WEF – Scrim a dim dim
Maybe this is the case at all the big horse shows… it probably is. Remember, I show locally and my A/AA experience is just as a bystander at mostly regional A shows. Before I visited WEF, the biggest show I’d ever watched was the Duke Children’s Classic in my hometown of Raleigh, NC.
At Duke there were lots of amazing horses, but I don’t remember scrim sheets. WEF has tons of amazing fashion and beautiful horses, but I swear the scrim sheets stand out to me the most.
Every horse has one.
Practically, I think they are for keeping the dirt off your horse as it travels to and from the horse show. There’s a lot of footing dust and dirt from golf carts… so I guess this makes sense?
Mostly, I think they’re for branding and to look pretty.
And they are oh, so pretty.
And I want one now.
Since I have practically 0 reason for a scrim sheet (they aren’t even that expensive… I just have no need!) I will have to settle for these photos of all the pretty color combinations.
Help me shed some light on this topic… what would you use a scrim sheet for? Do you have one? Do you want one? Am I the only one who’s obsessed?!
35 thoughts on “WEF – Scrim a dim dim”
I ALWAYS wondered what those were for! Very interested to hear what people say! I like the way coolers look too, but of course those are really only useful when it’s somewhat cold outside!
I would totally use one if I did hunters. I abhor dusty tack. All that standing around at the rings at h/j can get you so dusty. Plus, they’re pretty!
If I did much standing around rings I’d probably get one too. As for now, I don’t. :/
Speaking as a former groom- they are largely to reduce the dust/slobber marks and, for some sensitive horses, help with flies. That ring dust sticks to saddles like CRAZY so if we would be sitting ringside saddled, I preferred to have something covering the saddle. Some brands are more effective than others with this. The finer weavers are WONDERFUL- Triple Crown customs and the The Clothes Horse are favorites of mine.
As a marketer for equestrian business- you can’t beat the branding and name recognition value of having your colors and farm name on a gorgeous, show ring ready horse right at the center of the action 😀
They are gorgeous! But I’ve never been able to justify owning one either… I had a cotton type scrim sheet once that I mostly used for cooling-out, but when I could actually afford a cooler I gave that “scrim” to someone else. It wasn’t quite like these though, it was heavier.
That being said, bumping off of what Kristin said, in hindsight I do have this teal “fly sheet” which, after thinking about it, is more like a scrim sheet… really pretty trimming and just a band under the belly and a loop for the tail, nothing you would turn your horse out in. So I always use it for shows to keep flies off- but I guess it keeps him clean too so it works both ways 😀
They are most definitely for keeping dust off the horses & tack and also to get the barn name out there. The sand from the ring gets everywhere, I feel like it is very similar to going to the beach lol. I currently do not own one anymore, but yes I’m just as obsessed as you, and I want another one haha
I had one when I was showing (local circuit). I feel so fashionable now 🙂 Like Kristen said, I used more mine to combat dirt/dust and flies.
I thought about purchasing one and then realized I really have no need. If I still showed hunters I would probably get one, but as it is in Eventing I switch tack between dressage & jumping and just wipe my horse down with a wet cloth. He never seems to get very dusty 🙂 But they are so pretty!
In addition to keep the dust off of the horses, the closer weave scrim sheets can keep the horses from bleaching out in the sun while waiting for their class.
Ha, I’m based in Raleigh now and visit the Duke show every year (bystander, like you) and scrim sheets aren’t all the popular even now. But they sure are pretty!
I wonder if that’s because there’s not much standing around at those showgrounds (or mine here). We pretty much go from stall to show to stall again.
I have used one while crazing hue after a hose down in the summer. He seems much happier about the fly situation and it doesn’t seem to make him hot or inhibit drying. I don’t have one of my own but I could see myself getting one in the future.
Scrims have always been popular out here 🙂 probably because of the heat + flies all summer long.
LOL…scrim sheets are used for many things; protect from flies, dry a wet horse, act as a cooler, keep the back warm, protect from the hot sun, etc. We always use a light scrim/fly sheet at shows too.
What I want to know is if the riders at these shows ever do anything with their horses other than ride? Seriously, they are all being held by grooms? Bizzaro land
They will usually cuddle their horses if they’re waiting to jog? hahaha
jog, lol. Someday I’ll be in a division I have to jog for 🙂
The groom thing is hard to get used to, but it’s amazing how quickly I have! (lol) It’s nice having someone to hold your horse while you pee, eat, watch some other rounds go, etc. (at our barn anyway) people usually don’t stray far from their horse, even if a groom is helping out, but it makes it easier to check your course, avoid getting slobber on your white shirt, or whatever else. It is a little strange to just get a leg up and go… and if you’ve got a good full service groom, you can definitely get away with never doing a thing aside from getting on, riding and getting off. pretty crazy.
