I thought this was a fun topic that’s floating around the horse blogging world. I only started showing 2 years ago and I’ve changed more gear pretty constantly over that time. For a while, every show was preceded by a box from Riding Warehouse. While I’m still nitpicking my showing gear a bit, I have finally settled into mostly using the same stuff at every show.

Dressage

Kerrits Competitors Koat Show Coat Jacket in Indigo

I love this jacket. I originally bought the black one and then I saw this one on sale and had to have it. In addition to being a very pretty color, it’s a really nice jacket. I love how it fits and the hidden zipper behind the buttons is a nice addition which helps keep the lines of the jacket straight even when you’re moving. It’s also the coolest jacket I own and perfect for the heat. It’s much cooler than my Horsewear Jacket even though they’re both tech fabric coats. Best of all: I can throw this is the washing machine and hang it up to dry and it’s good as new.

Irideon Cadence FullSeat Breeches in White

One day we’ll bend, today is not that day

I got these on clearance and they’ve held up pretty well. I don’t love them though. They’re more like tights than breeches and don’t offer much in shaping. They’re also really see-through so if it’s cool enough out, I will use FITS Wunder Breech Seamless Riding Underwear under them. These are something I want to replace, but I haven’t found something I like better yet.

Horseware Competition Show Jacket in Berry

Our matchy-matchy game is strong. @horseware berry show jacket and DIY fly bonnet. #matchymatchy #equestrianstyle #equestrianfashion #equestrianlife

A post shared by Olivia @ DIY Horse Ownership (@diyhorseownership) on Jul 1, 2017 at 6:49am PDT

I love the appearance of this jacket. The color is so pretty and the fit is flattering. I got it on clearance so it was pretty cheap too. As much as I love the appearance of it, I don’t enjoy wearing it as much as the Kerrits because it’s much warmer and fits a bit tighter.

Romfh Ready-Tied Chill Factor Cooling Stock Tie

best picture of it I could find

This claims to be cooling, but I don’t believe it. The caveat being that I have nothing to compare it to. Since I only ever do schooling shows, I’ve been skipping wearing it whenever I can. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the stock tie; I just don’t particularly like wearing one.

I got this little angry mule pin in Mexico. I think I’ll use it as a stock pin when showing Nilla. #mulesofinstagram #mulejewelry

A post shared by Olivia @ DIY Horse Ownership (@diyhorseownership) on Jan 23, 2017 at 7:50am PST

Romfh Short Sleeve Tempo Show Shirt in White

I like this shirt a lot. It’s very cooling and fits really well. The collar is comfortable and comes with the little tab to hold your stock tie. I can’t find a picture of me wearing this since it’s usually under the coat.

Stadium

Ovation DX Celebrity Slim Secret Full Seat Breeches

PC Susie Heffernan

I’ve had these since last year and go back and forth on how much I like them. I do like the structure they provide without needing long underwear underneath and the fullseat is good for extra grip. They run small and I had to get them one size up from my normal size. What I don’t like about them is that they tend to bunch/wrinkle oddly on my legs when I am jumping. My guess is that this comes from the dual layers they have for the “slim”-ing design.

wrinkling

Romfh Competitor Show Shirt Tiffany Blue

Since I only show at schooling shows, coats are usually waved for stadium. This is especially important to me as I hate trying to combine my jacket with a vest and I don’t jump without a vest. When coats are waved, I wear this shirt and I love it. It’s very cooling and looks great with the pop of blue at the collar. The magnets that keep the collar in place are a brilliant invention. I would probably wear this shirt just for schooling if I wasn’t saving it for shows. A++ Would buy again.

Hit Air Vest

I rarely ride without a vest. I wear a vest for trail riding, endurance, dressage, flat work, jumping, everything. The only time I ride without one is usually for shows. I will warm up for dressage wearing this vest and then take it off only right before I go into the ring when I’ll switch from my vest to my jacket. I never jump without a vest. If a show requires jackets, I will shove my Airowear under my jacket, but it’s not fun. I prefer to just use the Hit Air vest. I know the Hit Air won’t protect me from everything and isn’t BETA certified or approved by any safety standards, but it’s more than nothing. I rode in my Airowear vest for years and the Hit Air is so much nicer. It’s light, cool, and doesn’t interfere with my riding.

Cross Country

Airowear Outlyne Body Protector

I’ve had this vest for a long time and highly recommend it. I did a full review here if you’re interested. For customization, I used a can of spray on fabric dye and a fabric paint pen to add Nilla’s colors.

Icebreaker T-Shirts

If it’s really hot, I’ll wear one of my icebreaker T-shirts. I own a ton of them and they are amazing. They’re wool so they stay fresh even when you’re sweating and the ones I use for XC are ventilated so they’re nice and cool.

All Phases

Ariat Heritage Contour Field Zip Tall Boot

I’ve had these boots since 2015, but it took me until April of this year to actually start wearing them for all phases. Because they were so uncomfortable, I only used them for dressage and sometimes stadium. I rode in my half chaps for cross country because I value safety over style (and at schooling shows, no one has ever checked my attire). But I’ve finally got them broken in and have been wearing them for all phases now. Outside of getting custom boots, Ariats are my only real choice as I need an XW calf. Luckily, I like Ariats and my schooling boots and half-chaps are Ariat as well.

Noble Outfitters Peddies and EquiFit GelBands for Riding Boots

I have no pictures of these since they’re inside my boots, but the combination of these two things have made it possible for me to finally wear my boots without feeling like my ankles are being stabbed. I highly recommend them both.

IRH ATH SSV Low-Profile Riding Helmet

My previous show helmet was an IRH and I loved it. It was 5 years old though and this last winter grew mold while living in the trailer so I finally had to get a new one. This IRH was on super sale at Riding Warehouse and it works well though I don’t love it as much as my previous one. I have an oval shaped head and this helmet fits better than most models, but not as well as my previous model, which was more specifically designed for oval head shapes. My husband and I shared a show helmet for a while, but we finally caved and bought one for each of us. #bigspender

Heritage Performance Riding Gloves

I own a bunch of these gloves in multiple colors. I use them for schooling and showing. The black pair lives in my show bag. These gloves are my favorite because they’re lightweight and thin for comfort and best of all, they’re touch screen capable. They’re also only $20, which is why I can own so many colors.

What’s your favorite showing equipment? Any recommendation for white fullseats?