Do you follow modern trends, or are you old fashioned at heart?

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MizElz

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I've been pondering on this for a couple of days now. Some people I know keep their horses as they would have done 60 years ago, and I think it's wonderful! Personally, I think I'm a bit old fashioned, having been brought up in a family who has worked in racing for countless years. It's things like feeding hot bran (I'm not going to start up another argument by calling it 'bran mash'
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) which seems to have been phased out in many places, and using a good ol' fashioned duvet and a proper witney rug when the horse has been clipped, instead of these fancy full-neck under rugs that are so freely available now. I also dont really like gadgets, although I admit they do have their uses - personally, I will always try to ensure that mine go in a snaffle or a double - and I can't abide the thought of the Myler bits and other continental contraptions. I don't like processed powder supplements; at home, I have a huge plastic chest filled to the brim with different herbs. We also have always - and will always - use straw, which I know many people think unfavourable these days.

This said, there are a couple of areas where we have 'caught up' - I feed a processed mix, for instance, whereas even just 8 years ago, our family were feeding oats, barley, linseed etc. And I use travelling boots.....but I do bandage underneath! And I have preference for black leather tack, which I suppose is definitely modern!
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What are your thoughts on this?
 
Ihave gone modern, probably because I like new things for my horses. So, I use the full neck rugs. I have a myler which I use and I think its a fabulous bit. Its dressage legal so wouldnt call it a contraption.

I like to move with the times and things have improved. I cant imagine ever going back to those old smelly jute rugs and new zealands that weighed a ton and got soaked through!
 
Im only 24 and yes I would say im oldfashioned - but I do the modern stuff so I dont get glared at at the yard! Plus I can just picture the yard staffs faces when they are faced with piles of duvets made into under rugs (I love being ablke to sew!!) haha!

They think I am weird as I like Old tack to - flat saddles with little knee rolls. Plain bridles - NO BLING what so ever other than a shiney horse. I love straw, but due to 'cost issues' am going to have to move to shavings - bah!

I have to use a complete feed due to lack of storage space (apparently some folk can have 4/5 bins yet I only get 1!!).
I do prefer bandages to boots, but lack of time means boots it is - if any!

I think I possibly read to many Jill(is that the name??) books when I was younger!
 
If it works I'll use it, if it doesn't I wont. If something modern is nicer for my horse, ie a fancy full neck rug or a Myler contraption (which are from the US by the way not the continent) I use them. I also trust the fact that horse nutrionist (sp) know a lot more than me about supplements so I use theirs.
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If it makes your life easier why not?
 
I am not sure using a duvet of any description is that old fashioned, i used to use a jute stable rug, then as many blankets underneath as conditions dictated, all carefully folded back and tucked under a roller.
Myler bits are not any kind of new fangled gadget, and there is a whole range of them - they are my first choice every time. In fact refusing to at least consider some new developments as being out of date purely for the sake of it, and won't do your horses any favours....


...but I am sure you feel very comfortable in your elephant ear breeches.
 
i, too like straw for bedding..but if an alternative needs to be used, then it definitely WON'T be shavings....hate them...i'd use either Bliss or Stable Fresh.

concentrates are much better these days, almost "numptee-free".
not keen on supplements, i feel they are overmarketed.

also another dislike of mine is the over use of rugs, far too much emphasis is placed on the use.

overall i feel things have moved on for the better..it's just the way things are applied that is a problem!
 
a bit of both. i won't discount anything till i've tried it. won't use straw, think it is disgusting stuff, i wouldn't even want a bale of it in my barn! i use cardboard which is absolutely dust-free, on top of rubber. no more capped hocks or scraped elbows, and much warmer as insulates from the cold ground. i won't feed haylage either - it's too acidic for horses imho, so i stick to good old-fashioned hay.
i have a few simple dressage-legal myler bits which are beautifully made and perfectly symmetrical, unlike nearly every old-fashioned snaffle i have ever seen... just hold a snaffle up by the middle joint and check the asymmetry.
thermatex rugs are a revelation, as are FAL and Rambos. light and really warm, must feel better than layer after layer of heavy wool rugs.
feeding, i won't feed pony nuts or mixes... it's like McDonalds for horses, you have no idea what they really put in them! i feed straights, and hardly any cereals.
i could go on an on, i think it's a case of what has worked for you in the past, for everyone.
 
I do a mixture of both old fashioned and modern methods. I love modern rugs as they are pretty, lightweight and practical, but I prefer bandages to boots and like using boiled barley and linseed etc - although I will balance the diet out with feed supplements. I also believe in strapping a horse to get it in top conditon which is definitely a dying skill! I think the main thing is to make sure what ever you do works for you and your horse. As long as the horse is happy and healthy, it doesn't matter how you get there.
 
