A stable belt is a striped coloured belt worn at times by the armed forces of the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and a few other countries including Denmark, Brazil and Lebanon. The stripes vary by regiment and corps, identifying the wearer's unit. In Brazil and Lebanon they are known as gymnastic belts.

The term "stable belt" originates from when UK cavalrymen would place the surcingle around the waist when cleaning the stables and tending to their horses.^[1] In the 1950s they spread to all branches of the armed forces, adding a splash of colour and individuality to the drab khaki working uniforms. Initially they were resisted by many senior officers, who saw them as too individualistic, but they soon became accepted throughout the UK forces, and spread to the forces of a number of other countries. The "gymnastic belt" of some countries has a similar appearance and purpose, with a name reflecting its origin in physical training equipment. Sword belts of similar appearance are used on ceremonial occasions by some military forces.^[2][3]

The Australian Army adopted the stable belt in the late 1970s, however they were removed from service in 1995.^[4]

In Brazil, the gymnastic belt (Portuguese: cinto ginástico) is one of the most traditional elements of the uniforms of the Military Firefighters Corps. It has been used with few modifications since 1887.^[5] Made of cotton and leather, earlier examples were reinforced to serve as climbing harnesses. Modern gymnastic belts are of lighter construction and only worn as ceremonial item. There are two versions of the gymnastics belt:

For Officers:

The belt is red with a horizontal stripe in blue, with silver-coloured metal buckles. In the 1960s, the leather components were white.

For other ranks (sergeants, corporals, and privates):

The belt is red, with gold-coloured metal buckles.

The Danish Army, Home Guard, and Air Force all use stable belts. The Danish Defence's close co-operation with the British Army of the Rhine in the 1950s created the interest in a similar belt for the Guard Hussar Regiment, which was introduced in 1968.^[6] In the late 1970s it was decided to allow stable belts for all regiments in Denmark. The design of the belt would be based on the colours of the regiment, and a colour to signify their role. To show the transition between role and regiment colours, a thin line was introduced, there is however no system with these.^[7][8]

• Red: Combat troops
• Blue: Signal troops
• Gray: HMAK

The Danish armed forces have had a total of 43 different stable belts, of which about sixteen remain in use. Only the standard black stable belt is issued, other belts have to be purchased individually, so are neither regulation nor compulsory.^[9]

• 
  Standard belt used by Danish forces
• 
  Royal Life Guards
• 
  Schleswig Regiment of Foot (2.Reg)
• 
  Jutland Dragoon Regiment
• 
  Guard Hussar Regiment
• 
  Guard Hussar Regiment III. Battalion
• 
  Danish Artillery Regiment
• 
  Engineer Regiment
• 
  Logistic Regiment
• 
  Joint Signals Regiment
• 
  Intelligence Regiment
• 
  Army Staff
• 
  Danish Home Guard
• 
  Joint Arctic Command
• 
  Royal Danish Air Force
• 
  United Nations peacekeeping

• 
  Danish Life Regiment
  1.Reg
• 
  Prince's Life Regiment
  3.Reg
• 
  Zealand Life Regiment
  4.Reg
• 
  Funen Life Regiment
  6.Reg
• 
  King's Jutlandic Regiment of Foot
  7 & 9.Reg
• 
  Queen's Life Regiment
  8.REG
• 
  Marine Regiment
• 
  Army Combat and Fire Support Center
• 
  Crown Artillery Regiment
• 
  King's Artillery Regiment
• 
  Queen's Artillery Regiment
• 
  North Jutland Artillery Regiment
• 
  Southern Jutland Artillery Regiment
• 
  Zealandic Logistic Regiment 1961-1997
  Danish International Logistical Center 2000-2005
• 
  Zealand Engineer Regiment
• 
  Zealand Signal Regiment
• 
  Jutlandic Air Defence Regiment
• 
  Army Air Service
• 
  Armed Forces Bornholm
  (all branches)
• 
  Intendant Corps
• 
  HMAK

Lebanese firefighters (الدفاع المدني, i.e. "Civil Defense") use the same type of gymnastic belt as used by firefighters in Brazil.

