Do you think riding will go back to 'traditonal' ?

I've recently done a terrible thing and bought a couple of webbing bridles :o I got fed up of cleaning my nice leather ones every time I rode because they got wet!

I have traditional bling on my bridles, in the shape of clenchers. It took a lot of searching to find proper made in England, English leather bridles, with a cavesson noseband.

Baby cob even has them on his leather headcollar, to go with his carthorseyness. :D

I have two pairs of leather brushing boots, one of which are Sabre event boots. I don't expect to ever use them again, but I'm not selling them for the price of a cheap neoprene pair!
 
twobearsarthur said:
This thread made me smile as my mum declared the other day (after I bought a pink bucket) that the colour pink is solely responsible for the decline in horsemanship?!?!?!?!
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Haha! Your mother sounds like a legend. I was taught to ride in a stables where brown numnahs were compulsory, the most exotic browband was a velvet one in blue. Not having a pink numnah never did me any harm!
 
i dont think it will go back no, the market for bling, matchy and outrageously coloured products is still on a huge upward curve and more and more people are getting *in* to it.

i much prefer the technical materials used now to what i see in pics of the good old days-a light, stetchy softshell jacket V itchy heavy wool or tweed, no contest.

Rugs are better cut and again, of better more user friendly materials.

tack wise i adore bling and matchy and as more and more kids get in to dressage and SJ, the market for it again gets bigger.

p.s i have pink, lilac, and glittery buckets :)
 
The future lies in multicoloured hi-vis tweed effect jackets!

I am actually very fond of both traditional and modern, tbh. Years ago, when I was a teenager, I used to own a brilliant waxed jacket, I really miss that coat :( Incredibly warm and waterproof. My mother randomly donated it to charity one day. But I also loved my pink hi-vis gear and diamante browband that I bought for my mare in 2011. I still have the tabard and headband, the rest went with her when I sold her.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
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i much prefer the technical materials used now to what i see in pics of the good old days-a light, stetchy softshell jacket V itchy heavy wool or tweed, no contest.

Rugs are better cut and again, of better more user friendly materials.
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I agree!

One doesn't ski in leather boots on wood skis any more, nor do mountain climbers assault the Eiger in tweed and wool as they did in the Edwardian era. The Equestrian sports are just that ...SPORTS!

Like all other sports, we have much better materials and cut/fit in garments and equipment these days for performance and efficiency.

No need for the equestrian world to be stuck 100 or so years out of date.
 
A few years ago I was lucky enough to find a pair of VERY old fashioned jods, the type with wings, in a charity shop. Just for a laugh I teamed them up with an equally vintage hacking jacket, hunting stock, a bowler hat and a hairnet, the whole outfit, and went on a short hack wearing them. I was amazed at the effect it had on the car drivers, the outfit had much more impact than hi viz, drivers were so respectful....slowing right down, holding back and passing me really slowly. Of course it could have been because I looked ridiculous but hey ho, whatever the reason it worked!!
 
I like a bit of bling... but not a lot. Did at one point :o Back to brown tack, tweed, no noseband, a handful of rugs, and yes, Dan has a leather headcollar :p
Doesn't mean we don't do all in a slightly more... pretty way ;) Not to mention comfortable! We have a bit of matchy too. In fact, almost everything is matchy... but definitely not pink!
 
Kunstenaar said:
I agree!

One doesn't ski in leather boots on wood skis any more, nor do mountain climbers assault the Eiger in tweed and wool as they did in the Edwardian era. The Equestrian sports are just that ...SPORTS!

Like all other sports, we have much better materials and cut/fit in garments and equipment these days for performance and efficiency.

No need for the equestrian world to be stuck 100 or so years out of date.
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I could be a traditionalist climber and whip out my woollens and hobnailed boots, because really, who wants to be modern with all that lightweight Gore Tex, nylon, fleece, and synthetic insulation. I should chuck out my nylon rope as well and see if I can find a hemp rope and I definitely don't want those cams, nuts, and hexes any more, not when some dodgy pitons will do.

