Who rides/shows in brown tack?

[Sabovee]

I've found a great new saddle, only minus is it's brown. I've always had all black tack and I'm wondering what brown looks like on the various coat colours I have...

Does anyone ride/show in brown tack? Let me see your pictures

[JackSprats Mom]

I did (until I realized that the twist was to wide) and it look fabulous on my liver chestnut

[LarissaL]

The only picture I have isn't that great, and it's on a plain bay.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11321645@N03/2228556523/

I love this saddle (Rembrandt). I have only had it about a year, haven't shown in it yet. To my eye, in the dressage arena, the brown gives off a much more relaxed kind of impression. The black stands out so nicely, blends well with tall black boots and coat, looks more formal.

That said, though, this saddle is GREAT and I got a STEAL on it because of the color!

[dressagediosa]

http://themusewithin.org/images/2ndawards.jpg

That's an Albion SL Ultima, and an Albion KB bridle, both in brown. I ride another chestnut in a brown KB and a brown Sanky saddle as well. Anyone who notices my tack is brown complimets it; I don't think most people notice.

[Roney]

I got a cheap used brown saddle when I got my (then young) guy, then got hooked, especially since I like the way the brown looks with chestnuts. Even custom ordered the current saddle in brown! But take it with a grain of salt, I'm an eventer... :winkgrin:
Here's a photo that shows the brown tack pretty clearly. please ignore the rider, not the most flattering shot!
http://princeton.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=150944&l=15253&id=759273578

[pintopiaffe]

oooh!! ME, ME!!!

I am having a desperate time trying to get a rolled double in newmarket or london--long story, got one, custom, but it doesn't fit. :cry: OS has them, but I just can't reconcile paying more for a bridle than I did for the horse & saddle combined. :no: :lol:

The most stunning dark chestnut/mahogany Passier... and a chestnut bridle ATM.

The hue is off in this photo as it was sunset/dusk... and that's not the bit he goes in normally, he was dressed up for Inspections... but you get the idea:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/pintopiaffe/RPSI%20day/braidsnbridle.jpg

This is his Tack-a-tack Biothane Beta double. It's lined with hunter.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/pintopiaffe/df62ade7.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/pintopiaffe/eb54f05b.jpg

Last one, same bridle set up as a snaffle, in nice lighting (IMHO :lol: ) I think he looks soooooo much better in brown--though he certainly can carry off black... http://www.angelfire.com/me/innisfailte/images/glamshot.jpg

here he is in black:
http://www.angelfire.com/me/innisfailte/images/dance.jpg
(last photo courtesy of SweetMeadow Arts)

[Equibrit]

Doesn't seem to affect http://www.michellegibson.com/

[Tasker]

As a rule, my chestnuts go in brown and the dark bays, blacks and greys go in black tack. There have been a few exceptions - I now have a black & a brown 18.5" but for a while there was only a brown one, so it went on the black horse. Likewise, there wasn't a full bridle in brown that fit my horse sized chestnut, so he was going in black. Fortunately, Sandy Claws coughed up a havanna double for him, so he will now match his saddle! :D

My tail coat is blue, top hat is blue, GPA is black and short coat is black, so I haven't worried about coat/tack coordination as much as horse/tack color.

[hoopoe]

up until the late 80s almost everyone used brown tack

I use very dark brown saddle and bridle on my bay horse. I personally feel brown leather is a "healthier" tanning process for the leather.

I wear the conventional black and white everyone else does. Black goes with everything!!! :D For the most part you cannot see my saddle due to the length of the frock coat

and for the most part, from the judges booth, it does not make a bit of difference. Here due to lighting in the great outdoors, it is difficult to tell brown from black leather and black from dark navy.

Unlike other disciplines it really does not make a difference.

[enjoytheride]

Not only a brown saddle but I showed in brown boots and a dark brown coat! On a chestnut with lots of white, very snazzy.

[cleozowner]

I have an ebony brown (like Stubben's)/oakbark County WB for one TB mare (dark bay), and a dark havana Prestige for the other (dark bay, almost black). I find that then I can get away with having one bridle for all three phases of eventing. When I already had to fork out the $$$ for two saddles, I sure appreciate only having one bridle.

[CTM]

Robert Dover rode Kennedy in brown tack. It looks really nice on chestnuts.

[Hampton Bay]

I have all brown tack, though it is difficult to find a brown double. I am not to that point yet, but when I get there I will likely order a saddleseat double bridle and add my own noseband and browband. My mare is a cob, and saddleseat horses seem to have finer heads.

I am actually getting ready to strip my black Petrie boots and re-dye them brown. There is a company that does kits to refinish leather furniture, and they will make a kit to do riding boots. I haven't tried it yet, but he guarantees it will not harm the leather. I plan to make a dark brown coat and buy a brown velvet helmet before going back to the show ring with my broodmare.

