For those who remember the 1970's gymkhana scene...

[Mrs B]

So, this was me aged about 8 at a gymkhana in Leicestershire, riding Inky - circa 1975.

As you can see, resplendent in blue and yellow plastic brow band, purple covered foam numnah (cover unstitched to wash it) under pancake saddle; grey school cardigan, school tie and black rubber boots, which I still tried to polish...

Behind me is my Mum in her blue and white headscarf (which I wore the other day) next to her Morris Traveller; reg. LUT547F.

I think I lost everything from the bending race to the potato race but what the hell. (in fact, I seem to remember Inky ate the potato)

I can remember that day so clearly...

What pictures do you have of when you were small and what do you remember of that day?

PS To me, of course, he was the bestest, most beautiful pony in he whole wide world, when spotties were not at all common...

 

[siennamum]

Oh I have fab memories of local shows in the 70's. Was a demon at the Apple & Bucket. Must see if I have photos knocking about.

 

[doratheexplorer]

That's an amazing photo!!

 

[Mrs B]

Thanks, Dora!

See? We even had colour film in those days... (but we'd only just got a colour telly)

 

[Mrs B]

Oh I have fab memories of local shows in the 70's. Was a demon at the Apple & Bucket. Must see if I have photos knocking about.

Never played Apple & Bucket - what was that? Did you play Chase me Charlie?

 

[MrsMozartletoe]

Aw, how sweet

Will go see what pics I can find

 

[blitznbobs]

My pony Spritely ( a grey 11 hh section A who in his youth had been a speed demon and won at the PC games national finals at either Wembley/Olympia or somewhere like that who came to me aged about 150 and I could barely get into a trot) refusing to step over a body in handy pony and the entire crowd (of about 4 people) saying that is exactly what you'd want a child's pony to do (IE refuse to step on you) and then getting a clear round rosette despite stopping at 3 different fences... and getting a special in bonny pony ... AND BEING CHUFFED TO BITS about the 2 crappy single teir rosettes I got... I still have them!

BnBX

PS I also still have the blue numnah (about 8 sizes too big for my saddle) and blue string plaited reins... seriously cool!!!

 

[Fools Motto]

Me, aged 7 in 1987. (ok, so not the 70's, but as close as I am gonna get.) Pony was called Midnight, aged 27 then. he was 13hh, and I was tiny! I remember the saddle, I think it fitted me better than the pony, but he never complained. In those days it 'fitted all ponies'! We came 2nd in the vetrans, and I loved my little blue frilly, but was sad that the grey pony who won the class was younger than Middy and I thought the older ones always won it. Bless.

Look at the old horse boxes, don't see them about like that anymore.

 

[Mrs B]

Aw, how sweet

Will go see what pics I can find

Yes, please do Mrs M! That was the time of smelly jute rugs and New Zealands weighing a ton and stiff as a board: when you could have horse stuff in any colour as long as it was black or brown and everyone fed oats, bran, linseed and that new-fangled stuff you had to soak, called sugarbeet...

 

[MrsMozartletoe]

Oh yes...

Jute rugs.
Whitney blankets.
Heavy anti-cast rollers.
Everything made in leather (none of this new fangled plastic 'n' stuff ).
Fixed peaks on hats (with a chin strap - death traps!).
Bandages for everything (came in blue, white, or red).
All leather was English.
Rubber boots were new to the market.
The first stretch jodhs
At work, we rode in jodhs, shirt, tie, blue v-necked jumper, hair in a net, long black boots, gloves.
All stables had deep straw beds and had banking that you could stand on.
Bran mash.
Milk powder for weight gain.
Lorries towing caravans - none of this posh in-lorry-living . Bit of a bobber that they often turned over!
Horse of the Year Show - name always in full, and shown every day on BBC1

Ah, happy days

 

[Clannad48]

Look at the old horse boxes, don't see them about like that anymore.

[/QUOTE]

I have a horsebox just like that now!!!! 1987 Renault Dodge - andd still going strong

 

[Mrs B]

Yellow string showing gloves
String girths (what WAS it with string?!)
Iodine on everything bruised or cut in any way... (God! It did sting!)

I was allowed to stay up for Horse of the Year Show with a hot chocolate as a treat. Used to love watching Harvey H (so rude!) and David Broome - also Ryan's Son with that kick back... Of course, we always knew we'd be able to jump that last Puissance fence on our own ponies, if only they'd let us...

And Caroline Bradley and Tigre! What a beautiful horse!

Then later watching a young Nick Skelton jump 7'2" on Lastic - bareback, I seem to remember...

As you say, Mrs M - happy days!

 

[spottydottypony]

Yes i remember hacking miles to shows what ever the weather. Taking your packed lunch with you. You would get soaked if it rained waiting for a class!! Horses no rugs, straw beds, one saddle and bridle per horse no more, home made haynets, and feed just sugar beet and bran (sometimes oats or maize). It was simpler then, never heared of laminitis my horse were never ill !!

 

[OneInAMillion]

I don't understand why I can't see the photo

 

[Mince Pie]

I don't understand why I can't see the photo

Me too!

 

[Mrs B]

Now, that is VERY odd - it was there, honest!

I shall post it again and see if it stays put this time...

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I have a grey Morris Minor Traveller. (Not your one though, different numberplate.)

 

[Black Horses Rock]

omg yes those horrible plastic chin straps not thought bout those in years! Can imagine my daughters reaction if I showed her one now and suggested she rode in it HE HE ! and who would ever have thought people would spend hundred of pounds on "trendy " leather boots to wear round the yard and to the field we had to make do with good old wellies which came only in black and green of course !

 

[Tnavas]

I can't see the photo either!

I remember string girths - Tinkerbell had a red one with matching red plaited nylon reins. She had a red and white plastic patterned browband - from that I worked out how to make them and made her one covered in velvet ribbon for shows.

We didn't have a saddle blanket - the only sort were sheepskin and they were too expensive and it wasn't considered neccesary to use if your saddle fitted correctly. Don't ever remember her saddle going in to be restuffed in all the years I rode her.

Hacking to Adele's gymkhana every month and coming home with masses of single row rosettes that we thought were the best in the world. And if you had done really well and won the championship you got a triple row rosette in red, white & blue and hacked home clutching a great chunk of wood with a fox head door knocker on it - won it a few times over the years. See picture below - my prized Jacatex jacket and jodhs - I saved up for months for those and wore them so proudly. See the lovely jump - nails and all - we lived on the edge in those days. We didn't feed our ponies - we did everything off grass - they didn't get sick but were fit and well regardless. They didn't wear rugs at any time of the year. Pony Cubes were the latest and only composit feed which were only fed to the stabled horses along with sugarbeet, mollasine meal & crushed barley the hunters got the oats - Mrs B sugarbeet was being fed way before the 70's