May 2018 FRC Member Newsletter

make sure that all your tack is on correctly and not crooked one way or another. The judge
would never take off points for crooked tack, but it can create an optical illusion, maybe
causing the judge to think that your horse is crooked instead. We saw two upper-level riders
that had tack malfunctions on just the first day of the show, so this happens to the best of us!
The next thing to mention is to make sure that your show clothes are ‘legal.’ There are certain
specifications for show clothes that limit the colors and type of clothes that are allowed. Some
people can interpret these guidelines very differently, especially the guideline that a coat
should be a ‘conservative’ color. I had seen colored jackets and boots throughout the day in
Burgundy, dark green, variations of blue, then all the sudden we had a rider enter the ring
wearing a bright teal shadbelly on a chestnut horse. I was kind of scared what might happen, I
would not consider teal to be a conservative color, but the pair did look flashy and well put
together. The judge exclaimed, “look at that coat?!” Then told me to flip over to the collectives
section to write something down. She wanted to make a note to compliment the rider on their
showout!
I thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask her about her thoughts on all the bling, patent
leather, and vibrant colors that riders are wearing. She said that if you come into the ring with
all the bling, than you had better have a ride to back it up. Sometimes when a rider presents
and has on very flashy clothes, it can create an expectation that their test will be just as
exuberant. If it is not, then there can be a sense of unfulfillment. She reminded me that in no
way would a rider’s clothes affect the way she actually judged the test based on the directives
and competency of the movements, but it doesn't help if your outfit does not match your skill
level or level of preparation. I asked her to elaborate on the concept of acceptable
‘conservative’ colors and she said that while she would not generally consider a teal shadbelly
as conservative, it really went well with her horse and was coordinated well with the rest of her
outfit, so she didn’t think it was out of context.
So next time you are shopping for show clothes, get something that makes you feel and look
great! Make sure to consider the color of your mount and how your clothes will look when you
are on top of your horse. If you don’t have your own horse and might be showing on school
horses, make sure to go with the traditional black or navy to make sure that you will not clash
with different coat colors. Keep the bling to a minimum unless you are coming in hot! And
don’t forget, FRC shows are schooling shows, so we don’t really mind what you are wearinghalf
chaps or polo shirts are totally fine!