Following on from the post re "old school" how about old school tack?

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humblepie

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This may not be old school but brought on by a post from someone asking for livery near Market Harborough. When I was young I was very light and had some strong show jumping ponies which I used to compete in a snaffle and a market harborough. From memory I could compete BSJA in those days in it (not sure if you can now) but the Pony Club didn't approve. Hadn't seen anyone using a Market Harborough for years but now I quite often see them on some of the racehorses exercising near where I live. Also re the strong pony....he won loads and loads but I do remember jumping a parallel from the wrong direction one day when the steeering and brakes both failed and having to go to explain it to the stewards.....seem to think I had leather not rubber reins and it was raining!
 
My first pony had a half-panel, serge lined saddle - b----y uncomforable by the standards of today's spring tree, full panel saddles with lovely comfy knee rolls!
 
God I remember those..we had a pony years ago and that was the saddle he came with. Remember putting plimsoll whitener on it to try and get the serge bit to look respectable
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How about Lampwick girths...and string girths in a multitiude of colours. All my friends ponies wore one or the other.
Leather brushing boots with very stiff tabs and buckles that took longer to put on than you would spend riding!
Plaited leather reins were quite popular when I was young...drops or cavesson nosebands not a lot else!
Never rust bits 'cos stainless steel was quite expensive then - ie before they started importing it!
 
Speaking of old tack,.....been rummaging about in the loft today and found some very old pony bridles etc left by previous owner. Probably from late 1970s. Will get them down clean them up (I love tack cleaning
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Remember putting plimsoll whitener on it to try and get the serge bit to look respectable
blush.gif
!!
Plaited leather reins were quite popular when I was young...drops or cavesson nosebands not a lot else!
Never rust bits 'cos stainless steel was quite expensive then - ie before they started importing it!

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I remember using plimsol whitener too - and polishing nickel bits! Do you remember that there was a fad back in the 70s for coloured, plaited, nylon reins - ghastly!!!
 
Ghastly, how dare you, I used to have some plaited nylon reins, they were very tasteful.
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They were bright yellow and went with my ponies yellow string girth and plastic browband, my friends pony had all blue
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That was probably late 60s.
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[ QUOTE ]
My first pony had a half-panel, serge lined saddle - b----y uncomforable by the standards of today's spring tree, full panel saddles with lovely comfy knee rolls!

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I have a half panel serge lined saddle now - but it is a new one! Horse and I adore it
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Ghastly, how dare you, I used to have some plaited nylon reins, they were very tasteful.
wink.gif
They were bright yellow and went with my ponies yellow string girth and plastic browband, my friends pony had all blue
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That was probably late 60s.
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Oh I had some too - in red - but I stand firmly by my "ghastly" comment!!!
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I used to go riding at a wonderful place in Cornwall (think wonderful when you are 11, now H&S would probably napalm it!!!) where I rode on a military saddle, the upper and lower parts could be seperated, and you had HALF a string girth, and the other part of your girth was a seat belt - no kidding, they would cut them out of bangers and get the local saddler to stitch buckles on each end!!
 
My mum insisted I rode in an eggbutt snaffle at all times - grown ups rode in a double for hunting and a snaffle otherwise. I regularly got pi**ed off with and she used to yell 'Sit back' at me.
My son rides in a 3 ring gag but I still sometimes yell 'Sit back' at him, its an invaluable piece of advice is a crisis.
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Having started this post - wow has that brought back some memories. Must admit still have the plimsoll whitener in my tack cleaning box which I use on a white showing girth. Am getting old but everything did seem so much simpler then with so little choice.
 
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