Even though the halter pen is typically considered to be one of the more conservative divisions in AQHA, many have wondered what is to be considered appropriate dress code for this class. Many exhibitors have asked us the question, ‘What do I wear?” or, “Is this too much for the halter pen?” Recently, halter exhibitors, particularly women, have been seen sporting colored hats and even some bling filled jackets. It’s also not unusual to see showmanship jackets in performance halter classes. What do the halter purists think of this? At this year’s Congress, GoHorseShow spoke with many of the halter industry’s top professionals, amateurs and youth to find out what they consider appropriate attire for halter classes.
Ted Turner – Men should wear slacks, a sport coat, and a tie. Hat color is personal preference. Men should wear some kind of slacks, and a short or long coat, but it must be collared. I don’t mind a colored hat on women. But, I don’t like seeing the showmanship jackets in performance halter. It’s just my personal preference, but I don’t want to see anything sparkly in the halter.
Ross Roark – For men, I like a natural or buckskin colored hat. The clothing should fit well and not be baggy. Slacks should never be too long. In terms of boots, I like a nice pair of ostrich-skin, alligator, or clean calfskin. The main thing is that boots are clean. For the ladies, it’s important to have a nice pair of pants, preferably dark. Again, they should not be too long or too short. Hats must be creased well. That’s more important than color to me. I don’t mind seeing the showmanship jackets in performance halter. It doesn’t bother me.
Gene Parker – I usually like to wear Riatas, but, a nice pair of dark dress pants works just fine for men. There are lots of colors in shirts now that can be paired with a nice looking jacket. I like to have a tie with some color. For hats, I prefer a lighter color. The main thing is that everything matches and is color coordinated. The same goes for the women in my opinion. Ladies look nice in either a short or long jacket. You see both, and either works well. Scarves work well and look appropriate. They allow the ladies to mix the colors up. I don’t mind a black hat for women. Myself, I’m pretty traditional and prefer black, beige, or buckskin. In terms of performance halter and showmanship jackets, if they’re real blingy the halter pen is probably not the rice place for it, but, you do see some that look appropriate. It’s just important to stay conservative and traditional. Halter isn’t the place to get too wild.
Andrea Alderson – I like to wear a business suit in halter. Last year in the Performance Halter Mares, I wore a chocolate suit with a light brown pinstripe. This year, I did black pants with a winter white, asymmetrical jacket and black hat. My pop of color came in a black and white polka-dot scarf. I think the most important thing in halter is that your outfit fits and flows with your horse. You do see some women branching out with hat colors. The most common thing I see is orangey buckskin. I find it funny how fashion reinvents itself because colored hats were really popular in the seventies. As long as the color scheme works top to bottom, and works with the horse, I think it’s okay.
Kaylee Hamm – When I show in halter, I wear solid black pants and solid ostrich boots. Then for my jackets, I never wear any orange, green, and yellow colors in my jacket because they are bad luck for me. I wear bling jackets. I normally pick jackets that make my horses stand out or look good with my horses. With that being said, I normally go with purple, blue, red, and turquoise colors. Some halter exhibitors wear a plain jacket like a suit, but for me I love wearing bling jackets so my horses stand out. Every time I show, I also I wear a necklace that is good luck to me. You can’t see it, but it is something I wear. I wear big silver earrings, and, last but not least, I wear a bright bold lipstick color to bring my whole outfit and look together.
Kathryn deVries-Mitchell – I wore black pants, a charcoal jacket with a little bling, and a black hat with buck stitching in the stallions this morning. I chose this because I wanted something with a little bling that would still be conservative. It’s different and stands out without being too crazy. I don’t do plain very well.
Mimsi Coon – I prefer the classic style jacket, dark show pants with an accent of jewelry for bling. The blouse might be any color, neutral or bright colors. I only like light colors for hats, even with dark or black outfits. A light hat shines light onto your face where a dark/black hat will cast unflattering shadows.
Shannon Wacker – I think you need to be conservative in the halter. Remember that you are an accessory to the horse. The hat doesn’t make or break the picture, and you are seeing lighter hats on the amateurs. But, halter is a traditional class, so I feel it’s important to keep that in mind when dressing for the class.
