Apres-ride fashion: The Country Classic 2009
I got a smile out of Michelle's May 17th blog entry at From the Horse's Back in which she confesses to being a cowgirl. She begins by observing that folks in the grocery store were giving her odd looks. Come to think of it, she'd noticed it before. It seems she was still in her barn gear which was decorated with random bits of hay, a butt sweat stain, and a lovely green muzzle smear on the front of her shirt.
As one who occasionally runs errands on the way home from the barn, I could identify. Although in my case I'm wearing black full-seat breeches coated with white hair,muddy paddock boots, and I smell like Phantom's turnout blanket that I had recently removed and replaced.
Interestingly enough, stable wear is relatively common at the grocery store I most often frequent. Seems our little burg is at the center of a thriving sport horse community with several hunter/jumper, dressage, and eventing stables nearby. Riders coming and going from the boarding/training facilities often stop at the local businesses wearing their barn regalia.
Like Michelle, we don't take much notice of bilious green smudges, bits of clinging stall shavings or hay, or mud-caked boots. Hats pulled low to camouflage helmet hair are de rigueur. Sweat stains (our own or our mount's) are signs of accomplishment. We can generally be found in the produce department loading up on carrots and apples where we assess each other by our breeches. Knee patches? Must be a hunter from the other side of town. Full seat? Eventer or dressage rider from down the road. Kindred spirit? You bet!
Apres-ride fashion: Dressage at Devonwood 2009
2 comments:
I must admit this post made me smile. I have gotten those odd looks before and never really paid much attention. Being clean is a state that only happens when I first get dressed. Once I'm out the door headed to the barn, the cleaniliness is leaving too. I don't even think about it. I just go and get dirty.
HAHA! The only thing I wear to the grocery store from the stable i am ashamed of is...incredibly dirty fingernails! All else is par for the course of my life! CUTE Post!
I have that "grooming bag" that the gal has on her shoulder in the last pic(or should I say..my horse has it?)...and a real purse too from the EXPO last year..it has bling saddles on the print!
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