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Here, a rider from Region 1 shares her go-to brands as a plus-size rider.
By Samantha Silver
I am a dressage boot addict, and I make no secret of that! People often ask me if I have separate show boots and schooling boots, and my answer is always the same: no, I have fat boots and thin boots.
See, even at my thinnest, I still have a calf too wide for most off-the-rack brands – and definitely too wide for any of the in-stock stiff dressage boots that I prefer. My weight fluctuates tremendously, and I am pear-shaped, so I carry a lot of weight in my lower half.
Because of this, I have had to buy multiple pairs of custom boots to accommodate size fluctuations (and everything has elastic or laces!). This also means that I cannot have separate pairs of schooling and show boots, as which boots I can fit into really depends on how heavy I am. I am a member of a dressage boot resale Facebook page and I see tons of boots for sale, but never in my size. It isn’t easy being a plus-size dressage fashionista!
There are some boot and fashion secrets that I am happy to share with the other plus-sized ladies out there, though.
Firstly, when it comes to boots, go for the Spanish top. It elongates the leg, adding length to our sometimes height-challenged calves. Additionally, always do the stovepipe ankle instead of a tapered ankle. The tapered ankle will accentuate the width of your calf.
Always go for the addition of elastic, and if you don’t have elastic in your current boots, a good cobbler can add a panel. I would love to give a shout out to Pisano Riding Boot Repair in Pennsylvania. I shipped my “skinny” boots off to them, where they cleverly added elastic panels in such a way that the original measurements of the boots are still the same, but there is some stretch if I need it. They had my boots back to me within a week, and the price was very reasonable. Now, even though my calves currently measure a solid six centimeters wider than the boots, I still can fit into them.
For breeches, I recommend a high-waisted fit. I wear a lot of the Horze brand (some of the models are great for curvy fit, others, not so much), and I am currently wearing a lot of Dressage Queen Dream’s line of breeches. The DQD breeches only go up to an XL/US 14, but they are extremely stretchy. I wear a large, and even have a pair of mediums that are tight in the waist, but I can wear them.
My best recommendation for show coats is to get one with a zipper behind the buttons. That has been life-changing for me and completely streamlines the look.
I’d love to hear any other fashion tips from plus-sized equestrians!
