Arabian Costume Classes

This article is from the February 2021 Horse Deals magazine.

The Arabian costume class is a celebration of our Arabian horse’s desert heritage. Costumes of bygone eras always hold a strange fascination for modern generations and Arabian horses just love getting dressed up.

There are two distinct types of costume classes.

Arabian Native Costume

Traditional Bedouin garb or Royal Ceremonial dress, hence over revealing harem-style costumes would not be appropriate. Natural materials are preferable, such as wool, cotton and leather in black, white, brown, dark blue, red, yellow and dark green. Blue beads, shells, silver and other traditional items such as authentic embroidery and jewellery may be used.

The basis for all costumes is the dress of the Bedouin of the Arabian Peninsula who used the Arabian horse as their much-prized warhorse. Arabian horses were an expensive commodity owned by the great and wealthy sheiks who could afford to dress themselves and their ladies in fine garments from Baghdad and Damascus.

Traditional dress was often locally handspun or hand-woven from wool, camel and goat hair, dyed with natural dyes like indigo (blue and red), saffron (orange yellow), kermes (red), woad (blue), madder (red to pink) copper filings with milk (green) and Tyrian purple (made from sea snails and very expensive) with hand-embroidered details, but could also contain textiles carried along the trade routes from all over the Middle East and Asia. Silk and cotton were paid for with camels, frankincense and myrrh. Each tribe had their own tradition of embroidery, jewellery, the cut, colour and style of garments, the pattern on saddlebags or the way a headdress was worn, as well as different names for garments. The one unifying theme was the layering of loose garments, to conserve body moisture and cool by convection, garments were designed to cover the whole body of both men and women for protection against the desert sun.

Life was nomadic following feed for the herds, and as there are few trees in the Arabian Peninsula to make furniture, the custom was to sit or recline on carpets, so naturally, garments were designed large and loose for comfort.

Headdresses which were originally a protection against sun, sand and wind, have now become a sign of Islamic modesty and respect. Dress for both men and women consisted of a body shirt of cotton or linen (thawb), wide baggy trousers (sirwal), a robe (Bisht, Mishla or abaya) usually black, brown, cream or grey in colour and a headdress called a kufiyeh (held in place with an Agal or Igal, which translated means rope or tether) which can be white cotton or checked in red or black. Women had various styles of face coverings from a Niqab, which is the face veil where only the eyes can be seen, or elaborate masks covered in embroidery and coins, to the Hijab just covering the hair and neck.

Jewellery formed a woman’s personal fortune and dowry and was traditionally silver set with turquoise, garnet, carnelian, amber, coral, pearl, agate, silver or gold and included chains or bracelets hung with bells, coins etc. Men also wore silver rings or decorated silver belts and engraved knives and swords with elaborate scabbards of silver and gold decorated with gems. Beads were very popular ranging from glass and ceramic to semi-precious stones, amber and Indian wax beads. For centuries silver pieces, coins and balls have been used to embellish clothes and decorate camel and horse trappings along with Cowrie shells, mother of pearl, gold metal thread and sequins (which were originally made from precious metal and viewed as a form of currency).

Footwear was either soft leather boots or sandals. One variation is a shoe with a knitted ankle piece which looks like a sock within a shoe, which is unusual but it is said knitting originated in southern Arabia. A Google search will bring up historical images of both horse and rider costumes, old photographs and painting for inspiration.

For a definitive guide on all of the different patterns, styles and fabrics of the Middle East there is a book called the “Art of Arabian Costume by Heather Ross.” If you can find an old copy it is a great reference book.

A native horse costume usually consists of a wool bridle with tassels, a breastplate with either silk or wool tassels and an embroidered short saddle blanket and loin cover with either silk or wool tassels. Our rules state a bit must be used and states which bits are acceptable, but the Bedouin often rode in just the traditional halter with a chain over the nose which has been said to be beneficial to the endurance of the horse. Native Arabian bridles and saddles can still be bought in from the Middle East but usually need substantial work to make them suitable for a costume class. Usually the fabric is taken off the saddle tree (which is wooden and dangerous) and just used under a normal English saddle with a cover. Newer Arabian halters have plastic beads which can be replaced with wooden or ceramic beads.

Arabian Show Costume

Anything which makes an attractive picture reminiscent of the Arabian Nights legends or folklore of eastern countries is acceptable.

For the romantics among us, the deserts of Arabia conjure up spacious tents filled with exotic carpets, silver and gold, and inhabitants covered in flowing diaphanous robes reminiscent of an old Hollywood movie, sequins, gold and silver tassels, jewels and a rainbow of colours to choose from. This is the Arabian Show Costume.

One of the interesting things that is usually on an Arabian show costume is the fabric across the poll. It was often seen in old paintings and even Assyrian bas relief carvings and was, in fact, a feature of middle eastern bridles often with tassels.

Normal design principles should be used to find colours that are harmonious together and with your horse. Google colour schemes or a colour wheel, pick the colour you like and see what the suggestions are. There are lots of images of Arabian costumes online and you can see how well they go with a particular horse colour. Attention to detail is judged when the horse is standing and there are some amazing costumes with hours of hand beading and embroidery. A costume needs to be eye-catching but elegant and fit the horse correctly, just like any item of saddlery. So much work goes into the design and making of a costume, but it is very rewarding when you have the finished product, they really are works of art.

JUDGING:

Guidelines for Judging:
i). Where practical, horses will enter the ring at a canter in single file.

ii). At the request of the Ring Steward, the horses will halt and line up head to tail for costume inspection.

iii). The horses are shown at walk and canter only. Canter may be lengthened if conditions are suitable, at the discretion of the Judge. Changes of pace may be called at walk and canter. Trot is not used in this class. No individual workout is required.

iv). The horse should be ridden boldly, but with due consideration of the welfare and safety of the horse and other competitors. Speed, which in the opinion of the judge is excessive, will be penalised.

v). A rein back may be requested by the judge. The cavalry charge is not permitted.

vi). The Arabian horse in costume must be well behaved, athletic and capable of smooth transitions from walk to canter or vice versa, and competent to perform movements such as halt from canter and canter from halt.

vii). To be judged: 50% for costume, 50% horse’s manners and paces.

Rules for Costume Classes:
i). For safety reasons, costumes which are all in one piece i.e. joining both horse and rider are not permitted.

ii). All exhibits must be shown in costume classes with a free mane and tail. At the discretion of the Judge, plaited exhibits competing under saddle on the same day should not be penalised.

iii). Horses’ trappings shall not hang below the knees or hocks of the horse.

iv). Accessories such as daggers, spears, banners, guns and similar are not permitted.

v). An exhibitor will use the same Arabian Costume in heats and final throughout a particular class.

vi). Riding boots with heels must be worn.

vii). All riders competing in costume classes MUST wear an approved safety helmet.

viii). The saddle must be fitted with a girth and/or surcingle with a minimum of two buckles. A bates rigging is also acceptable.

ix). Single rein bridles must be used in conjunction with a standard Western bit or regulation snaffle bit (Spanish snaffle or Pelham).

x) x) Pelham bits are to have a rounder with single rein attached.

xi) xi) The use of martingales and/or drop nosebands is prohibited.

xii) xii) Whips and spurs are prohibited.

Photos: Glenys Lilley. Sources: The AHSA Rule Book, The Art of Arabian Costume Heater Coyle Ross, http://weiner-gozen.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-uniqueness-of-arabian-bridle-and, and https://www.bitlessbridle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/THEBEDOUBRIDLE.pdf