Hunt Seat - Rider Attire

Rider Attire

The hunt seat rider is dressed conservatively. Classic attire for hunter classes consists of beige, tan or gray breeches, a white or light pastel shirt, and a black, navy, gray, "hunter" green or dark brown hunt coat. (Black is considered a dressage style, however, and though legal, is less often seen in Hunter classes.) Some years, patterns that appear solid at a distance, such as pinstripes, faint plaids or herringbone, are popular. In some competitions, the show management may choose to waive the jacket requirement if the heat and humidity is very high.

The show shirt, called a "ratcatcher," is a buttoned shirt with a stand-up mandarin-style collar covered by a separate, matching choker or a stock tie, the final look usually resembling that of a turtleneck. The traditional, classic shirt is white. However, in some places and at some types of less formal competition, particularly for children, pastel-colored shirts are popular, coordinated with the colors in the hunt coat. Traditionally shirts were long-sleeved, but today are more often short-sleeved or sleeveless, though sleeveless shirts cannot be worn when the jacket rule is waived. Stock pins are sometimes worn on the stock tie or choker, although the most recent fashion has been to embroider the rider's initials on the choker.

A recent trend in Hunter Classics and stakes classes is for Hunter riders wear a different styled coat called a shadbelly. This is a black coat cut short on the front midsection but worn long with tails in the back. The shadbelly is worn with a stock tie and pin and with taddersall points on the bottom. This coat is not seen in most hunter classes or at smaller shows, and is almost never required. This trend has been adopted from dressage competition where the shadbelly is worn in the upper levels. However, traditional hunt riders still wear the shorter hunt coat.

In some places, particularly breed-specific shows where tradition is not as strong, different colors of jackets and shirts are seen: riders sometimes wear tan, teal, light grey, or even dark violet coats with shirts in more vivid shades like green, orange, pink, lavender, and blue. Non-traditional attire is frowned upon and sometimes penalized in open competition.

The rider is usually required to wear an ASTM/SEI-approved equestrian helmet with safety harness fastened. Although black, velvet-covered hunt caps were once popular, the old style caps provided virtually no actual protection to the head and are now prohibited for junior riders at any time while mounted, and are not allowed on riders of any age in classes to jump. Caps are still sometimes seen on adult riders in flat classes, and remain somewhat popular at breed shows. However, many adult hunt seat riders who do not jump are also leaving behind the hunt cap in favor of ASTM/SEI-approved headgear.

Some helmets retain the classic velveteen covered look. Newer designs are characterized by a broader visor, a contrasting ventilation strip down the center, and, for women, a hair-catching cloth at the back. The ventilation strip has given this style of helmet the tongue-in-cheek nickname "skunk helmet". Helmets with vivid colors and designs are often worn by children, but usually covered with a black velvet cloth cover for show.

Riders 13 years or older generally wear tall, black field boots with breeches. Younger riders who still have rapidly-growing feet may wear either brown or black jodhpur boots (sometimes called "paddock boots") and "jod straps" (strips of leather worn buckled under each knee for grip) with jodhpur pants.

Dark gloves should be worn, but are not required.

Attire for jumper classes resembles that of hunter riders, though may be less formal at lower levels. It is becoming acceptable in some regions and with some organizations for competitors to wear any collared shirt, such as a polo shirt, during very hot weather, rather than the traditional wool hunt coat and long-sleeved ratcatcher. For upper level competitions, such as classics and grand prixs, formal dress is usually required. This usually includes light-colored (usually shades of beige or a pale "canary" yellow) or white breeches, a white shirt, and a dark coat. Some riders are allowed to wear scarlet coats based on achievements in the sport.