Hunt Attire

Attire

Proper hunting attire is rigidly conventional for safety reasons. Hunting gear is based on practicality and safety. The heavy boots and breeches protect riders from branches and brambles. Heavy melton coats are almost waterproof. The stock tie, fastened with a plain gold safety pin, can serve as a bandage for riders, hounds, or horses in case of an accident. The helmets are critical to the safety of the rider as they are regulation hard hats.  There are two types of attire, described below:

Informal Attire (worn in September and in the Spring)

White or colored shirt (or ratcatcher) with white choker or colored stock tie with horizontal plain gold stock pin; a white button down shirt and men’s tie, or a white turtleneck without a tie is also permitted.

• Breeches/jodhpurs should be in beige, tan, or grey.
• Tweed or plain hacking jacket in earth tones. Cut is important – three buttons, smaller lapels and a vented back are preferable.
• Brown or black boots; field boots permissible.
• Velvet hunt hard hats with chin straps are required for all riders. Black is always correct. Brown is acceptable for informal season.  Eventing covers are not permitted.
• Women must be contain their hair in a hairnet.
• Gloves are optional but should be in brown or beige string. Spurs are also optional, but the straps must match the boots and the ends must be blunt, without rowls.
• A hunting whip may be carried.

Formal Attire (worn after October 1 in the Fall)

• Black velvet hardhat with chin strap.
• White shirt or white ratcatcher.
• White stock tie fastened with a plain horizontal gold stock pin.
• Canary, buff or Tattersal vest.
• Beige breeches
• Black or navy hunting coat. All buttons should be plain. Coats should remain buttoned while a rider is mounted.
• Black calf dress boots without tops or laces. Field boots are not acceptable for formal hunting.
• English blunt spurs (optional).
• Knitted and/or leather light brown or black gloves (optional).
• Gentlemen with Colors: Scarlet coat with hunt colors on collar and hunt buttons, white breeches, regulation boots with brown tops
• Ladies with Colors: Hunt colors on coat collar, regulation boots with patent leather tops