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Ashadbelly (North American English) is a type ofriding coat worn in certainequestrian situations byfox hunting members,dressage riders,eventers (in the dressage phase of the higher levels), and occasionally by otherhunt seat riders. Shadbellies are also standard attire for theshow hack classes at certain breed shows in theUnited States andCanada.
This coat is considered an element of very formal riding attire, and its use is therefore reserved for the most formal forms of equestrianism. When used in the classic hunt, they should not be worn by young riders, despite any trend or availability.
The shadbelly coat is part of aformal wear category known as thetailcoat. The male version of the shadbelly is sometimes called a "weaselbelly".
Thecompound word "shadbelly" was also once spelled "shad belly" (most likely in reference tothe fish), and the coat is also sometimes referred to as a "swallowtail". Essentially, thespace between the original two-word spellings has been removed, but not their meanings.
Today, "swallowtail" and "shadbelly" are used interchangeably forfox hunting in the United States, but "shadbelly" is the primary term used in various horse show disciplines.
The design is historically linked to theUnited Kingdom, where the famousdandy and trendsetterBeau Brummel popularized the style for daywear during theRegency period. By the 1860s the formaltailcoat was used almost exclusively for formal evening wear.Europeanroyalty wore the coat for formal occasions andportraits as well as for riding horseback. TheAmish andQuakers wore the shadbelly to church functions.
The earliest recorded use of a shadbelly-type coat is inearly Christianity, whenChaldean Christian priests wore coats representing the body of afish.[dubious –discuss]
A shadbelly is usually black in color, although navy is becoming popular, and deep green is also occasionally seen in some nations. It has tails, double buttons, and either is worn over avest (British English: waistcoat) of canary yellow or, particularly when worn in hot weather, has false yellow points peeking out under the cut-away front, to simulate the look of a vest. Vests or vest points of colours other than canary yellow are becoming more popular. Generally a white shirt with aratcatcher collar and tiedstock tie (a type of simplecravat) is standard.
Traditionally, a shadbelly is worn with atop hat, whitebreeches and blackriding boots. In recent years, some governing organizations have required that riders wear approved safety helmets instead of traditional hats and caps.[1] Ideally white gloves should also be worn for a fully correct turnout, although many riders will wear black gloves while showing to make undesirable hand posture less conspicuous.
In the hunter ring, shadbellies have shorter, unweighted tails, compared to the long-weighted dressage tails.