The various Corps and Regiments of the New Zealand Army wear stable belts. Most corps wear the same patterns of belt as their counterparts in the British Army^[10][11]

Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles;

The QAMR belt is black with a central amber stripe as used by the original Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles, they are also the colours of the Taranaki, where the unit's foundations were laid in the early 1860s.

Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment;

Personnel of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, with the exception of those serving in Territorial Force battalion groups, wear the regimental belt of the Durham Light Infantry, being rifle green with two thin red stripes. The belt was adopted as the RNZIR Corps belt in 1970. The Durham Light Infantry regimental belt was given to the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment when it relieved the 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry at Sarawak, Borneo in May 1966.

New Zealand Special Air Service;

Originates from belt worn by the British Special Air Service. It was first worn in 1965 by 1 Detachment, 1 Ranger Squadron NZSAS. The colours originate from a concept by David Stirling integrating the Oxford Blue and Cambridge Blue.^[12]

Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment;

The Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment stable belt is blue with a silver buckle displaying the regimental badge surrounded by the regimental motto "Ma Nga Hua Tu-Tangata" (By our actions we are known).

The reserve battalions of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment retain their own patterns of stable belt. In 2013 the reserve battalions were amalgamated, reducing their number from six to three. No decision was made on the future of the various battalions' belts.^[10]

2nd (Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast) Battalion;

Rifle green, as worn by the Battalions Allied Regiment, The Royal Irish Rangers.

3rd (Auckland (Countess of Ranfurly's Own) and Northland) Battalion;

Two sets of thin red and white stripes on a black background, adopted in 1995. Originally the belt consisted of three evenly-sized stripes of red, black, and white, and were based on the regiment's colours.

4th (Otago and Southland) Battalion;

The Otago and Southland Regimental belt is that of Queen's Own Highlanders, and is the pattern of the McKenzie tartan.

5th (Wellington West Coast and Taranaki) Battalion;

Two separate belts are worn; officers and warrant officers wear a black belt with central stripes of red, green, yellow, mauve, and red, while soldiers below the rank of warrant officer wear a black belt with central stripes of yellow, red, green, and mauve. The belts adopted in 1973 were based on the Royal Hampshire Regiment with colours stemming from the regimental colours and the colours of the lace and facings on the uniforms of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment.

6th (Hauraki) Battalion;

Thames blue with a gold strip in the middle, derived from the old Royal Warwickshire Regiment which in turn is derived from the old 6th Regiment of Foot. The 6th Foot were once charged with guarding the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London; hence the blue of the belt represents the Thames river and the gold stripe, the crown jewels.^[13] The belt was introduced in 1975 and has a buckle in worn centre which has the Regiments badge mounted.

7th (Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay) Battalion;

The 7th Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay Battalion Group inherited the York and Lancaster Regiment stable belt. The belt is composed of maroon bands at the top and bottom (16mm wide), with a centre stripe of black (18mm wide) with a silver stripe above and gold stripe (each 6mm wide) below the centre strip. The York and Lancaster Regiment was allied to the Wellington Regiment in 1913 in recognition of the York and Lancs (65th of Foot) 19 year participation in the New Zealand Wars.

A stable belt is a wide webbing belt comprising a single solid colour or horizontally striped in two or more different colours. The original cavalry regiment stable belts buckled at the side using leather straps in order to both avoid chafing the wearer's stomach while undertaking stable work and avoid marking or catching upon the horse's harness. Many contemporary stable belts now secure at the front using a metal clip or metal plate bearing a regimental/service emblem. Whilst a limited number of army regiments, including the Light Infantry, secure their stable belts at the front using the original two leather straps, generally those belts fitted with leather straps are secured on the left-hand side.

The belt is worn around the waist and in the case of PCS is fitted through the trouser belt loops. In the British Army and Royal Marines, when worn with barrack dress, the belt is placed either through the belt loops of trousers or a skirt, or over a jersey. In the Royal Air Force (RAF), it is worn with service working dress (No. 2 dress) either covering the top of the trousers (or skirt) and the lower part of the shirt, or through the belt loops if able to accommodate the belt's width. Unlike the Army, the RAF do not wear the belt over the jersey. (The former Royal Observer Corps conformed to RAF dress regulations). Historically, the Royal Navy rarely wore stable belts unless working in a tri-service environment. However, these are now available as part of the new Royal Navy uniform RNPCS, replacing the old No. 4 Dress.