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Im only 24 and yes I would say im oldfashioned - but I do the modern stuff so I dont get glared at at the yard! Plus I can just picture the yard staffs faces when they are faced with piles of duvets made into under rugs (I love being ablke to sew!!) haha!

They think I am weird as I like Old tack to - flat saddles with little knee rolls. Plain bridles - NO BLING what so ever other than a shiney horse. I love straw, but due to 'cost issues' am going to have to move to shavings - bah!

I have to use a complete feed due to lack of storage space (apparently some folk can have 4/5 bins yet I only get 1!!).
I do prefer bandages to boots, but lack of time means boots it is - if any!

I think I possibly read to many Jill(is that the name??) books when I was younger!

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ooh i remember the jill books! and the jackie ones, too! I've got loads of them somewhere!
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There have been huge advances in certain areas in the past 15 or 20 years, especially in our understanding of equine nutrition and certain areas of veterinary care. There are not "modern trends", but advances which have improved horses health and performance immensely. This I would not change.

As for rugs, well I for one would not want to go back to heavy, leaky, smelly canvas New Zealand's which never stayed put and rubbed horribly. Would you?

Bits: there have been advances in understanding of equine mouth anatomy and dental care, and these have informed the design of some bits, like the KK or Neue Schule range (and have trickled down to the less expensive manufacturers), and some of the Myler bits as well. If horses are more comfortable as a result, surely this is a good thing?

Yes, there are a lot of trends which are less beneficial, but on the whole I think horses are healthier and happier as a result of *most* of modern progress.
 
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If it works I'll use it, if it doesn't I wont. If something modern is nicer for my horse, ie a fancy full neck rug or a Myler contraption (which are from the US by the way not the continent) I use them. I also trust the fact that horse nutrionist (sp) know a lot more than me about supplements so I use theirs.
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If it makes your life easier why not?

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I didnt actually call the Myler bits contraptions - nor did I say they were from the continent! I said that i wouldnt use a Myler OR one of the continental contraptions - of which there are many!
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I also dont really like gadgets, although I admit they do have their uses - personally, I will always try to ensure that mine go in a snaffle or a double - and I can't abide the thought of the Myler bits and other continental contraptions.



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above is what you ACTUALLY said...Myler bits AND other......


so,as DD has said they don't come from the continent....
 
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I also dont really like gadgets, although I admit they do have their uses - personally, I will always try to ensure that mine go in a snaffle or a double - and I can't abide the thought of the Myler bits and other continental contraptions.



[/ QUOTE ]

above is what you ACTUALLY said...Myler bits AND other......


so,as DD has said they don't come from the continent....

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yes, i know what i said, meaning, "I wouldnt use a Myler bit (yes i know they are from US - didn think this needed saying).....or any of the other bits that have come from the continent" - because these seem to be in a similar vein.
The meaning is clear to me, why do you have to pull things apart all the time? Jeez!
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I also dont really like gadgets, although I admit they do have their uses - personally, I will always try to ensure that mine go in a snaffle or a double - and I can't abide the thought of the Myler bits and other continental contraptions.



[/ QUOTE ]

above is what you ACTUALLY said...Myler bits AND other......


so,as DD has said they don't come from the continent....

[/ QUOTE ]

You probably could have done without the the word OTHER then if you meant OR
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I also dont really like gadgets, although I admit they do have their uses - personally, I will always try to ensure that mine go in a snaffle or a double - and I can't abide the thought of the Myler bits and other continental contraptions.



[/ QUOTE ]

above is what you ACTUALLY said...Myler bits AND other......


so,as DD has said they don't come from the continent....

[/ QUOTE ]

yes, i know what i said, meaning, "I wouldnt use a Myler bit (yes i know they are from US - didn think this needed saying).....or any of the other bits that have come from the continent" - because these seem to be in a similar vein.
The meaning is clear to me, why do you have to pull things apart all the time? Jeez!
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[/ QUOTE ]

i haven't pulled anything apart...

your post above mine was correcting DD...Incorrectly.

your meaning maybe clear to you but about as clear as mud to me.
 
I personally think Im quite modern, but then maybe that's just because Im not as "mature" (no offence!) as some others on here, ie. I first started owning horses in the 90's. Although I do find old things in my tack room which I used to use back then like canvas new zealand rugs and surcingles etc. Wouldn't dream of using those things now! I like the new modern rugs, I like modern feed, I love my Myler bit etc.! I think I favour modern things because far more research has been put into them!
 
