Showing

[Hobbit Horse Shire]

I'm trying to find a source for the jackets the women wear in the show ring .. I've found a couple of sources on the Internet but they are sooo expensive that a new person can't afford them .. Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated .. Thanks.

 

[sfmini]

You might want to consider a less expensive option and get a blazer and bling it up, or go to a thrift or consignment shop for formal jackets, or take a blazer and buy a beaded shawl or two. We don't like to invest a lot of money in tops, since they get so gunked up with grease.

 

[Jill]

Hi, Carol :bgrin

I get most if not all of mine from eBay! A lot of times they are part of a skirt suit and they do double duty for me -- office and shows (with dry cleaning in between for sure!). I rarely pay more than $30, including shipping, and they are all name brand, higher end, designers. I rarely look in the equestrian section, but in the women's outfits category.

Jill

 

[nootka]

I would cruise eBay or perhaps Last Chance/LB Auction here to see if anyone has some used show clothing you can purchase.

I LOVE Hobby Horse jackets/blazers. They are made to withstand the rigors of show ring use and clean up great. The ones I've sold have looked like new.

People are right, though, you can get a slinky for fairly cheaply and then put a nice blazer over the top of that for an all-purpose look w/slacks or new black jeans.

It doesn't matter a lot in the local arena as long as your clothes are neat (lets not even go INTO clean b/c the outfit gets trashed the minute you take hold of the lead line (jeez, baby oil, dust and horses...hmmm...can we say dry cleaning nightmare) and they fit well enough that you can easily bend, kneel, walk and run and not be overly loose or tight.

Complementing your horse is a bonus (such as the color wheel on the Hobby Horse site, it's great for color coordination by horse color and it's free to use), but most of all, the above is the key.

I have found that Fall is the best time to shop for show clothing b/c then the long sleeves and holiday type clothing is out and there is a big selection. Try early to mid Sept. at the stores though if you wait until January/February there isn't such a great selection, but there IS a clearance rack!

Liz M.

 

[susanne]

Looking at others in the show ring, I find that the nicest looking presentation follow the "KISS" philosophy: Keep It Simple, Sweetie.

To me, neither Western or English really enter into a halter class, at least not when done to excess. However, the two nicest turnouts I've ever seen were: 1) Black top and pants with a tailored royal blue jacket, black gloves and black Western hat. This was at a rodeo, and this woman outclassed all the bling around her.

2) A young woman wearing a long, slim black jacket with a slight English look to it. Very flattering, very slimming.

If you go with black, be sure to choose a fabric that does not attract dirt, or is easy to dust off before entering the ring.

Look for something that resists wrinkles, or you'll look like you slept in your clothes by the end of the day.

I love pants that have just a bit of stretch to them...and also those that are slim fitting but not tight. Have them hemmed so they don't bunch up over the foot.

Don't do as I have done -- I have too many photos where my horse looks great, but I look frumpy. Of course, having a tall, lean horse tends to make me look short and dumpy no matter how I'm dressed, LOL!

Another area where I'm an example of what NOT to do: I'm always so wrapped up in how my horse looks that I've actually forgotten to brush my own hair! Tie your hair back or choose a hairstyle that will look good all day, won't hide your number and won't get in your eyes.

Stand up straight...look at photos of Erica, Annete Helgerson, Lori Guglielmo, and others who always dress in a simple yet classy manner and present themselves AND their horses beautifully.

Complement your horse -- don't distract from them.

 

[disneyhorse]

All of mine have been from thrift stores. One was a bright purple one I liked, I had my mom sew sequin trim to it. I refuse to pay a ton of money! It's not worth it! The horses just rub all their oil all over the sleeves anyway, and then blow boogies all over it!

Andrea

 

[HGFarm]

Ok is there any way to get the oil OUT? I used the baby oil gel and ew...... one jacket was just ruined. I went back to using the water soluable face goop this spring in hopes it would just wash out of stuff.

 

[Fred]

Hey Liz if you love Hobby Horse wait till you see what will be coming out in a new brand of show clothes. A client of mine and his partner will be putting out their line of show clothing very soon. Believe me they are a much nicer quality than Hobby Horse [and I love Hobby Horse too!]

 

[ThreeCFarm]

The majority of my show jackets come from Goodwill.

 

[Lori]

Goodwill!!! The blazers are separated by color. I've had great luck there. Lori

 

[Keri]

I get mine from Ebay. Love shopping there. :aktion033: Just type in showmanship jacket and tons will pop up. I've gotten like 6 jackets and a vest for under $60. Just watch shipping prices. They like to gouge you there sometimes.

You can also put out wanted ads or goodwill is a good place. I know tons of women who buy the sequin dress tops from Dillards (or like stores) on clearance and use them under jackets or alone. Or dress up blazers from goodwill with sequins. Lots of options. :bgrin

I have a bad habit of having a different jacket for every horse in every event. Haha! :bgrin