Brown tall boots and other stuff

[ctab]

I just ordered a pair of Oxblood colored tall boots. This is a long fulfilled desire of mine. I knew an instructor years ago who found a pair someone ordered but did not buy from Thybens on LI. I loved the look and I always wanted my own pair!
So... in order to be the complete non-conformist since it is only black tall boots and beige britches .... what is the traditional, classical colored breech that goes with them? Is it navy or khaki (that really dark green/brown,military color)?
I don't plan on showing with them just riding and teaching. I would love to get a old fashioned pair of flair side, canary yellow breeches just for fun!

Along with that old time-y info, can anyone post old traditions like: square cantles for men and round for women. Odd number of hunter braids in mane for stallions and geldings and even for mares ( or is that the other way around?). Checker quarter markers for geldings and diamonds for mares? I just love to collect that info. It is nice to keep it alive and pass it along to the next generation. Anyone have any gems they can remember?

[klmck63]

I guess I'm too young to have any neat old traditions to pass along, but I think GM once said that rust breeches were traditionally worn with brown boots. I'm not sure what other colours were worn with the brown field boots but rust is definitely acceptable!

I had also heard that there should always be an uneven number of braids, but maybe this was a misconstrued tradition?

[superpony123]

tan looks fine with them. My trainer has several pairs of ooooooooold tall boots which he still wears. Brown-topped, browns, black, etc.

Heres a picture of him with is ancient brown boots :)
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs167.snc1/6254_147179550224_589955224_3565735_6007487_n.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs187.snc1/6254_147179455224_589955224_3565718_1526715_n.jpg

they're pretty old though so the coloring is faded and uneven, it almost looks reddish in some spots. but they're lovely boots.

rust would also look very nice with them.

[mojo7777]

If I'm not mistaken "ratcatcher" attire means brown boots--also tweed jacket and tan breeches--a less formal attire for hunting.

[SarahandSam]

My old Hunter Seat Equitation has a great pic of GM in rust breeches and brown boots and a white linen jacket on the cover. (: I love the combination of rust and brown... I bought myself a pair of rust breeches that I never ride in public in, because I figure I'm not good enough of a rider to draw that much attention... but deep, deep in my heart I picture myself someday wearing them with a lovely pair of deep brown boots. d;

I have always heard that brown boots are an informal look.

[Hunter Mom]

No wisdom on the old school traditions, but a GP rider I know has a beautiful pair of customs that have an ivory inlay across the top and down the back. Very beautiful boots! i'd love to be good enough to rock something that unique.

[fourmares]

Brown boots should be paired with brown gloves and a brown helmet. I seem to recall 12 braids for a mare, 13 for a gelding or stallion.

[spmoonie]

Im thinking about taking the plunge and getting a pair of the off-the-shelf brown Der Dau's. If I did that, I would be obligated to get brown gloves and a brown helmet right?:winkgrin:

Mine would be for schooling only though. My trainer would have a cow if I came to a show wearing those. :/

[dauphine2]

Brown boots should be paired with brown gloves and a brown helmet. I seem to recall 12 braids for a mare, 13 for a gelding or stallion.

Well, technically any color boot should be worn with brown gloves, unless it's raining. Then you should break out the white string gloves. Traditionally, black gloves are incorrect, as are black field boots. Traditionally, of course. ;)

[ctab]

I love the responses! Please keep posting them.....

[MistyBlue]

I had brown boots as a young teen. Worn with a 'used to be' black helmet, basically a black helmet faded out to rusty brown which was very common to see and black gloves. Navy coat. Shirts were pale blue, pale yellow, white or window pane with one of those colors. Britches were tan (slightly darker/more brown), buff or most common was rust.
We didn't see many actually brown helmets, but most helmets looked brown due to sun fading. We rode a lot back then, helmets faded out and got that aged rusty color. Chin straps, when they came out, worn over the visor to keep your friends from walking by, pulling it down and snapping it under your chin. :lol:
I think a very attractive show outfit is navy coat, tan britches and brown helmet, boots and gloves. I'd match the helmet, boots and gloves...it looks nice and nowadays you can buy brown helmets. Might even look nice with a brown or deep beige coat...haven't seen that whole combo and it might be overkill on the brown though.
Brown boots were petty common then, still love the looks of either oxblood or cordovan boots.
I've been thinking about these for schooling boots:
http://www.amirashop.co.uk/acatalog/Harry_Hall_Finlay_L.jpg

[paintlady]

I love the look of brown boots...