Someone has said this before but.... I do what is best for my horse, whether that be modern or old fashioned. Yeh il shove a duvet underneath a rug if i need to but underrugs have been developed so they are designed for a specific purpose - none of this slipping like u get with duvets!
I would love to be able to ride all my horses in snaffles and my trainer is currently retraining me and rock so that he is in a snaffle for everything - but he is in a KK snaffle which he prefers as it is sweeter tasting.

As for feed my horse has forced me into a corner by being allergic to mollases, wheat, barley, maize and soya which is in EVERY feed except readigrass....so thats all he gets. He gets a lot of dried herbs etc under the guidence of my homeopathic vet as and when he needs it but also uses modern supplements.

My view is just because they're new doesnt mean they're bad or gadgets - it just means that time has moved on and developed a better way of doing things (in most cases anyway) though its each to their own.
 
GI...What tests did your horse under-go to diagnose the allergic reaction??

very interested.

pm if you dont want to put on open
thanks in advance.
 
My goodness! I think you should use what suits. I have a wide shouldered, substantial horse and have found that none of the modern "complete system" (i.e. comes with winter liner, etc.) rugs fit her. In the end I found that the best rug in the whole world is the Horseware Rhino Original Turnout with detachable neck. The closures are so well designed and it fits like a made to measure.

I wouldn't use straw as I hate mucking it out and it is so untidy (not that I am a tidy freak). I tend not to use any supplements other than garlic and I am hopelessly unadventurous when it comes to trying new bits - I found that a loose ring snaffle seemed to work fine. I think I am a tad old fashioned and sometimes I need to be kick started into trying something new.

Maybe this has something to do with age, and also I think being on a yard with other people keeps you more up to date with everything
 
I love new ideas, but also like to give them a bit of time and let other people find any potential/actual problems that might arise first! With regard to rugs, I think the new materials are fantastic, easy to look after, light and comfortable for the horse and easy to wash and dry. With regard to new gadgets, everything was a new gadget at some point so don't write them off IMO. The feeds we are now able to buy are far more consistent in nutrients than the old straights used to be as they are produced by specialist companies whereas the "old" straights were not necessarily. I'm sure variables in straights have now been addressed anyway. I would not use bran except on the advice of my vet or a nutritionist. I don't feel there is a place for it as a regular feed anymore. We know more about the problems it can cause now, so are able to make an informed choice. The vitamin and mineral supplements I would not use unless I had a horse with a particular need. I do not feed Garlic anymore, personally I think that is a tradition which will fall by the wayside. I feed my mare dried kelp as there are no additives and horses will naturally munch on it given the chance. With regard to bedding.......I HATE straw. It stinks, it's horrid to muck out, you cannot fully control your horses' diet, I could go on and on. Also I feel we need to bear in mind that horses now live a lot longer than they used to, therefore with regards bedding, hay and consumables I like to keep with the times. Horses now can live easily until their 30's and 40's and that is an awfully long exposure to dust and allergens. I want my horse to be healthy when she is (hopefully!) 40 and I will do anything I can to prevent future problems. What's the saying....If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got!

Jo x
 
Hey guys, sorry didnt realise you had replied to me.

He underwent blood tests which were then sent to york tests (like with humans) and also had reactivity tests done - had this done because this time last year he came out in lumps all over his body which wouldn't go. The tests showed the he had allergic reactions to mollases, wheat, barley, maize and soya as well as the mould in hay (cant remember posh name for it) and dust and some random plants which he won't come in contact with anyway. Then got a nutritionist involved and well i can feed readigrass and oats lol but luckily hes a little ball of energy on nothing at the moment except a handful of readigrass to have some supplements!
 
is he stabled or does he live out?

was the hay stuff something like "spongifora" thingy?

you say you've cut out feeds...and just give him redi-grass.. can or do you introduce feeds or is it now a no-no??
 
Can't for the life of me remember the hay mould is called - I wrote it down somewhere lol

He lived out all summer and if i had my own way would still be living out but unfortunately the yard i'm at has them in at night now (and all other yards in the area are even worse and have them in 24 7) but hes in a open plan stable with bars which has loads of ventilation so he seems to be coping well at the mo.

I don't know about re introducing feeds but i'm thinking it'll probably be a no-no as although he may not have a reaction straight away, he eventually would with the build up of the feed. Thats what happened first time - hes been fine on the feed he was on for over a year and then he reached the level he could tolerate and started reacting - and now he reacts to everything! Sodding nightmare lol!
 
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