How to Dress for Show Season Success

Its that time of year again...time to start thinking about ways to improve your turnout for competition in the coming show season.
We asked readers to send in photos of themselves and their horses decked out in their best show duds for our equestrian fashion experts to critique.
Heres what our experts had to say...
Function over Form
When it comes to crosscountry safety takes precedence over aesthetics. Emily Hansen pictured here riding her 8yearold Welsh Sport gelding Celtic Spirit a k.a. Rhodri at Training Level wears a body protector vest which is mandatory safety equipment for crosscountry.

This riders vest looks like it fits correctly offering maximum coverage without interference says Glynis Schultz owner and manager of Greenhawk Vancouver Island in Victoria BC and an avid eventing rider herself.
The body protector covers her lower back and goes as low down her tailbone as possible without touching the saddle. The vest should lie flat against the riders shoulders and over the collar bone and be low enough in front to completely cover the bottom rib as it does in this picture.
Not yet mandatory for competition but rapidly gaining popularity in eventing an air vest is an additional safety measure that Emily might want to consider. Air vests are attached from the saddle to the rider with a breakaway cord Glynis explains. If the rider falls from the horse the cord pulls the pin from a gas cartridge releasing CO2 gas and inflating the vest simultaneously. The vest provides extra protection and helps stabilize the neck in case of a fall.
Emily is also wearing a medical armband another mandatory piece of equipment for crosscountry containing contact information and medical history in case of an emergency.
Glynis mentions that a breastplate like the one sported by Rhodri can help keep your saddle in place during a long arduous