{Photo courtesy of Nico Morgan}
Since I am stuck at home like all of you I have gobs of time on my hands. I have been going through my hunt coats and putting them away. Some of my favorite coats are my frocks. I’ve been brushing them off, emptying the pockets, and reinforcing my precious hunt buttons. I decided to do some research to find out why we have those two buttons on the back of the coat.
Here is what I found in my go-to book: Sydney D. Barney (1953). Clothes and the Horse ” The two buttons at the back of all hunt and dress coats are a reminder of the days when horsemen buttoned back the foreparts of their frock coats for easier mounting and sitting in the saddle.” I find this stuff so interesting, and we love this photo showing his buttons and a little bit of mud from a good days hunting. Oh, and look his ribbons are down, he must be staff!
Comment below and tell us if you know of any other reasons for the buttons and also, tell us what you’de like us to tell you about next.
Stay safe and stay home!
XO
Dearest Sissi,
All the best wishes for your recovery, I do love your site! I am in awe of the sport, and as a little hunt newbie antipodean I need all the style help I can get! I have ridden my first season and have joined our hunt committee, our club is only little but fierce! And I have definitely got the bug! We hunt on big ol sheep stations and farms, we sometimes stay out overnight and sleep in the shearers quarters, with a fire, whiskey and Irish folk songs! If you would like please check out our fb page and website I have included above.. In the mean time I have included a selfie of me with the big country behind, the shearers quarters and the last fire late at night!
We would love to have you come hunt with us one day!
Again best wishes and thanks again for your lovely site!
Cathryn
Cathryn,
We want to come to Sydney and Hunt with you guys! Fire, Whiskey, and Irish folk songs sound Fierce!
XO
I grew up riding in MD hunt country at our local Pony Club, and we had a colored ribbon system for marking horses in the field and at shows. This was back in the late 80s, early 90s. I even used to put ribbons on my model horses. But the more I’ve talked to riders from more places around the US and with different backgrounds, none of them knew, for example, that a horse marked with a red ribbon was a kicker or a green ribbon was a green horse. Have you heard of this tradition? How and where did it originate?
Thank you for your comment, Jenny! Yes, we also follow the “ribbon” protocol. I wear a red one in my hair, I tend to be a “kicker”;)
We use ribbons a lot over here in the UK, red = kicker/bucker, green = young/green, white = for sale, blue (sometimes yellow) = stallion or riggy gelding, pink = in season mare.
Have no idea how it originated though!
Also, it must be an informal day – as he is staff wearing scarlet, with brown topped boots and tan breeches – I bet he sports a necktie instead of a stock under that coat.