Rider dress and safety in show jumping: helmet, body protector and regulation attire

In show jumping the first rule is not about the fence, but about the person jumping it: how the rider must be dressed and protected. The FISE National Regulation devotes a whole chapter to dress and safety. Here we explain what is mandatory, when, and for whom.

In short

• Regulation attire is mandatory in competition, during the course walk, in the warm-up arena and at the prize-giving ceremony (Art. 24.1).
• A CE-approved hard hat, correctly fastened, is mandatory whenever you are mounted, even outside the arenas and even for those not entered (Art. 24.2).
• For Under 18 athletes a body protector is also mandatory when mounted, Guest Licence included (Art. 24.2).
• Required clothing: jacket (club/committee colours or plain), white or beige breeches, a plain shirt or polo, boots with a heel (Art. 24.3).
• A rider not compliant with the mandatory attire is fined 20 euros (Art. 24.10).
• Source: FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition).

Where and when regulation attire is required

The obligation does not apply only during the round. Under Art. 24.1 it covers four moments of the event: the competition, the course walk on foot, the warm-up arena and the prize-giving ceremony. In other words, from warm-up to the final photo the rider must be properly turned out. Less formal settings (club shows, training rounds) are the exception, with a simplified dress code provided by the rules.

The helmet: the rule with no exceptions

The heart of safety is Art. 24.2. Every rider, every time they are mounted during the event, must wear a hard equestrian hat compliant with the CE approval and marking required by European and national law, correctly fastened. The obligation is absolute: it applies even outside the warm-up and competition arenas, and covers those who are not entered in the event but get in the saddle. No class, age or level exempts anyone from the helmet.

A detail often overlooked: the helmet must be fastened properly. An unfastened helmet, in a fall, is simply not there. Military riders too, who compete in their corps uniform, are still bound by the hard-hat rule (Art. 24.4).

Under 18s and the body protector

For younger riders the protection goes further. Art. 24.2 also requires Under 18 athletes, when mounted — even outside the warm-up and competition arenas — to wear a body protector in addition to the helmet, or a similar protection, as set out by the FISE General Regulation (Book VII "Horses and Riders"). There is no loophole based on origin: it applies to Under 18s competing on a Guest Licence too.

The commentary. This is the soundest choice in the chapter: a teenager's body is still developing and falls in show jumping happen at real height and speed. Making the body protector mandatory by rule, not merely recommended, takes the decision out of the individual's hands.

The jacket, the colours and the rest of the attire

Art. 24.3 describes the permitted clothing, with some freedom on colour. The jacket may carry the colours of the club where the rider has sporting residence, those of the Regional Committee (with authorisation), or be any colour, even with different piping on collar and lapels or with light matching stripes. To complete it: white or beige breeches, a plain white or soft-coloured shirt or polo, a white tie or stock, and black or brown boots (which may be replaced by ankle boots with black leather half-chaps, not suede), always with a heel.

The rules allow practical variants: summer dress between 1 May and 30 September, with a polo and no tie instead of shirt and jacket (Art. 24.5); a simplified uniform for A and B licence holders in classes up to 110 cm (Art. 24.6); and, in bad weather, a raincoat or overcoat when authorised by the Ground Jury President (Art. 24.9). A rider who is not in order with the mandatory attire is fined 20 euros (Art. 24.10).

Tack and bits: here the regulation points elsewhere

One point must be made clear to avoid misunderstanding. The National Show Jumping Regulation does not list or regulate tack and bits in detail: in the relevant chapter ("Tack and Bits") it simply refers, with an explicit formula, to the appendix to the National Show Jumping Regulation, art. 16 and following. To know which bits, martingales, blinkers or other tack are allowed or forbidden you must therefore consult that specific source: this page, consistently, does not go into it and focuses on the rider's dress and safety.

The commentary. The chapter's logic is clear: maximum firmness where safety is at stake (helmet and body protector, no exceptions), more freedom where it is only a matter of aesthetics and belonging (the jacket colours). It is a good way to write a rule: hard on substance, flexible on form.

Related deep-dives

Back to the guide to show jumping rules for the full picture on course, penalties and participation.

Source and disclaimer

Content verified against the FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition), Art. 24 (rider dress and safety) and the "Tack and Bits" chapter (reference to the appendix, art. 16 and following). Verified on 15/09/2026. Independent, informational guide, unofficial and not affiliated with FISE: in competition the regulation in force prevails, and it updates by season.