My mare is chestnut with a blaze and hind socks, and my colt is a *slowly* greying flaxen chestnut with a ton of white. My foal will either be a red bay or a buckskin. No black or dark bay horses here, so no need for black tack.

I do think that on most horses, with the exception being dark bay and black, that brown tack is less distracting to the eye. I tend to focus more on the horse than I do a horse in all black tack with black boots and black coat. But that may just be me.

[iownapaint]

ME ME ME!!! I love my brown tack and I swear I'll never own anything black. It all started because I got a very old very cheap brown dressage saddle when I was getting into dressage. Now I'm riding in a custom brown saddle. When I was shopping I had a few people try to talk me out of brown and those were not people I was interested in buying a saddle from. ;)
My mare is brown and white and black tack would be one more color on an already colorful horse. Anyone who notices my tack compliments me on it.
ETA: There's a pic in my profile, but I don't know how well you can see my tack in it. I have others if you really want!

[BaroquePony]

I'm a sucker for brown. It looks so old world classical. For some reason the leather takes oil and soap better and becomes dark and richer in color and softer. Often have more problems conditioning black leather.

[Kyrie]

I live in brown tack - my liver chestnut doesn't suit black, it just looks completely wrong.

I love the rich brown colour of the Collegiate - divine!!

[hoopoe]

Jerrys Harness

http://jerrysharnessshop.com/


makes a beautiful dark brown bridle. It is very dark, like a deep chocolate. I have his snaffle and will likely invest in a double. Right now I have a less expensive one. The brown is a little more "red" but will age down.

My horse is difficult to fit so eventually I see the need for a semi custom. I wish now I had gone right to Jerry. Stupid of me.

:mad:

[draftdriver]

The horse doesn't move any better under brown vs. black tack, and the horse's movement is what the judge cares about.

[magdelene]

Catherine Haddad rides all horses in brown saddle.

[FLeckenAwesome]

we do too :)
although it's hard to tell in photo's... so here's a close up of his bridle. he's a liver chestnut bay roan blanket leopard appy thing... who has some really pretty brown markings that i thought the brown tack brought out.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/FleckenAwesome/Barlyn%20Farm%20Show%20-%20October/10-06barlyn8.jpg
i guess you can see it in this pic
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/FleckenAwesome/Barlyn%20Farn%20Show%20-%20July%2007/7-07barlyn29.jpg

[Regal Grace]

we do too :)
although it's hard to tell in photo's... so here's a close up of his bridle. he's a liver chestnut bay roan blanket leopard appy thing... who has some really pretty brown markings that i thought the brown tack brought out.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/FleckenAwesome/Barlyn%20Farm%20Show%20-%20October/10-06barlyn8.jpg
i guess you can see it in this pic
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/FleckenAwesome/Barlyn%20Farn%20Show%20-%20July%2007/7-07barlyn29.jpg

FLeckenAwesome.....thanks for posting the pictures. The brown tack definitely shows him off to his best. As a side note how do you like your dressage saddle (i.e. Wintec). I have the 2000 AP which my mare goes great in and was thinking of getting the dressage version sometime this year.

[FLeckenAwesome]

aww thanks!
it helps pick up his brown tones... or so i tell myself!

i have the wintec pro dressage...in brown ;) which was a pain to get as i had to order it overseas, but it was 3 years ago, so...
i do LOVE it though. however, my saddle fitter reflocked the air panels with wool because they were pushing down hard on flecks lower back. and he's MUCH happier now. other than that, i do really like it and fleck seems happy.

[CodeBon]

Brown is the only way.

Showing my age, but black tack used to be the cheapest, horriblest leather, covered up with dye. Can't get away from those childhood prejudices. I think brown looks better on anything but greys anyway. And I have a bay.

It is amazingly hard to find brown ANYTHING anymore.

[welshrwonderful]

My palomino Welsh pony stallion is ridden in brown tack for dressage, His saddle is a Stubben Aramis in the lovely golden bronze colour and his bridle is a dark havana made by Bobby's Tack and it looks very swish on him in my opinion. I hope that brown stays in fashion for as long as possible.
You can see pictures of him on my web site. www.wyevalleyfarm.com

Carolyn

www.wyevalleyfarm.com
Home of SMOKE TREE GOLD FEVER Welsh pony stallion
Olympia WA 98506

[ec412]

Not only a brown saddle but I showed in brown boots and a dark brown coat! On a chestnut with lots of white, very snazzy.

I own brown dressage boots, but did not think I could show in them..

[ec412]

I have all brown tack, though it is difficult to find a brown double. I am not to that point yet, but when I get there I will likely order a saddleseat double bridle and add my own noseband and browband. My mare is a cob, and saddleseat horses seem to have finer heads.

I am actually getting ready to strip my black Petrie boots and re-dye them brown. There is a company that does kits to refinish leather furniture, and they will make a kit to do riding boots. I haven't tried it yet, but he guarantees it will not harm the leather. I plan to make a dark brown coat and buy a brown velvet helmet before going back to the show ring with my broodmare.

