*Attire For the Hunter Ring*

While the style for the Hunt Seat has changed through out the years, the Hunt apparel has always stayed "Classical". The hunt seat rider is dressed conservatively. Classic attire for hunter classes consists of beige, tan or grey breeches, a white or light pastel shirt, and a black, navy, gray, "hunter" green or dark brown hunt coat. (Black is considered a dressage style, however, and though legal, is less often seen in Hunter classes.) Some years, patterns that appear solid at a distance, such as pinstripes, faint plaids or herringbone, are popular. In some competitions, the show management may shoos to waive the jacket requirement if the heat and humidity is very high.

The show shirt, called a "ratcatcher" is a buttoned shirt with a stand-up mandarin-style collar covered by a separate, matching choker or a stock tie, the final look usually resembling that of a turtleneck. The traditional, classic shirt is white. However, in some places and at less formal competition, particularly for children, pastel-colored shirts are popular, coordinated with the colors in the hunt coat. Traditionally shirts were ling-sleeved, but today are more often short-sleeved or sleeveless, though sleeveless shirts cannot be worn when the jacket rule is waived.Stock pins are sometimes worn on the stock tie or choker, although most recent fashion has been to embroider the rider's initials on the chocker.  A recent trend is for riders to wear a shadbelly. 

Although black, velvet-covered hunt caps were once popular, the old style caps provided virtually no actual protection to the head and are not allowed on riders of any age in classes to jump. The riders must wear an ASTM/SEI-approved equestrian helmet with safety harness fastened. Caps are still sometimes seen on Adults in flat classes and still remain popular at breed shows. However,  many adult hunt seat riders who do not jump area also leaving behind the hunt cap in favor of the ASTM/SEI-approved headgear. Some helmets the classic retain velveteen covered look. Riders 13 years or older generally wear tall, black field boots with breeches. Young riders who still have rapidly growing feet may wear either brown or black jodhpur boots and jod straps. 

Dark gloves should be worn, but are not required.

                                    The style has changed over the years, but the classical trend
                                   has stayed the same.