Weekday hunting attire survey

[redcashlin]

Just wondering how many hunts wear formal attire after opening day during the week. I know tradition, tradition... but I hear the trend may be changing and ratcatcher is acceptable these days. Any thoughts?

[SidesaddleRider]

Ratcatcher, traditionally, is always acceptable during the week if it is not a joint-meet/formal day (holiday, etc.).

However, I can count on one hand the number of people I've actually seen wearing it during the week on the times I've been able to go out. At least for me, I'd rather wear my formal coats because they are warmer. :)

[J Swan]

We hunt only in formal attire after Opening Meet. I prefer it.

[Tantivy1]

I do not think the CURRENT trend is changing but it is perhaps currently what you thought it was changing TOO....

Some hunts in my area that go out 2 days a week stipulate one of those 2 days is formal, the other is not. EX: Deep Run is formal Tuesdays and ratcatcher Thursdays, as is Farmington (I discovered to my chagrin recently as I failed to toss a formal jacket in the truck on a Tuesday morn, argh).

Others are ratcatcher both weekdays (Keswick and I think Bull Run).

Most everyone is formal weekends and high holy days.

But somewhere I recall that ratcatcher is always proper for juniors regardless of the day. Not sure about adults - might be for guests??? I know it has been mentioned on the board before...

Would like to hear about others out of the area.

[Hotspur]

We are in formal dress to hunt after our Opening Day and I believe that all of us feel pretty good about it.

Hotspur
Metamora Hunt

[J Swan]

.

But somewhere I recall that ratcatcher is always proper for juniors regardless of the day. Not sure about adults - might be for guests??? I know it has been mentioned on the board before...

Would like to hear about others out of the area.


I don't know for sure. I'll hazard and guess and say that juniors and guests are always cut some slack. I'd hate to think a hunt would get after a guest for wearing a tweed, same with a little kid. But what do I know...

Maybe it's in that attire guide on MFHA.com?

[SteeleRdr]

I was always under the impression that juniors were supposed to wear ratcatcher attire (that is until they get to an age where they stop growing!).

As for what I personally do...once opening comes around, I usually only wear formal attire. However, the new hunt we belong to, I believe, is ratcatcher during the week, and formal for weekends, opening, thanksgiving, and jt meets.

[Painted Wings]

Our mid-week hunt is informal. Staff and field master still wear their pinque coats so they are visible but the rest of the hunt wears tweeds and ratcatchers or colored stocks. There may be occaisionally a person not adhering to this but it is the norm. Exactly the same as for cubbing season prior to opening.

Here's a typical day. Staff is formal, field is informal.

http://www.pbase.com/lesliegra/hunting_04jan06

[MapleMeadows]

Here in Vermont we hunt in white polos or red (if staffing) during our cubbing season of August and September. Once we have our opening day at the end of September we hunt in formal attire both mid week and on weekend hunt days. Some might wear a colored stock tie mid week but that's as close as we get to ratchcatcher during our formal season. It gets pretty chilly here by October and especially into November so wool coats are a necessity! Our club always makes exceptions for juniors or cappers to wear what they may have in the closet as long as it's conservative. Wouldn't want someone not to hunt with us just because they don't have just the right color hunt jacket.

[goats4sale]

Live Oak Hounds hunts Ratcatcher on Wednesdays. Formal on Friday and Sunday.

[rivenoak]

Paradise Valley Beagles is informal on weekdays. I love rocking the ratcatcher.

I'm not sure about Grand Canyon; I've never managed to get out mid-week with them. Sad that I don't know.

[SLW]

After Opening Hunt it's always formal for us. It makes it kinda nice, saves time by keeping ya from dinking through the cubbing stock tie drawer looking for kewl mixes and matches for the winter shirts. ;)

[Tantivy1]

[QUOTE=gothedistance;I found out today -- as I arrived in my lovely dark grey jacket and colored stock tie -- that Snickersville does *not* do Ratcatcher at their weekday meet. After Opening Meet, it's all formal days.

Whoops!:o]

What mistake?