Stable belts are worn with most styles of informal dress, but not with full dress, service dress or mess dress. Every regiment and corps of the British Army has its own stable belt and, as is the case throughout the UK armed services, belts are not issued but purchased by individual service personnel at their own expense and are therefore optional items of uniform/equipment. However, their widespread use effectively renders them a standard uniform item.

The following belt patterns are shown in cross section, the stripes actually being horizontal as worn, and are actually considerably wider than shown, although the stripes are shown in correct proportion. Where belts are asymmetric, the left-hand side of the illustration is the uppermost as worn.

Foot Guards		Royal Regiment of Scotland		Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
Duke of Lancaster's Regiment		Royal Regiment of Fusiliers		Royal Anglian Regiment
Yorkshire Regiment		Mercian Regiment		Royal Welsh
Royal Irish Regiment		Parachute Regiment		Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Rifles		Special Air Service		Royal Gibraltar Regiment

Many of these belts are still worn by sub-units.

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders		Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment		Black Watch
Border Regiment		The Buffs		The Cameronians
				Douglas Tartan
Cheshire Regiment		Devonshire and Dorset Regiment		Devonshire Regiment
Dorset Regiment		Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry		7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles
Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment		Duke of Wellington's Regiment		Durham Light Infantry[40]
1st East Anglian Regiment		2nd East Anglian Regiment		3rd East Anglian Regiment
East Lancashire Regiment		East Surrey Regiment		East Yorkshire Regiment
Essex Regiment		Gloucestershire Regiment		Gordon Highlanders
				Gordon Tartan
Green Howards		The Highlanders		Highland Light Infantry
		Gordon Tartan
2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles		King's Own Royal Border Regiment		King's Own Royal Regiment
King's Own Scottish Borderers		King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry		King's Regiment
Leslie Tartan
King's Regiment (Liverpool)		King's Royal Rifle Corps		King's Shropshire Light Infantry
Lancashire Fusiliers		Lancashire Regiment		The Light Infantry
Loyal Regiment		Manchester Regiment		Middlesex Regiment
Northamptonshire Regiment		North Staffordshire Regiment		Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire		10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles		6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles
Queen's Lancashire Regiment		Queen's Own Buffs		Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Queen's Own Highlanders		Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment		Queen's Regiment
MacKenzie Tartan
Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)		Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment		The Rifle Brigade
Royal Berkshire Regiment		Royal Fusiliers		Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
Royal Green Jackets		Royal Hampshire Regiment		Royal Highland Fusiliers
				MacKenzie Tartan
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers		Royal Irish Fusiliers		Royal Irish Rangers
Royal Leicestershire Regiment		Royal Lincolnshire Regiment		Royal Norfolk Regiment
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers		Royal Regiment of Wales		Royal Scots
				Hunting Stewart Tartan
Royal Scots Fusiliers		Royal Sussex Regiment		Royal Ulster Rifles
Green Erskine Tartan
Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers		Royal Welch Fusiliers		Seaforth Highlanders
Sherwood Foresters		Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry		Somerset Light Infantry
South Lancashire Regiment		South Staffordshire Regiment		South Wales Borderers
Staffordshire Regiment		Suffolk Regiment		Ulster Defence Regiment
Welch Regiment		West Yorkshire Regiment		Wiltshire Regiment
Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment		Worcestershire Regiment		York and Lancaster Regiment

These stable belts may still be worn by sub-units.

• Jobson, Christopher (2009). Looking Forward, Looking Back: Customs and Traditions of the Australian Army. Wavell Heights, Queensland: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9803251-6-4.
• Materiel Regulations for The Army, Volume 3, Pamphlet No.16, Optional items of dress, Ministry of Defence, London, 1995

• Stable Belts
• Society of the Military Horse