Can I wash my show coat?

R.J. Classics' care guide says some coats are dry-clean only, such as 100% wool fox hunting coats, and that other jackets may be machine washable, including its Blue, Grey and Orange Label show coats and shadbellies. Its shadbelly guide says the same thing in fewer words: check the care label first, because many modern shadbellies are machine washable while others require dry cleaning.

Washable coats are no longer unusual. When Horse Journal tested a batch of performance show coats in 2017, its testers machine-washed them and reported coats that were dry and wrinkle-free in less than half a day. The same article says natural-fiber coats that need dry cleaning had become harder to find than washable ones. It was the authors' own test of moderately priced coats from that year, so it shows what was possible then, not what your particular coat can take.

So the real question is what your label says. The rest of this page walks through how to read it, how to wash a coat that allows it, and what to do with one that doesn't.

We read the care instructions posted on the product pages in our competition jackets category. This is what makers print, not a test of how the coats behave, and your own coat's label always wins.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's guidance on the Care Labeling Rule says clothing labels must carry a washing or dry-cleaning instruction, and that a garment may be labeled Dryclean Only only if the maker has evidence that washing would damage it. A Dryclean Only label warns that the garment can't be washed.

The same page says that when a garment can be both washed and dry cleaned, the label needs only one of the two instructions. That is why the exact wording matters. A label that names only washing has done its job, and a label that says Dryclean Only is the one telling you not to put it in water.

The rule also says a label must warn against any procedure that would harm the garment, using words like 'Do not,' 'No,' or 'Only.' On a show coat, those are the lines about tumble drying, bleach, ironing and, on some coats, dry cleaning itself. Wool hunt coats and tweed are where we see dry clean only most often on our own listings, such as R.J. Classics' wool tweed hacking jackets. That is how the makers describe those coats, and it fits R.J. Classics' own guide, which names 100% wool fox hunting coats as dry-clean only.

That is close to what R.J. Classics' care guide recommends for its washable show coats. It says to machine wash on a gentle cycle, with water temperature set by the label (cold for most of its labels, warm for Orange Label), and to turn the coat inside out to prevent wear and color fading. A mesh laundry bag, it adds, further protects the coat and keeps the buttons intact. Its care chart lists mild detergent with no bleach or fabric softener.

Equinavia's care line on one of its show coats adds a point about hardware: close all zippers and buttons and wash the coat in a zipper laundry bag to prolong its life. 'No fabric softener' shows up on several makers' lines on our listings, including Equinavia, Horze and some R.J. Classics coats.

Horse Journal's testers took a more rugged approach, washing coats in a washer with a center agitator and using the spin cycle, but the article still says to follow the coat label and calls a gentle-cycle machine wash and hang-dry likely fine. If you want extra caution, it suggests a mesh bag and skipping the spin cycle, with the trade-off that the coat takes longer to dry. A tack-store owner quoted in the article said most coats can be swished in a bathtub, rolled in a towel and hung to dry, which is the hand-wash route if you would rather not use the machine and your label allows it.

How often? R.J. Classics says show coats don't need a full wash after every ride. Frequent washing, it says, can actually contribute to wear and tear unless the coat is visibly soiled, so spot clean with a damp cloth and mild soap between washes. A rider's review of a washable show coat, below, shows what a happy washer result sounds like.

On the listings we read, R.J. Classics' lines say lay flat or hang to dry, LeMieux and Tredstep say do not tumble dry, and Kerrits' show coat lines allow tumble dry low or no heat. R.J. Classics' care guide gives its reasons for air drying: heat and sun can fade colors or weaken fibers, and its general rules say not to tumble dry because direct heat can shrink fabric and damage stretch. It says to dry the coat out of direct sunlight, on a sturdy, padded hanger so the shoulders keep their structure.

For wrinkles, the same guide says to steam instead of ironing: a steamer safely releases wrinkles without risking fabric damage, while hot irons may burn or distort technical fibers. Its shadbelly guide repeats the advice, steaming before a show rather than ironing, which can damage some fabrics.

Ironing instructions vary by coat. We read lines such as 'Iron on a low setting' (B Vertigo), 'Do not iron' (Shires Aubrion), and, from R.J. Classics on one coat, low iron if needed with a cloth barrier. That is another reason the label is the final word. Horse Journal's testers also noted that soft-shell coats looked wrinkled at first but hung out flat by the time they were dry.

R.J. Classics says spot clean when possible, and that for small spots a damp cloth and mild soap are usually enough. It is advice from that maker's own guide for its show coats, so for a coat from a different maker, check that maker's line first.

If the label says Dryclean Only, the FTC page explains what that wording promises: the maker has said washing would damage the garment. We would not test that at home on a coat you need for a show. Horse Journal's article defers to the label too, and it gives no particular test for when to go to a professional cleaner.

Shadbellies are a special case. On several R.J. Classics shadbelly listings the coat can be machine washed but the points are dry clean only. R.J. Classics' shadbelly guide also says to store the tails flat or gently folded so they don't crease along the length.

R.J. Classics says to use a garment bag for long-term storage, and that a breathable bag in the off-season protects the coat from dust. It also says to avoid an overcrowded closet to keep the silhouette crisp, and its shadbelly guide says to hang the coat on a padded hanger inside a breathable garment bag to maintain its shape between shows.

Our show guide makes the same point from the show-ring side: buy what fits, and maintain it well. If you are still working out what to wear and when, what to wear to your first horse show covers the basics, and can I wear a colored show coat covers color. Our competition guide has the by-discipline view.

Washing a show coat is a lot like washing a white saddle pad: gentle, and check what the maker says. See how to keep white saddle pads white for the pad side of that routine, and how to clean and condition leather tack for the leather.