My mare is chestnut with a blaze and hind socks, and my colt is a *slowly* greying flaxen chestnut with a ton of white. My foal will either be a red bay or a buckskin. No black or dark bay horses here, so no need for black tack.

I do think that on most horses, with the exception being dark bay and black, that brown tack is less distracting to the eye. I tend to focus more on the horse than I do a horse in all black tack with black boots and black coat. But that may just be me.

You can find a brown double in germany easy...go to website www.schockemoehle.net

[ec412]

I've found a great new saddle, only minus is it's brown. I've always had all black tack and I'm wondering what brown looks like on the various coat colours I have...

Does anyone ride/show in brown tack? Let me see your pictures

I have a brown saddle but use a black bridle- The brown saddle has been so conditioned it is very dark so no one really notices.

[Sandy M]

Moi. Also on an App - a chestnut. You can see my profile pic, but it's so small, I doubt the fact that the tack is brown is noticeable. The saddle is a Smith-Worthington Maxx.

Because he has so much white, I also use the Dressage Extensions "cappuchino" brown ultrasuede saddle pad. If I use a white pad, it blends into his butt; a cream one looks dirty next to his snowy behind, so.... I opted for the brown and have had several judges comment on how NICE it looks (despite the fact that I assume LW would disapprove of anything but the traditional white pad).

My brown bridle also has a beaded browband with an eagle feather design on it:

http://www.waterfall-reds-emporium.50megs.com/cgi-bin/i/Images/jewelry/browband.jpg

The funny thing is, the lady who made the browband for me did it for a very reasonable price. When she discovered how much work was involved, she said she would let me have it for the quoted price, but if she did any more, the price was going up!!!

[fish]

I prefer brown tack, too. You can see a picture in my profile. The saddle is a brown KN and I use H/J type bridles which always come in brown. For my double, I just put the curb on my old bridle and added a bridoon hanger. This works especially well for me because most of my horses show H/J as well as dressage.

P.S. If I remember correctly, Michele Gibson showed Peron in a brown saddle and black bridle. As someone else said, any decent judge will be scoring the movements, not the fashion statement.

[ec412]

I prefer brown tack, too. You can see a picture in my profile. The saddle is a brown KN and I use H/J type bridles which always come in brown. For my double, I just put the curb on my old bridle and added a bridoon hanger. This works especially well for me because most of my horses show H/J as well as dressage.

P.S. If I remember correctly, Michele Gibson showed Peron in a brown saddle and black bridle. As someone else said, any decent judge will be scoring the movements, not the fashion statement.


Michelle gibson does show in a brown saddle- a Schulteis...the same that I own..and I think you are right, she uses a black bridle

[Camp Girl]

I am for the brown tack myself. I agree with those that say it wears better. I see a lot of black saddles, even those of very good quality, that fade to brown, green, or grey with use and age. I don't like what the dye also does to breeches and pads. From my experience, brown dyes wear and age better.

When I ordered my Duett Encore dressage saddle, I special ordered it in the same warmer chestnut brown that their Rondo 3 comes in... it turned out very lovey and looks great on my very red bay gelding. I don't show, so that helps (there are those that turn up their noses to brown in the ring) but the color makes me happy. :winkgrin:

[Coreene]

Robert Dover at World Cup in 20005.

[Sabovee]

Thanks for all the replies and pictures!

I'm in love with my new brown saddle - I really like the idea of showing in brown tack as well, the saddle is for my dark bay horse, he looks wonderful in the brown tack, softens the overall picture!
I'm also planning on using it on my two chestnuts.

:)

[Petstorejunkie]

My close contact jumping saddle is black, and the dressage saddle (probably buying) is brown!
Dare to be different!

[hipsdontlie]

almost always seen dressage horses wearing black tack. not for me but im not a dressage rider. i think black tack looks stiff and no conforming. now how many of us have seen the dressage horses with the browbands that dont fit and stick straight out.

[petitefilly]

we do too :)
although it's hard to tell in photo's... so here's a close up of his bridle. he's a liver chestnut bay roan blanket leopard appy thing... who has some really pretty brown markings that i thought the brown tack brought out.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/FleckenAwesome/Barlyn%20Farm%20Show%20-%20October/10-06barlyn8.jpg
i guess you can see it in this pic
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/FleckenAwesome/Barlyn%20Farn%20Show%20-%20July%2007/7-07barlyn29.jpg

You both look *GOOD* in brown tack. Go the beat of your own drum, honey, and enjoy your brown duds. :):):):):):)

[FreckleBeast]

I always thought the Lusitanos who wear brown tack at the Academy of Equestrian Arts in Versailles looked lovely.


http://www.acadequestre.fr/index.php?id_rubrique=62&modele=chevaux&lang=en&id=0&it=15