageous Savile Row price to have them made bespoke (as I cannot find anyone else that does proper ones anymore).
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