You were perfectly proper in dark grey, (perferably solid) and all you needed was a white stock tie in lieu of the coloured one.

You would also have been entirely proper in navy blue.

UNLESS of course the SH MFH stipulates black coats only!

Has anyone else noticed the increasingly popularity of navy blue? I see it all around, some fields have as much navy as black on a formal Saturday. (I love navy blues, a much more flattering colour to me than the harsher black). Just wondering about the "properbility" factor of a matching navy helmet, as I am seeing lots of those too but I am guessing it is ok and see no reason why it shouldn't pass muster.

Variety is the spice of life!

[SteeleRdr]

In my former hunt, it was proper for ladies with colors to have navy coats with colors on the collar, so of course I had the navy helmet to match!!

I still have my navy frock with the new hunt (not colors) and plan to wear it. Navy is equally proper as black.

[Hopefully]

I found out today -- as I arrived in my lovely dark grey jacket and colored stock tie -- that Snickersville does *not* do Ratcatcher at their weekday meet. After Opening Meet, it's all formal days.



We never even noticed! You and your mighty steed were neat, clean, and polite. Now, if you had left your flask at home, that might be a different story :lol:

[Painted Wings]

I love the informal days. It is so much fun shopping for tweed coats. Oh, and the vests to go wtih them. I haven't even been able to wear my really nice tweed this year yet. It was way too warm this fall. We were in polos at first and then finally I got to wear a lightweight Ariat show coat that I have that is a nice tan plaid but is was still much too warm for a wool tweed.

[Hopefully]

I found out today -- as I arrived in my lovely dark grey jacket and colored stock tie -- that Snickersville does *not* do Ratcatcher at their weekday meet. After Opening Meet, it's all formal days.



GTD - I just checked our website, looking at our new cartopping guidelines, and found the following -

"We promote the guidelines noted in Mr. Wadsworth's book, Riding to Hounds In America for formal attire. Ratcatcher attire is always acceptable."

So you were FINE! Except for the part about leaving your flask at home. Even if you can't tipple, I know for a fact the huntsman was parched.........

[Petalstorm]

I am a new member with the Arapahoe hunt. We hunt in formal attire on Sundays and ratcatcher on Wednesdays. I really like mixing it up.

[cavaliermax]

I understood that ratcatcher was tweed and a necktie. I recently capped with a hunt in the Valley of Virginia on a weekday. Everyone else, with one exception, was wearing a stock tie and tweed.

My attire was in no way a problem - the hounds, staff, members and country were fantastic!

I'll wear a stock tie next time, but is this another hunt club idiosyncrasy?

Also, I've seen the reversable vests for sale. Are there times when plan yellow vest is more proper than houndstooth?

[J Swan]

I love those reversible vests. The Old Habit has them.

I too wear a shirt and necktie; but don't see it that often on others. I "think" it's a more old timey turnout. As far as the females in our hunt - only 3 or 4 turn out in a tie. Various ages.

You can continue to keep wearing your tie - there's nothing wrong with it at all.

Some folks like those reversible vests because the pattern side can be used for cubbing, and yellow for formal.

[xeroxchick]

We are pretty informal on weekdays unless it is a joint meet or HHD. Ratcatcher or polos.

[SteeleRdr]

Cavalier- A lot depends on hunt. Tie and shirt are definitely more "old timey" as JSwan said. However, the new club my barn just joined, they like to see the ladies out in tweeds with colored/patterend stocks (or so I'm told by the lady I ride for).

You are ever so proper in shirt and tie!

[Acertainsmile]

Tomorrow will be the first time I've had the luck to go out during the weekday... I'm wearing my black coat and stock tie... I forgot to ask my husband what the ladies were wearing last Monday when they hunted on our farm.. I had other commitments so missed it! Better I'm safe than sorry!

[rivenoak]

The foundress of PVB wears a shirt and tie on weekdays and looks smashing!


When I took a header last New Years Eve & cracked a collarbone, I was glad that I was wearing a stock tie: I fashioned a sling. :D