I saw these used ones on sale. I'm tempted, but would prefer a dress boot to a field boot.

http://www.virginiaequestrian.com/main.cfm?action=Classifieds&sub=view&ID=45570

[BAC]

When I was a jr. (back in the 1960s), brown, cordovan and oxblood field boots were worn with canary, rust or tan breeches. And we all wore some shade of brown glove, never black even when wearing dress boots. And in those days just as many people showing hunters/jumpers and eq wore brown field boots as they did black dress boots. Black field boots :eek: - were unheard of.

My trainer's daughter showed in the Medal finals at MSG in brown field boots, rust breeches, houndstooth check wool jacket in shades of browns, brown velvet hunt cap and gloves, it was a stunning outfit.

[Oldenburg99]

Before the days of selling brown helmets, we would leave ours outside on purpose to make them fade.

[supershorty628]

Before the days of selling brown helmets, we would leave ours outside on purpose to make them fade.

I did that with my current helmet - it's faded to a beautiful brown that none of the store-made-brown ones are.

[SarahandSam]

I just went upstairs to my tack closet and put my black velvet helmet in a sunny window...

[spmoonie]

Ive heard of spraying a little lemon juice on the helmet to get it to fade. Is this true? Id love mine to be that beautiful faded color!

[Oldenburg99]

Ive heard of spraying a little lemon juice on the helmet to get it to fade. Is this true? Id love mine to be that beautiful faded color!

I've never heard of that but I guess it might be true. I've never done it before but my cousin puts lemon juice in her hair at the beach to get fake highlights. Similar concept.

[dauphine2]

When I was a jr. (back in the 1960s), brown, cordovan and oxblood field boots were worn with canary, rust or tan breeches. And we all wore some shade of brown glove, never black even when wearing dress boots. And in those days just as many people showing hunters/jumpers and eq wore brown field boots as they did black dress boots. Black field boots :eek: - were unheard of.

My trainer's daughter showed in the Medal finals at MSG in brown field boots, rust breeches, houndstooth check wool jacket in shades of browns, brown velvet hunt cap and gloves, it was a stunning outfit.


You really did just make my day. :yes: I wish things were still like that.

[TheHorseProblem]

What I want to know is, where did you get the oxblood boots? I dream of brown dress boots.

[carolinagirl191]

Traditionally it's Brown Field boots - Black dress boots - period. I've seen brown dress boots as schooling/working boots in Dressage magazines, lovely!

[TheHorseProblem]

Traditionally it's Brown Field boots - Black dress boots - period. I've seen brown dress boots as schooling/working boots in Dressage magazines, lovely!

That's exactly what I want them for! My picture in Dressage Today!

Just kidding. For schooling actually.

[Madeline]

I love the look of brown boots...

I saw these used ones on sale. I'm tempted, but would prefer a dress boot to a field boot.

http://www.virginiaequestrian.com/main.cfm?action=Classifieds&sub=view&ID=45570

You would probably have to have those made. Just as black boots are traditionally correct only as dress boots, brown boots are field boots to go with their less formal nature.

[Mor4ward]

Of course, the *Classic* hunt boots, going back to the 18th century would be the black boots with brown tops ;)

[Madeline]

Of course, the *Classic* hunt boots, going back to the 18th century would be the black boots with brown tops ;)

Only if you were a man.

[Corky]

Indeed, men wear black dress boots with brown tops and ladies wear black dress boots with patent leather tops. In modern hunting, one must have been awarded colours by their respective hunt to be allowed to wear either.

Field boots were worn in the informal seasons, spring, cubbing, bydays etc. I was told that the origin of the terms coming primarily from the military and those well-to-do that wore high boots on a daily basis - Field boots were informal, literally worn in the 'field' as the laces made them easier to get on and off, and more comfortable for working and walking (and riding) while the more polished look without laces, were reserved for formal occassions which one had to 'dress' for. Think of the expression 'to dress for dinner', well hence the term 'dress boots' and field boots might as well be called 'informal boots'. That is why the colours were originally black dress and brown field. People think that 'dress boots' are short for dressage, not at all.

Thats about all I've got.

But I drool over the cordovan and oxblood field boots. I would willing trade my first born for a pair...