What is wrong with this picture?

[AppyLover2]

I don't drive and really have no idea what CDE is. Just thought I'd point out that without Krissy's critique and Lori's response, I would not have known such a rule (glove color) existed. This is the kind of exchange that allows others to learn. Sure would be nice if people wouldn't get their knickers in a knot over the sharing of information. Krissy maybe you don't need a lesson on rules.....but some of us appreciate the information.

Targetsmom thank you for giving us wannabe drivers an opportunity to learn from your experience.

 

[targetsmom]

I am glad if this was able to help someone else - that was the whole idea!

I also put this photo in the American Driving Society booth at the Massachusetts Equine Affaire last Thursday- yesterday (Nov 12-15). It got lots of attention and comments there also, and prompted much discussion about the glove color! While several people commented that ideally, your gloves and reins should be the same shade so that they kind of blend together, they conceded that any color brown is correct. Many also commented that the shade of brown I am wearing is really what you find in almost every driving shop. I did buy some darker brown gloves for riding and I may try those next year. I expect to have a whole different turnout and horse next year, with fewer examples for a discussion like this!

 

[Krazee bout Kasspur]

Yes...Thank You Targetsmom....and Ditto what Appylover2 said. I came here to learn about my mini donk basically and kept seeing the letters CDE quite often. If not for your discussions about it here on the site, I'd have never known. Since I dearly love to drive I really enjoy all the pics and explanations, and might even get to participate in a CDE one day. You just never know!

Oh, and I especially enjoy seeing the hats.

 

[RhineStone]

John Greenall, the "Turnout Guru" of the carriage driving world, says that if you want to darken your brown leather gloves, just rub them on a sweaty horse.

Also, Krissy is right that shoes/boots and belts should match. Actually, they should match the color of the harness, so if you have black harness, you should have black footwear and belt (if you wear one). This goes even if the rest of your turnout is brown, i.e. brown coat/blouse. Russet harness should have brown footwear. It used to be that the metal on the vehicle also had to match the harness, but they have loosened up on that b/c it is a challenge to completely repaint your vehicle just because you have russet harness, but the leather on the vehicle should be russet, too. Russet harness should only be used with a natural (not painted) wood vehicle.

I knew of a competitor that had a russet harness and a natural wood vehicle with brown painted metal. She also had carriage lamps with brown metal, and she was told by Mr. Greenall that carriage lamps were never painted brown, and therefore, should still remain black even though the rest of the vehicle was brown. Yes, carriage driving is steeped in tradition and "good taste". Even your (subtle) jewelry and buttons should match, no mixing silver and gold. (Does not apply to bits and buckle tongues where strength is needed.)

 

[MiLo Minis]

You are right on the money there Rhinestone! And if you check out the ADS rule book they go so far as to tell you exactly what colour and style of hat, gloves and clothes you should be wearing if you are a driver, groom or passenger on the different types of vehicles and hitches. Not quite so important for Minis as we are rather limited on our vehicles but even so some of it does apply to us so you are wise to read up on it if you truly want to be competitive.

 

[whitney]

eeeee gods I'm coming in. Driving clinic I went to the instructor suggested black paste shoe dye to darken up new brown reins and gloves...............................

 

[RhineStone]

eeeee gods I'm coming in. Driving clinic I went to the instructor suggested black paste shoe dye to darken up new brown reins and gloves...............................

The clinician was probably not a carriage driver!

No carriage driver in their right mind would do that! That does work well, however, for blackening "faded" black parts, or you might even have to redye those with leather dye. Maybe a dark brown shoe polish would work for reins/gloves. I never thought about that.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Okay I have never tried shoe polish on reins or gloves but I am thinking "shiny shoes" = slippery reins and gloves?????

 

[Minxiesmom]

I don't have access to the ADS rule book, so this is directed at someone that does...

Lori said they are specific about the style of hat to use. I love hats, and don't want to be incorrect when choosing one. So, what would be appropriate with a single mini in an ADS aproved show or dressage at a CDE? BTW my cart/harness is black/brass. (Please don't tell me black.)

 

[Annabellarose]

Okay I have never tried shoe polish on reins or gloves but I am thinking "shiny shoes" = slippery reins and gloves?????

I have never used shoe polish on gloves (as I only ever used to wear a stretch fabric glove with leather on the underside of the fingers and the palms), but I used to use Kiwi paste shoe polish (in the little tin can) on my slick leather cutback saddles back when I rode Saddleseat (Morgans, Saddlebreds, Arabians). After a very thorough cleaning I would apply an even coat of the paste with a stiff horsehair dauber, let it dry thoroughly, and then brush it off energetically with a medium horsehair polish brush and it actually left a shiny, "tacky" surface.

 

[RhineStone]

I don't have access to the ADS rule book, so this is directed at someone that does...
Lori said they are specific about the style of hat to use. I love hats, and don't want to be incorrect when choosing one. So, what would be appropriate with a single mini in an ADS aproved show or dressage at a CDE? BTW my cart/harness is black/brass. (Please don't tell me black.)

