Page 9 - 2208_full

FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE SIDELINES AUGUST 2011 7

Retro Styles

Retro is fun in the hunt feld, and we occasionally see the dandies in their fare breeches with the little brass buttons up the leg and a fall front. But let me tell you from personal experience: stretch is better! I had a lovely pair of wool fares, buttons, fall front – the whole bit. No stretch. A seam over the kneecap. After about 20 minutes, if you touched my knees, I’d scream. The pain! The pressure! I love my Ariat, and Tailored Sportsman breeches. Four way stretch rules.

Rust breeches come and go in fashion. I love them, because they hide more dirt than beige, but for 30 years they were very hard to fnd.

I also love the longer cut on the older hacking jackets, especially since I’m not quite as trim as I used to be, and that short jacket leaves a bit more of me showing than I really like. There are a few manufacturers who still make the longer hacking jackets, and bless them from all us older riding ladies.

Boots

I love my zippers. They are one modern addition to riding fashion I have embraced with a passion. And with good reason…

Before zippers, on a hunting morning, I’d get the boot pulls out and in the process of getting the dang thing on usually kill my back in the process (remember??). So one morning I was running late. Out with the baby powder, on with the boots. Got into the second boot and… felt …something.. in there with me. So I did what any sensible, running-late foxhunter would do having just wedged myself into my boots. I jumped up and down on that foot for a minute, and then dashed out the door. I hunted, breakfasted, trailered, bathed horse, and staggered into the house hours later. And when I pulled my boot off, there, stuck to the bottom of my sock was a small, fat and very dead snake. As I said, I love zippers.