How to Dress to Compete in an English Riding Event

Dressing for an English riding event is like going to private school, where you have to wear a certain type of pants, shirt and jacket.

Things You'll Need

  • Spurs
  • English Riding Jacket
  • Light-colored Shirts
  • Breeches
  • Riding Boots
  • Riding Crop
  • Riding Helmets
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start with a white or light-colored shirt. Add a neck pin or tie.

    • 2

      Cover the shirt with an English riding jacket. The jacket comes below the waist and is always a dark color.

    • 3

      Put on your breeches. These are English riding pants that have leather (suede) inserts on the bottom and inside of the knees to give you better traction and holding power in your saddle.

    • 4

      Pull on your boots. English riding boots come up to the knee, are very fitted, and are either black or brown leather. They are very slender through the foot to allow your foot to slip out of the irons (stirrups) if you fall off and have a very low heel to prevent your foot from sliding through the irons.

    • 5

      Slip on your spurs. English spurs fit around the heel of the foot and have a small metal nub that sticks out and is used to encourage a horse to do something.

    • 6

      Grab your riding crop. A crop is a short whip, approximately 36 inches, that the rider uses to impel a horse forward.

    • 7

      Don't forget your helmet. A helmet is a required piece of rider's equipment and helps protect your head in case of a fall.