Or, equestrianism should go the way of mountaineering, in terms of efficacy, comfort, and lightness of gear and also colours which are easy for Mountain Rescue to spot. I'm doing my bit:

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We do the wax jacket look as well:

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One of my horsey goals this year is hacking out sidesaddle in correct habit on my tall, elegant Arabian. When I was a girl (grasps walking sticks with gnarled hands), there was a very grand lady, Miss Boultbee Brookes, who was a stalwart of the Worcestershire Hunt. She always hacked out side saddle, looking immaculate on one of her lovely hunters. Her groom was a horse length behind, leather gaiters and flat cap, on his smart cob. I used to dread meeting her as I hacked over to the smithy on my Exmoor pony, with me wearing ex Land Girl breeches, stout boots and one of my father's old RAF sweaters. She would glare down at me from 17hh+ of quality horseflesh and bellow "Child! You are improperly dressed. Disgraceful!". She would ride on, stony faced, groom following on behind, eyes front. She is now turning in her family vault, I should imagine: Bling? Matchy matchy in pink? Pale blue stable implements? She will be thanking the appropriate deity that she is not alive to witness such poor form!
 
Caol ila - very interesting-looking saddle you and lovely pony have there: please could you tell me what it is- for a particular discipline, perhaps? Looks comfortable and well made, whatever it is. Many thanks!
 
It's made by an American company called Orthoflex. It is, in fact, a dressage saddle as imagined by people who made Western and endurance saddles but who had clearly never seen a dressage saddle (it's older than the internet). So they made it up. The point of it is that it sits on panels that move with the horse and doesn't mind when the horse loses or gains muscle or weight or indeed, when it's put on a different horse, and it has saved me from saddle-fitting woes over the last 17 years I've had it. The downside is that it is an absolute pig to ride in and does nothing nice for your equitation. It puts you in a terrible chair seat. Nowadays you can buy paneled saddles (stop giving your saddles booze!) that look like normal dressage saddles, but this one was at the cutting edge at the time and I can't afford to replace it.
 
Oh Burmilla, Miss Boultbee Brookes sounds like an excellent character! Much like the legendary ladies of Sandon Saddlery round here, one of whom has sadly passed. Formidable types indeed! I don't think I have ever seen anyone actually hacking in a hacking jacket, if they were side saddle I'd probably want to take pictures!

Caol Ila - I was trying to work out that saddle too, is it like a reactor panel saddle?

Long live technical fabrics in visible colours!
 
I miss the whole traditional look and way that horses were looked after (for the most part). Can understand that the sport has to move on at some stage and fashion evolves, but I still love to see a traditional rider, and love showing/WH classes. :)
 
gala said:
A few years ago I was lucky enough to find a pair of VERY old fashioned jods, the type with wings, in a charity shop. Just for a laugh I teamed them up with an equally vintage hacking jacket, hunting stock, a bowler hat and a hairnet, the whole outfit, and went on a short hack wearing them. I was amazed at the effect it had on the car drivers, the outfit had much more impact than hi viz, drivers were so respectful....slowing right down, holding back and passing me really slowly. Of course it could have been because I looked ridiculous but hey ho, whatever the reason it worked!!
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Excellent! If you have pics you really should post them!
 
Auslander said:
Woman after my own heart! I have a Lauriche dressage saddle of a similar age, and I prize it above rubies (or diamante) I could do with it being an inch longer in the seat, but I would rather reduce size of bottom than change it for another, less fabulous saddle!
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I've got three Lauriche saddles - dressage, working hunter and the refurbed one which is a GP. I used the working hunter as by winter saddle with a waterproof hi viz cover and matching webbing hi viz bridle which I made myself. Summer is naked GP and Kate Negus leather bridle time. I don't use the dressage very often but it's too beautiful to contemplate getting rid of (and it's in wonderful condition).
 
Kunstenaar said:
Like all other sports, we have much better materials and cut/fit in garments and equipment these days for performance and efficiency.
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I would beg to differ, there are loads of things that are now of much poorer quality and fit than they used to be. I have found it impossible to find a hacking jacket or huntcoat off the peg to fit me (too long in the arms being the most common problem) yet my mother's old huntcoat still fits me like a glove! Leather is crap compared the to quality of yesteryear and don't get me started on jods! It is totally impossible to buy reasonabley priced jods that last, don't lose their shape, split at the seams or fade. I have loads of years old jods that still look great and have kept their shape and colour (and the zips still work!), infact I have one pair that I've had since I was 15 (now 35) and I still wear them (though admittedly they are now on their last legs). Funnily enough, all these jods have 'Made in England' on the label, wonder if that has anything to do with it??

