All through No Stirrups November, I tried to tell my young lessonmates… warm and grippy, warm and grippy.
I’ve got my old pair for warm weather months and a larger pair I found on eBay for over layers or when my weight’s up 
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Note many people on this thread say they had cuffs seen into their jacket sleeves.
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Here’s something I can’t get over: The new helmets without velvet. If approved helmets are the standard at every barn now – and I support that – I’ll have to replace my old one. The replacement simply must have velvet. My concession is I’ll call it a helmet rather than a hunt cap.
My barn/coach/horse search continues. One place looked somewhat promising until I spotted a strong political statement on the barn owner’s website – and decided I didn’t want to send my money in the direction of someone who is compelled to make falsehoods a guiding light of life in general and the business in particular. Yikes.
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That was me & 2YG was no way more than a 3’ division in 199_ when I did it.
Working Hunter was 4’.
When did that change?
Or is my Aged memory tricking me 
My TB was perfectly capable of 3’9", but I honestly do not recall doing more than 3’ & that was in Medals & not every fence.
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Full Chaps with LLBean “duck shoes”
Navaho saddle pads
2000 lb New Zealand rugs
Cotton Mesh coolers
Really soft, great quality strapgoods that were made to last. I still have a set of Crosby raised laced reins my best friend gave me for graduation 1980)
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Yeah we were never allowed to wear the sleeveless ones. I’m in Florida too, I distinctly remember sweating my behind off in July in Tampa at the state 4-H show standing in the sun for a halter class for like an hour.
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Aefvue Farm! 
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I don’t care what they say. They can do what they want. It’s not a look I prefer for myself .
I notice it and some judges I know say they do too.
You do you and I’ll do me.
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Yup. I’m
54 and grew up
In S FL , and our trainer , who is now an R Judge , absolutely forbade it
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Omg I remember all that. I found my Navajo pad the other day
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My circa 1989 Vogels have been to NYC almost as often as me.
First for a gusset (before zips were a Thing)
Then for zips.
Last to repair a zipper - that was over 5yrs ago
Vogel is (was?) easy to work with, repairs are quick (or were 
) & not overly pricy.
I’d hesitate having zips installed by a local, unless they do riding boots.
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The second years are 3’9” (since they come after the 3’6” first years) and the working is 4’. None of that has changed in the past four decades. The regular conf went down to 3’9” sometime in the 2000’s, but that’s the only “recent” change (other than the large ponies never set at 3’ any more even though the rules say they can).
You may be thinking of 1st/2nd year pregreen, 3’ and 3’3”. That’s all lumped under green now in nomenclature but it’s the same thing.
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In the 80s and 90s, first years were 3’6” and second years 3’9” and then regular working was 4’. There were maybe some local medals at 3’ but for the most part all medals at any rated show (whether state medal or the Maclay etc.) were 3’6” also for juniors. USET was 3’9 before they assigned the various star levels to qualifying classes recently. I was on ponies in the 80s but since I really liked the hunters, my dad would park me at the main hunter ring while my sister was showing somewhere else (maybe children’s ring?) and had me watch Danny Robertshaw all day long in the greens. There weren’t any classes for horses at most shows under 3’ that I can recall until it started becoming popular to have longer shows in the summer time when various unrated classes started popping up.
Maybe you showed on a local circuit that used similar division names? My local circuit pretty much topped out at 3’ or 3’3” I think.
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Charles Owens makes some pretty traditional looking velvet helmets, including one with a tan harness that is a little less obtrusive than some others.
I will say the most important thing with any helmet is to get the one that fits the best. It’s worth going to a brick and mortar tack shop with a wide selection, if possible, and trying on all the different brands to see which one works the best for you.
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It’s funny how many people eventually make the transition from showing horses to showing dogs. I would think it must be much easier to pack up and ship both the dogs and the equipment! Lol.
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Prob’ly you’re right.
My memory truly is not what it was.
@IPEsq These were Regional shows mainly.
I did the local rated As very rarely & then only the trainer-approved divisions < different trainer for those than my Rebel guy.
Second the Charles Owen for an old school look. The new helmets might grow on you (!), most are super light and very nicely vented. I look at photos of myself in the 1990s jumping pretty big jumps in a velvet hunt cap (though with plastic clear harness and little SNAP closure) and near die, especially now as a mother.
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The other thing I remember doing as a kid was using masking tape around my ankles to secure my jeans in place under my chaps, so they would not shift around and rub my legs. Everybody at the barn did that, but I don’t know if it was widespread, or just a thing that that one little group did.
And then, quite often, you would miss a piece when you took the tape off after you were done riding, so you were walking around with tape on your jeans and you didn’t know it. Lol.
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Oh, Amen, MHM. A helmet saved my life many years ago. No compromises on trying them on, even if it means spending more. That tan-harness CO is one that interests me most. Question: Do all helmets now have a flexible rather than hard brim, so if you land on it, it won’t push down and crush the bridge of your nose? My most recent helmet had that feature.
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