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Small Tips for Big Results (Part II)

By Nealia McCracken

Having returned this year from showing at the 2001 World’s Championship Horse Show in Louisville, Kentucky it was very evident to me that the riders took as much care in their outfits and overall look, as the trainers and handlers took care in preparing their horses. The days of throwing on any old coat or jodhpurs and a halfway shaped derby are gone. One of the rules in my stable, whether you are showing at Littleville or Louisville, the horse and rider should always be turned out the same. The best you can possibly be! Many years ago when some of my first customers came to me and we decided that their horses needed to be shown western I had the same steadfast rule than I do now. That rule is just because we are showing western does not mean we will look like we are on a cattle drive. My riders have always been required to plan out and purchase the best outfits they could afford. I would rather see one superb outfit than four haphazard and mismatched outfits. Over the years most of my customers have found designing their outfits for western competition is almost half the fun of showing in them. You do not have to have a large budget to have a tasteful outfit, but you do have to remember a few rules. I strive for an equitation like look, but only western style.

The number one rule is buy clothes that fit you properly. Even the best clothes not fitted properly can make you look like you are wearing someone else’s hand me downs. The second rule is to coordinate the colors of your entire outfit. The mixed match, homeless look does not cut it in the show ring. The third rule is to have your western hat shaped properly at all times. Your 10-gallon cowboy hat can really draw a lot of negative attention if it is not shaped properly. The last rule is you and your outfit must be clean and reflect a crisp, complete picture. You do not want to look like you’ve just been cow wrestling. As you can see these rules are not complicated and can apply to any showing situation. Now I will explain each area in more detail so you can get the best look particularly for western.

Here is the good news! Since the American Saddlebred horses are primarily saddle seat our Western Pleasure Division tends not to be a super trendy area as compared to the Quarter horses. By this I mean in the Quarter horses the look of your outfit and what’s in style may change from year to year. In order to achieve your placings you may have to buy outfits every year. In the Saddlebred western classes you will see very gradual changes and what the Quarter horses do year to year could be a 5-6 year change for the saddle style western horses. In choosing your outfit do not let someone talk you into a look that is what all the western people are wearing if that look is not right for you. An example of this would be the skintight clingy shirt and vest look that on a model or youth equitation rider may look wonderful. In reality if you are an “easy keeper” like me getting an outfit like this pretty much tells everybody what you look like naked and painted a particular color. My riders over the last few years tend to go with a custom western jacket that can be zipped up to make it easy to take on and off. Hint: If you show in one of the jackets make sure you wear a cotton tee shirt underneath as this will help absorb perspiration and keep your jacket cleaner. When picking out these jackets, the first rule of thumb is to avoid things that dangle and move, i.e. fringes. Make sure the jacket style flatters your body type. Again make sure the jacket fits you properly, not too big or too small. After you have picked the jacket, color and style then you go to your chaps. We will talk later in this article about decorating and colors for your jacket and

outfit.

Make sure your chaps work well with the jacket. They should preferably match or coordinate with your jacket. Once you have chosen the color you need to get a good fit. Chaps should have a snug fit around your legs. Chaps that are too big will cause lumps and wrinkles and can twist or shift on you leg. This can create the allusion of adding a few extra pounds and who wants that? As far as how snug should the chaps be, first remember you have to be able to zip them up. Second, you don’t want your chaps splitting half way through a class or a show season where the zipper is sewn on. Third, chaps that are too tight can cut the circulation off in your limbs and this is not good. Lastly you need to be able to get on your horse and actually bend your knee when in the saddle. Straight Barbie doll legs are not the look. In purchasing your chaps there are three styles , straight edge, scalloped and fringe edge. All of these are acceptable but remember the fringe shows and adds movement to the horse and rider. Your last concern is how long your chaps should be. Chaps are to drop below the heel of your boot by about 4 inches when you are on the horse. The chaps being slightly longer can lengthen the look of your leg. Don’t get them too long as this makes them look ridiculous. You want to avoid the look that Karen Owens has borrowed Melissa Moore’s chaps. Chaps can be smooth leather, suede or ultra suede. My riders are required to have ultra suede chaps for several reasons. They are cooler, they make you look thinner and they are easier to clean. Just throw them in the washing machine. Lastly when you purchase your chaps get the kind that have zippers along the whole leg not the kind that have several straps and hooks unless of course you are going for the look of “I’m only 5 years old and my Mommy bought these chaps for Halloween.” Avoid any type chaps that are not tailored for you as this can make the lower part of your leg look really fat and adds movement.

After you have purchased your chaps you need to match the pants to the color of your chaps. The blue jeans with any color chaps other than blue are not really acceptable in my opinion. Putting pants on under your chaps that do not match is like putting a big sign on you that says, “Look at my butt”. As an easy keeper I personally do not want to focus on my rear end. In purchasing pants for your chaps make sure you pick a stiffer or heavier type material. If you get the wrong material everyone will notice all the jiggles when bouncing in a saddle. Besides watching the type of material its important to wear a little snugger pant whereas baggy pants can pouch out in front and in back giving the riders a very interesting appearance that borders on a hysterically funny look. Just try it. Before you go out in public put the chaps on over the pants you have and stand in front of a mirror and make sure the look is what you want. To wear your chaps correctly wear them so that the chaps come up to the top of your pants. When your chaps are worn too low, (i.e. low rise or hip hugger), it makes an interesting shelf right above your chaps.

