How to dress for an equestrian event?

The highly awaited moment has happened – The Government eased restrictions and competition season 2020 is on. Riders can finally take their place at competition arenas and cross-country courses. So, we decided to meet riders’ expectations and prepare a thesaurus of the mandatory competition dress code. In our shop, there is a special category designated for competition wear, where you can find all the necessary parts of clothing to make you ready for any horse riding competition.

Choosing the right outfit is actually important and can affect the rider's final score - there’re strict rules regarding competition clothing and ignoring them might result even in disqualification. Judges are required to check if the riders’ clothing is up to the rules set by PZJ (Polish Equestrian Federation) and complies with the general principles of aesthetics. 

There is a saying in Polish – If you look cute, then the score will be good – which naturally is a joke but still highlights the importance of the general appearance of the competitor. The rider should be wearing a neat and formal outfit (which is required from the start of the competition till the end of the award ceremony). The rider’s formal wear includes:

• The rider can wear either a women’s show shirt, a men’s show shirt, or a horse riding shirt. However, all the shirts must be white, with either long sleeves (must have white cuffs) or short sleeves and with a white collar or stand-up collar, - it must be covering the neck.

• White stock tie – this is a wide tie that covers the chest
• Formal half-chaps with polished jodhpur boots or tall boots
• White horse riding gloves – we recommend the model from Kingsland
• White or beige competition breeches – check out our competition breeches
• Women’s show jackets and men’s show jackets – are made of elastic and skin-fitting material. Show jackets have 3-5 buttons, just enough to cover more than half of the torso. The double slit on the back of the jacket gives the rider freedom of movement. PZJ allows 7 different colors of show jackets:
  • black
  • red
  • navy blue
  • blue
  • green
  • grey
  • brown

Check out our competition wear to discover the newest trends for current seasons and the most popular equestrian brands.

• Long hair must be tied and preferably in a bun or hair net. You can find several nets in our store:

• Horse riding helmet – in all competitions, regardless of the class, riders are required to wear protective headgear in the form of a helmet with at least a three-point clasp under the chin. We recommend the wide assortment of helmets from the brand Samshield.

You should remember that all the exceptions are allowed only during club competitions e.g., black breeches instead of white ones. The club can make its own rules regarding competition wear. The higher the level of competition, the stricter the rules and some equestrian disciplines have their own rules.

1. Essentials for a dressage rider

To highlight the sport’s elegance, there are special rules dedicated only to dressage regarding the clothes of a rider. 

In classes CC and higher, the rider is required to wear a black or navy-blue tailcoat – which is undeniably the symbol of dressage. In Equishop every dressage rider will find something to wear for themselves. Click the picture to check it out for yourself.

In lower classes and for riders under 16 years old a normal show jacket is allowed.

Top hats for a long time were just as recognizable in dressage as tailcoats. Recently, top hats have been mostly replaced by helmets. This raises the question of which is better – top hats or helmets? However, the newest rules set in 2016 clearly state that wearing a helmet is mandatory – with only a few exceptions for the senior class.

2. Essentials for a jumper

In this discipline, basic formal wear is required. Riders up to and including the age of 15 are required to wear body protectors. The rules don’t specify what kind of body protectors can be worn but they should be certified. Our Equishop team online and in-store will gladly help you find the perfect body protector for you. All the body protectors available can be found here: Check out our assortment of body protectors

3. Essentials for an eventer

 Eventing consists of three trials: 

1. Dressage test – the rider is required to wear formal dressage clothing – as described above. 
2. Jumping test – riders are required to either wear a riding club outfit or a service uniform for members of the uniformed sector - separate regulations define the standards for this competition group.
3. Cross-country test – apart from basic formal wear, body protectors are another essential part of the tack – in this test, body protectors are mandatory. 

Naturally, all the tests require the rider to wear a three-point clasp helmet.

When you choose a discipline for yourself and decide it’s time to start competing, we invite you to check out our wide offer of competition wear. Get your competition wear today to be ready to win tomorrow.

If you want to buy your competition wear – then go to the competition clothing section in our store.

If you have any questions – don't hesitate to contact us:

Equestrian store: +48 784 039 784

E-mail: contact@equishop.com

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