I got into a bit of a friendly debate with a client this past weekend, and we discussed at length the proper attire for students in riding lessons.
She is of the belief that students should wear whatever they wish as long as it conforms to safety guidelines. I, on the other hand, require my students to “dress out” in field boots and breeches for every lesson.
So which is correct? How should your students dress for riding lessons? And should riding lesson clothes be an important issue for riding instructors?
Eye on the Prize
One of the reasons my client and I differ on riding lesson clothes is a fundamental difference in our riding instruction philosophies. She teaches students who just want to ride for the fun of it, who enjoy sitting on horses and desire nothing more than an equine companion.
My students are focused more on competition, and therefore need the experience of riding in full equestrian garb during riding lessons. In dressage, for example, the leg and seat feel much different when clad in field boots and breeches than when wearing jeans and paddock boots.
When deciding what your students should wear to riding lessons, consider their goals. What do they want to accomplish in lessons? Are they interested in showing? These issues can play a large part in deciding how they should dress.
Expanding the Barn Culture
The ways in which students dress for riding lessons will make a big impact on barn culture. A stable where students are wearing jeans and t-shirts for lessons will generally be laid-back and casual. However, if the students look like they are ready to enter a horse show in five minutes, the atmosphere is more structured and strict.
I personally enjoy a happy medium. When my students come out to the barn to ride their horses on non-lesson days, they can wear whatever they wish. Jeans, shorts with half-chaps, sneaker boots, whatever. I don’t care. But when they enter the arena for a riding lesson, I want them to look sharp.
This helps define a distinct difference between lessons and hacking. My students know that when they are in a riding lesson, they must get down to business for both safety reasons and in the interest of further learning.
Safety First
Even if you are interested in creating a laid-back atmosphere at your barn, it is important students dress for safety during riding lessons (and any time they mount a horse).
For example, at my barn anyone who rides must wear:
- ASTM-approved helmet (if under 18)
- Boots with a heel
- Shirt tucked in (so as not to catch on cantle)
- Long pants or shorts with half-chaps
Additionally, if riders are out in the field and jumping cross-country fences, they must wear their safety vests.
Determine now what you will require students to wear during riding lessons and when hacking for fun. Create a list of rules and post them in an easy-to-find location, such as on the tack room wall or on the entrance to the barn office.
It’s only fair that your students know what you expect from them.
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About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Editor in Chief of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. Follow her EquiTips on Twitter or check out her writing Web site.
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