The last thing I work on in the chap/leg area are the boots. I prefer to have the boots to match my chaps. Again, this helps lengthen out your leg. Helpful hint. If your chaps are an odd color buy an inexpensive boot that is comfortable and take the same ultra suede your chaps are made out of and cut the material to fit the boot and glue it on the lower half on the boot. It’s easy to do, but takes a little time. Belts should be tastefully done, but I rarely notice an offending look as the jacket or vest usually covers them up.

Next we are going to top off your outfit with the right hat. The number one rule is to avoid trendy hats. There are several styles and you need to pick the style that looks best on you. Did you know that in western hats there are hats that have taller crowns than others? I personally look better in a hat with a taller crown, but not all my customers do. The second rule is to make sure your hat fits you properly. If your hat is too big it will fall off. If your hat is too small it will give you a headache. A hat is to fit snuggly but not tight. Helpful hint: If you are worried that your hat will fall off try spraying a lot of hair spray on the inner hat band and immediately put on your hat. It should stick. Most western hats can be steamed and shaped just like the English derbies. Your hat should have a slight dip in the front and in the back. Avoid having the brim go totally flat or on the other extreme pushed straight up along the sides of the crown. While we do not have to be trendy we should be somewhat correct in the styles. Be careful when handling your hat, taking it on and off and what kind of box that its in as this could ruin the shape of your hat. I have seen many wonderful outfits with a hat that looks like someone ran into a wall with it and my focus is drawn so much to the hat that it totally takes away from the expensive outfit. It gives you the look of ,”I really care”, but looking at the hat saying “But not really”. Hatbands are optional. We keep them small and tastefully done. As to the color of your hat, if you choose, you can have your hat painted or dyed to match your outfit. Like the derby this has been done more than you think for western. If you choose not to go that route it is perfectly acceptable to use what is called a Silver belly. This color, depending on the manufacturer, can be a light pearl gray or run into a pale cream. Be sure to check the colors with your outfit. If you are wearing black chaps it is perfectly acceptable to wear a black hat even though the jacket or vest is a different color. Straw hats are also acceptable, but in my barn they are not allowed. They are too casual looking for me.

Now let’s talk about gloves and accessories. Gloves should match your jacket. Make sure the gloves you choose are not slick. Try to stay with leather gloves if possible. I find ultra suede gloves not acceptable for riding, as they are slick and do not fit as well. My customers are not allowed to wear any earrings that dangle or move. Most of our jackets are made with a tie or neck adornment that is made in place of a tie. If you wear a tie you should avoid anything that dangles excessively and adds movement. Along those same lines choose your undergarments wisely. Undergarments designed to support riders in sports are usually the best. Hint: Victoria Secret probably does not make these.

The finishing touches are the makeup and hair. These final two steps can make or break your outfit. If my riders have longer hair they are required to have their hair done in the same style as equitation riders. This is to be neatly done with no wispies. To me longer hair pulled back in a ponytail gives a “not so serious” look. Remember who are your judges and what they are used to seeing in the show ring. Makeup is important and should be tastefully done in colors that look good on you and in colors that enhance and work with the outfit. It’s often better to have a professional work with you and your outfits to establish makeup kits for showing so that you unknowingly make mistakes.

Getting back to the color and style of your jacket. To glitz or not to glitz that is the question. Over the years I have found different outfits are helpful for different situations. The style of your jacket can depend on if you are showing inside or outside, at night or during the day, the size of the class and the experience of the horse. Most people look at outfits on a hanger and think this is too gaudy for me. You have to remember that the judge is not standing 2 feet away from your horse when he/she is judging your horse. It is a common problem to select an outfit that you feel is tailored and tastefully done, only to find out in the ring the outfit looks like a plain solid color with no “look at me” appeal. This can make a rider wish they had done more in the trim and glitz on the jacket. Outfits that have less sequins and glitzy material tend to be more of a daytime outfit. This is somewhat of a more informal look. If you are showing at night you need an outfit that may catch the light and help draw the judge’s attention to you. This can de done by adding sequins, beads, etc to your jacket. If you are showing in an extremely large class during the day I tend to have my riders go with lighter colored outfits that can attract the judge’s attention. On my younger more inexperienced horses, I tend to have my riders in a color that closely resembles the horse’s color and try to have my riders ride as correct and still as possible giving it an equitation look. This I think makes my colts look steadier. If you want to have several outfits but do not have a large pocketbook pick out jackets that all go with the same color chaps and hat.

This next section is directed to the cowboys. One thing that has always aggravated me about the traditional western look where the women dress like they are out for a major social event, but the men dress in a rancher/Farm & Fleet motif. Of course the standard for men is that everything should be extremely pressed and ironed. Here is where the Saddlebred exhibitors are the lucky one’s, one more time. We can set our own standards as compared to the stock type breeds. I have encouraged my men to wear a similar yet more masculine style formal western jacket, as do the women. Instead of the glitz we go for a military or southwestern motif. We choose masculine colors (a lot of black). We tend to have the men in black hats, gloves and boots, but not always. The basic rules for fitting men and women are the same, but I will say guys you need to pay particular attention to the pants/jeans under the chaps. Avoid a XXX rated look. Use your own imagination (wear tighter fitting pants). Whether a man or a woman, your outfit must be clean and pressed and properly maintained. Your hat must be properly shaped and clean. Boots are to be polished.

In conclusion, I work with one tailor for the western clothes exclusively. In doing this we have developed over the years a catalog of many styles for my riders. It is good to choose a tailor that you can work with to help you achieve the winning western look that complements our Saddlebreds in western equipment.