The biggest improvement from the horses' POV is turnout rugs, but this has led to many animals being rugged that either don't need it or would be better off without, foals, youngsters, even native youngsters.. :rolleyes: but that's another thread!
 
I went through a stage in my teens where I had a tea cosy for my horses ears, I had every boot and bandage available in every different colour and I over did everything. My mum told me one day I would look back and cringe at all the crap I put on my horses, and I really do, what did I subject my POOR horses to?!

I like everything simple and smart now, clean and tidy but neutral. life doesn't get more exciting that navy blue on our yard, and I really do prefer it that way. :)
 
I like to swap and change depending to how i'm feeling ;)
I love a bit of bling and all my horses' bridles are very blingy, patent, rolled etc!

However, a few years back a borrowed from a lady THE most AMAZING wool rug. It was tweed and soooooo soft! Like cashmere for horses. I looked everywhere to buy one but couldn't find one anywhere :(
 
I rode as a kid in the 70s and early 80s but not much so have only vague recollections of the wonder of NZ Rugs etc. I then came back into it through my daughter around 12-13 years ago

When she got her first pony everything was pink and purple and sparkly and I have to say I got sucked in by the cuteness, and even now he has an enviable collection of head collars and numnahs from that era, I look upon them with nostalgic fondness of a simpler time. He probably had way more rugs than a native pony ever needed but he seemed happy enough. Nowadays he is naked and hairy and probably better for it and my daughter has abandoned her pinks and purples for more mature and durable styling, which is as it should be I guess.

So, to answer the question, I think bling and snazzy colours are here to stay, but I wonder if we may see less unneccessary tack and supplements and more natural feeds (thinking of the mollassed chaff thread)
 
Where I used to keep my horse one of the full livery owners was z very dashing man who used to ride at the weekend fully kitted out including tweed hacking jacket and would pick a flower out of the hanging baskets for his button hole

That was only 8 - 10 years ago.

I like modern fabrics but no bling and prefer brown or black , fairly old fashioned in that way. Do have a red head collar as only cheap one in right size!
 
Like all things, you've got to embrace the good with the bad!

I like quality tack, but also unusual things. I don't really like bright colours, but do love sparkles. Hate to see flash nosebands, especially on horses that don't need them. Got Pip some new bits and bobs and had to spend the weekend cutting flash hoops of cavessons... Wouldn't have anything other than a leather headcollar!
 
Has anybody noticed how hard it is to find a simple, havana brown cavesson bridle these days? Everything we own (apart from colour co-ordinated feed and water buckets for each horse) is plain. Saddle pads are black or navy and a white square for dressage. Boots are black, bandages are dark, tack is plain, best leather head collars, rugs are as plain as possible and I still send my hunters of in wool Witney rugs with a surcingle :)... All schooled and hacked in snaffles and I'd die before I placed pink or white bandages on anything.

I nearly threw up from a migraine after I saw a blingy hacks bridle a few weeks ago, more crystals than a TOWIE vajazzle. Traumatising for sure.
 
I much prefer more traditional stuff, my horse has a plain black saddlecloth - it's a second hand prolite one for comfort, an old flat hunter bridle with brass buckles (also second hand) and a leather head collar I found in the shed with a brass clenchers on the cheek pieces - could be considered bling I guess? But it's the best fitting head collar I've found for him! I don't think leather boots look as comfortable as neoprene ones though, he has black woof boots. He'd look a right tit in pink/purple/sparkly stuff to be honest, and so would I!
 
I used to be quite matchy matchy on my ponies and loved pink and bling.

These days I'm much more traditional - but that might be because I now have a 'smarter' horse (for lack of a better term, no offence intended to anyone!) who I prefer to have brown ect for.

Used to have all burgundy for SJ but since I got my beautiful brown and sheepskin 5 point breastplate, he just wears a White saddlecloth for sj too as I think he looks smarter.

I still have all burgundy travel gear, and have a gorgeous (ha) gay pride rainbow head collar which makes me giggle every time i see it. I'm not gay but my horse is I swear but unfortunately I got a lovely burgundy one for my birthday and don't wish to offend my mum by not having it on him!

I do have colour coded water buckets/feed buckets/grooming kits though as like them to have their own (especially feed buckets as 1 is on medication) so they don't get mixedup :)
 
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