Show Clothing

[MiniRosez4]

Hi Everyone,

I am new at this and have never been to a mini show before. I am so excited! I just bought my first mini and I am taking him to a show next weekend. However, I have no idea what to wear. I used to ride Western and I have heard a lot of mini show owners buy from Hobby Horse. Just basically anything from Hobby Horse will work? Is there something that doesn't work? What do each of you wear and where did you get it?

Thank you so much!!

 

[SampleMM]

Hello and welcome. I'm from PA too. I think show clothing for woman kind of depends on your age. The older woman tend to wear more subdued clothing, such as a solid blazer with tank top underneath and solid pants, blingy belt and boots. My daughter who is 17 wears patterned rail shirts with bling that I bought when we were showing Quarter Horses paired with solid pants. So the younger girls definitely have more bling to their outfits.

Also, people really step it up at the AMHA Regional Shows and Worlds. I have no idea about AMHR shows since I have never showed any of them. Good luck.

 

[Lori W]

Welcome to the wonderful world of minis!

What kind of show are you going to? Is it a breed show, with just minis there or an open show with mini classes? Are you showing halter / in hand or driving? Are you showing in a CDE? Each one will have some differences in attire. But the nice thing about showing minis are that there are few real 'rules' about handler clothing.

Besides checking out the Photo Gallery on LB to see what others are wearing, in most cases black slacks and a nice rail shirt or well-fitting jacket works fine. Remember, you're showing your horse and want the attention on him, not so much on you! I love to see a handler dressed conservatively, but a little bling or sparkle is just fine. You really don't need to wear a hat (Western or otherwise). Boots or sturdy shoes are a must, but should match your slacks (I've seen tennis shoes in jumping classes, though!).

As a more mature woman, I generally wear a dress jacket (buttoned) in a muted black and silver pattern with a black T-shirt that has some crystals along the neckline, along with black slacks and paddock boots. I only wear a Western hat in my Western Pleasure driving class. I also have a black rail shirt with some sparkly silver, copper and gold leaves that I wear in open shows, since it's closer to what others are wearing.

JMHO... I'm sure others will chime in, too. Most of all, have fun showing your mini!

 

[HGStables]

I dress based on the show and how the classes are lined up. I do Showmanship with my QH Mare so I dress very flashy for it, I have black pants and a loud black and green top. I wear green earings, a green necklace, and green hair ribbon. That show went fast so I couldn't change to my halter out fit. When I can change into a halter out fit I have a really elegante white jacket with pearls and lace designs I wear a tan tank top under it and tan jeans. If you'd like email me [email protected] I will send you pictures I also know some great places to get clothes and will help you get set up.

 

[MindyLee]

I got this outfit at GoodWill for $5! I made the sequance tank under dor another $5 from fabric from JoAnns Fabric...

I think it looks pretty good for having $10 invested!