I want one! Mine would be plum with grey trim! Sigh.
Mine would be my barn colors, charcoal with burgundy trim!
The luxury of Raleigh is that you don’t have to travel far from the barn to the rings. Most people get popped up on there horses at the ring and the ponies also can go back to their stalls and actually make it back for the jog.
I meant to say “they get popped up on their horses at the barn and just ride to the ring”
I never saw a scrim when I was eventing, but in H/J land they are very prevalent at the larger shows. Our barn has a big stack (from The Clothes Horse) that are simply branded with the farm name, though a few folks have matching ones with their horse’s names on them instead..
For the summer shows (and winter circuits) they definitely keep the dust off, flies off and oddly can make some shade for the horses while they inevitably wait around ringside. For the trainers it’s a great way to show off your brand (especially as horses walk back to their stalls with ribbons attached) and for riders and spectators, it makes it really easy to find your horse/barn mates/wife/whatever as you scan hundreds of bay horses across several rings.
I love the scrims. I think they add polish to your final turnout, give you a sense of “team colors” while you are ring side and help the grooms and horses out a bit too 🙂
We basically either have scrims on the horses or their comparable wool dress sheets for colder shows (also branded with the farm name). The barn also has a few matching rain sheets for the inevitable rainy outdoor waiting in the PNW…. Basically if the horses leave the barn tacked up to show, they’ve got some sort of lovely, branded, weather appropriate covering on.
I’ve never had my horse stand outside the arena when I’m not on it, so they don’t seem terribly practical in my situation. But they sure are pretty! And Paddington may need Embroidered Things if we actually show more. Muahahahaha!!!
Out here on west coast, flies are a huge reason for using scrim sheets. Also some have SPF so they help prevent coat bleaching out from standing in the sun all weekend.
I have the Rambo scrim. I got it to use at overnight shows when it was too hot for a stable sheet, but helps to keep most dust off. Very useful with a densely coated black horse in a stall full of shavings. I’ve used it a few times, don’t do many overnight shows anymore.
great. I didn’t need one and now I MUST have it. One more thing on the wish list!
This has nothing to do with scrim sheets, but I’m pretty positive that groom in the black shirt and hat with the chestnut pony worked with me at Saratoga.
Lauren, you can have mine. I have gorgeous custom one from Clothes Horse that I’ve used all of maybe 2x lol. I think I got it because it is so pretty!
LOL and that’s exactly the reason why I haven’t purchased one! I think I’d be the exact same way.
I’ve always used mine as the summer alternative to a wool cooler, although admittedly I’ve used it very rarely over the years. I worked in a tack shop and it was just one of those things that the more I walked past it each day the more I had to have it (the employee discount helped my decision). Depending on the fabric they can have a wicking property to help dry a wet horse. Mine is a big rectangular type, not fitted, which is nice because it easily fits over anything and everything.
I actually got one last year off of ebay for practically nothing. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet because I ended up doing hardly no shows last year but it is heavy enough to use as a very lightweight cooler and light enough to help keep the flies/dust off without overheating. I guess I’ll see how much I use it this year to know if it was worth it, but it was red and black which is our colors so how could I resist?? (Of course this was back when I had a little extra $$ for these things!)
I want one!!! Totally don’t need one at the moment but I am sure it will be something i acquire sooner then later, in barn colors of course 🙂
I mean Henry needs to look cute and fashionable, I mean stay clean and happy while waiting for our classes 🙂
They are definitely pretty to look at. I’m glad I’m not the only one who never really knew EXACTLY what they were for. But man… It’s like sexy lingerie. 🙂
Definite must have in FL to help with dust/dirt, flies, and the sun. I use one that I won however my trainer wants all of us to buy custom ones. At $300 for the custom I will be sticking to my freebie!
There are a few other reasons that scrims are useful. Since they do keep the flies off, it keeps tail swishing to a minimum. When you have a fake in, you don’t want them to swish because it pulls on the real tail hairs. It also blocks the sun from baking them in the heat by keeping air circulating. I know it sounds weird since you would think it would make them hotter, but think of it as their own personal airy tent. The last reason, especially when waiting for the jog, is that it provides constant “hair lay down and look pretty” action. 🙂
They’re so pretty!
We have a hoofcare business so I would mostly just use one for business promotion – but as it is I have a really nice Weatherbeeta wick cooler that I use between classes at shows!
Simon would look great in your barn colours!