Monica Hamm – Over the years in the show pen, I have come to learn and see what colors look good on me and what stands out against my horses while still complementing them. I have worn everything from red, brown and navy and many colors in between. While I am a little superstitious, I stay away from green and yellow but that is just me. But unlike showmanship, I feel it is good to not wear all the same color while your boots and hats should match, they don’t need to be the same color as your outfit. It is good to have some bling, but you don’t want it to distract the judges. Try to stay with a show jacket that shows your personality, but one that is also age appropriate. The halter world has changed over the last few years from its traditional ways to bright colors that are accepted, and I have even worn fringe on one of my jackets which I feel made a great statement. Halter is always changing and setting new and unique trends – always make sure you are comfortable in what you are wearing and that you hold your shoulders high and head up. Also, don’t forget to smile, it’s the best asset you have when presenting yourself to the judges.
Kaleena Weakly – I like my halter attire to be classy, but not necessarily conservative. I don’t wear a lot of bling, but I love to wear one of my fancy hats to spice up my look. Fit is very important; having something tailored exactly to your body style matters a lot. I don’t particularly care for the showmanship look in halter. It’s just my preference, but I’m more into a collared shirt with a classy jacket, or a blazer and a fun neck tie to bring in more color.
Paige Wacker – In halter, I like to look like a classy business woman, wearing a suit that is tailored and clean. But, I like to add a scarf with some color and design to add a little sassiness to my look. For example, my horse, Cutee and I have a lucky scarf that is both our favorite color, pink. It’s both a good luck charm and ties the outfit together. Halter is meant to be judged on the conformation of the horse, so basically the handler in my opinion is the accessory and the accessories make the entire look come together. My biggest pet peeve is when people wear showmanship outfits in halter, it’s halter, not showmanship.
Sarah Headley – At the Congress in the Amateur Two-Year-Old Stallions, I chose to wear a turquoise jacket with black pants and a black hat. Instead of a tie, I wore a nice necklace. When choosing what to wear with my horse, Rumerz, it’s important to me to find something that will complement his color well. He’s dark and chocolatey, so I like something that will make him stand out in the pen.
Tom and Mary Robertson – When our amateurs are showing, we like to go for a professional presence. To create that look, we suggest men dress in business attire – that might take the form of a business suit, or a sport coat and dress slacks. We like to add a splash of color with shirts and ties.
For ladies, the same philosophy applies. Women should go for a professional, somewhat conservative and tailored look. We’ve gotten away from the bling to lend a more professional look. A good showman is always dressed to enhance the horse. The youth tend to enjoy a lot of bling, but I don’t personally care for showmanship jackets in halter. We still like to use a professional look in performance halter.
Livvie Van Lanen – So personally, I like to stick with colors that go with my show clothes, or resemble them. All of my outfits have the same exact pattern and are black and crystal. This year for the performance geldings at the Congress, I wore a white hat, white peplum jacket, black blouse, and a fun diamond print neck tie that was black and white. This neck tie matched my outfits for all my other events and added a little interest. I personally enjoy more elegant and simple outfits!
Erin Mask – I like to keep it simple with just a blazer, nothing too crazy. When my mom and I shop for jackets before a bigger show, we know which horses I’ll be showing and try to make sure the color of the jacket would look good with the horse or sometimes some jackets have several colors so you can change the look up with black or grey pants and different colored hats.
Rose Santos – I love glitter, bling I’m all for it, but still in a tasteful matter. I think for the weekend a nice starched jean that’s like the Kimes Betty Longhorn and a button up starch shirt looks great. For the bigger shows, a blazer, slacks, or a outfit like Kathryn deVries looks so sharp. I think bright colored blazers and bling under a shirt look great. I think men look nice in a correct fitted suit and starch for the weekend.
Keitha Stutzman – For this year’s Congress, I selected a nice designer business jacket. I went with red, black and white because my gelding is bay, and I thought it would accent him nicely.
What do you think? Do you have fashion preferences in the halter pen? Do you think showmanship jackets are okay to wear in the halter? What about colored hats? Let us know your opinion in the comment section of this article.