The ADS rulebook is not specific on exactly what hat to use, except in the case of grooms in Full Livery or Stable Livery. Otherwise, it is necessary and in the rules that your hat "match" your turnout, i.e. a formal hat for a coach, an informal hat for a Sporting vehicle. Generally, the carts that minis use are considered "informal", although there are exceptions. For example, it is inappropriate to wear a big coaching hat in a Meadowbrook. You have to know what the traditional purpose of your vehicle was to determine what to wear. A Meadowbrook is essentially a "grocery-getter" vehicle, not a Sunday park drive vehicle. Your typical Road Cart used by minis is an informal vehicle.

If you want to post a photo, we can help you choose a hat!

Also, you don't want your hat brim to be wider than your shoulders.

I LOVE Turnout!

Myrna

 

[RhineStone]

Okay I have never tried shoe polish on reins or gloves but I am thinking "shiny shoes" = slippery reins and gloves?????

I have never used shoe polish on gloves (as I only ever used to wear a stretch fabric glove with leather on the underside of the fingers and the palms), but I used to use Kiwi paste shoe polish (in the little tin can) on my slick leather cutback saddles back when I rode Saddleseat (Morgans, Saddlebreds, Arabians). After a very thorough cleaning I would apply an even coat of the paste with a stiff horsehair dauber, let it dry thoroughly, and then brush it off energetically with a medium horsehair polish brush and it actually left a shiny, "tacky" surface.

I also have found that the leather I polish on the harness tends to be tacky, but I don't think that I would want shiny hands that would attract attention.

I would think that a satin or matte finish would be good there.

 

[Annabellarose]

Okay I have never tried shoe polish on reins or gloves but I am thinking "shiny shoes" = slippery reins and gloves?????

I have never used shoe polish on gloves (as I only ever used to wear a stretch fabric glove with leather on the underside of the fingers and the palms), but I used to use Kiwi paste shoe polish (in the little tin can) on my slick leather cutback saddles back when I rode Saddleseat (Morgans, Saddlebreds, Arabians). After a very thorough cleaning I would apply an even coat of the paste with a stiff horsehair dauber, let it dry thoroughly, and then brush it off energetically with a medium horsehair polish brush and it actually left a shiny, "tacky" surface.

I also have found that the leather I polish on the harness tends to be tacky, but I don't think that I would want shiny hands that would attract attention.

I would think that a satin or matte finish would be good there.

The "shiny" versus "matte" thing would depend upon what kind of leather you had in front of you. I can't really recall ever having seen a "shiny" leather glove. I guess you could try, but I am going to say that you really couldn't make a matte leather "shiny" with a cleaning/polishing product.

And, to clarify, I meant "tacky" as in sticky, not as in distasteful.

 

[jegray21]

Is there a website with all the rules..I am totally confused now. Maybe someone can post a traditional and considered correct turnout picture? Dressage riding was so easy white pants. black jacket, helmet, black tall boots..we all looked the same!

Thanks!

 

[michele80906]

Great post! I am not into competitive driving (my friend says...."for the moment") but I do enjoy learning about stuff, especially the cart position and harness. Not new to horses but new to driving and any info is great. I hope we have more discussions like this in the future and maybe when I get my little guy rigged back up I will try to be brave, post a pic and ask for some critique. Not for showing..cart and harness info. Michele, Colorado

 

[RhineStone]

Is there a website with all the rules..I am totally confused now. Maybe someone can post a traditional and considered correct turnout picture? Dressage riding was so easy white pants. black jacket, helmet, black tall boots..we all looked the same!

ADS rules on the website, www.americandrivingsociety.org

There are definite rules for turnout, but there are also "unwritten" rules that basically go along with good taste, like your hat shouldn't be wider than your shoulders, and bare skin should be kept to a minimum. Certain colors also go better with some horses than others. The best way to determine if you are on the right track for turnout is to have a "dress rehearsal" with you and your horse all done up, and take photos from 20-30 ft. away. If one thing grabs your attention, get rid of it. For example, I wore a beautiful white hat in 2008, and a number of people said, "nice hat". That should have been a clue for me. We want people to say, "nice turnout". The fact that they noticed my hat above the rest of the turnout indicated that it didn't "go" well.

John Greenall, the Turnout Guru of carriage driving, has some articles on his website about turnout. http://www.vermontel.net/~greenall/ John does a great PowerPoint slideshow on what to do and what not to do. I hope never to end up on the "not to" side!

 

[Sandee]

One question about those "brown" gloves. Where the heck do you find them? The only brown I've been able to find are the lighter ones like she is wearing in the picture. Never have thought that they "matched" anything so didn't bother to get them, but I'd like to have brown gloves that match the rein color.

 

[MiLo Minis]

I dye mine darker. I have been able to find dark brown gloves but they are usually darker than my reins so I get the reddish yellow brown gloves and dye them.

 

[RhineStone]

One question about those "brown" gloves. Where the heck do you find them? The only brown I've been able to find are the lighter ones like she is wearing in the picture. Never have thought that they "matched" anything so didn't bother to get them, but I'd like to have brown gloves that match the rein color.

John Greenall says to rub them on a sweaty horse and that will darken them. I bought a pair of deerskin "yellow" gloves and dyed them, and it worked well, except that the whip I was using at the time had a white handle. The dye made the handle brown. I now use a carbon fiber whip with a leather handle, and I bought new "long cuff" gloves from Iowa Valley Carriage. No more skin poking out between my sleeve and glove!

Chad let me get them as a "reward" for tieing for Reserve at the first show of the season last year!