What to Wear Showing

Question:
Hi Claire, I hope you can help, I have been out of the showing circuit for many years now however, I have bought two very different but lovely horses & would like to get back in to it, my only problem is I have forgotten what to wear & what my horse should wear….

The first horse is a 15.3 dapple grey KWPN. I would like to do ridden classes on him & working hunter.

What should his tack be for riding horse?
What should his tack be for ridden?
What should his tack be for hunter?
What should I wear?
I currently have black tack as be is very dapple At the moment..
Could we use a Pelham with double reins? Or what bits are except able?

The second horse is a 16.3 ish bright bay with black legs, hunter & ridden class again…
What should his tack be for riding horse?
What should his tack be for ridden?
What should his tack be for hunter?
What should I wear?
I currently have black tack as be is very dapple At the moment..
Could we use a Pelham with double reins? Or what bits are except able?

Can you recommend a book to help?

I so nervous of getting things wrong & have really put so much effort on to them I didn’t want to let us both down

Hope you can help ?
Amy

Answer from Claire:
Dear Amy

The tack you use on the first horse would ideally be a pelham or a double bridle for the show classes. For the working hunter a snaffle bridle would be acceptable as would a pelham or double. Ideally a brown leather bridle would be better than black leather.

For the riding horse class the brow band should be a coloured one.

For the second horse the tack would be the same as the grey horse, and with the saddle for the both must have a brown nummah to fit the saddle and not a coloured bulky one.

The dress for both horses if you are doing hunter, working hunter and riding horse classes is a hunting cap, hairnet with your hair tied back neatly, shirt and tie, hacking jacket, beige breeches, long black leather boots, spurs, gloves and a showing stick. If you are competing in the working hunter for the jumping round you have to wear a hat with a harness.

A book to help you is by Robert Oliver “Showing horses and ponies”, published by Pelham Books.

Hope the above is of some help and good luck.

Kind regards
Claire Oliver