What should you wear for first level dressage?

Answer 1

It depends on where you're competing. At most places you're required to wear (usually) beige or cream jodphurs, a jacket and you're permitted to carry a whip. Again, it depends whether or not you're allowed knee or ankle boots and spurs and the type of bridle change with the club.

It's important to consider also the age of the rider. While jodhpurs would be acceptable turn-out for a very young rider, most would only be accepted wearing white or very light tan breeches with tall dress boots. Paddock boots and smooth leather half chaps may be acceptable in some schooling shows, but dress boots are best. A black dressage coat or shadbelly are accetable, with a white ratcatcher and stock tie kept in place using a gold or brass stock pin.

While in the past hats have been the vogue in dressage, largely due to Courtney King-Dye's near fatal accident leading to severe brain damage in 2010 there has been a movement toward requiring a helmet of all riders except those at the Grand Prix St. Georges level who are over the age of 18. A black helmet, such as the Charles Owen AYR8 or GR8 are two excellent choices, thought the JR8 is still a near comparable and more economical choice. Hair should be well-kept and held entirely underneath the helmet with a hairnet. There are many tutorials online that show how this is done.

The horse should be dressed in a white (square) dressage pad with a black dressage saddle, with a black bridle (flash nose bands are very popular right now in the dressage arena). White padding under the bridle is very popular, but not necessarily more comfortable for the horse and has no functional purpose. Training equipment and protective boots are generally not permitted.