Has equestrianism become 'up its self'???

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matthew

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Discuss.
My mum commented on this- she rode when she was younger and loaned horses for many years.
Obviously there have been obvious changes over the years due to safety-for example mum said she and her friends NEVER wore jods-as far as she was concerned they didnt exsist on obviously people didnt wear hats.
But do you ever feel that sometimes people over complicate things? does the 'happy hacker' really still exsist or are they all laden down with every boot and gadget under the sun???
Is everyone seemingly a ameture dressage rider?
Or do you think it has more to do with the fact that more people have the opurtunity to compete and study horses in depth?
 
I'm a happy hacker
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Not laden down at all. Pony in simple snaffle bit, plain noseband, no flash, no boots, nothing. Simple leather saddle and a nice red numnah that was a pressie from her pony friend
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I think its the latter.....I try not to put gadgets on my horse as they make me seem like a rubbish rider...but if other people need them then i don't complain. I have to put boots on my horse but thats due to his legs not being as strong as they could be...never lame but have to be cautious! I use a martingale with him as he had a tendancy to put his head up in the air and pull from his front end. I waer jods because they protect my legs better than anything else! I wear my hat as mum makes me just in case! But if i had my way i wouldn't wear a hat!! It may be different in England now but over here people like to ride with te bare minimale...if its possible to ride bareback they will....if it's possible to ride with no bridle they will!!!

I think lots of people would like all the latest stuff and if they have the money why not let them buy it!! I personally don't have as much money as i would like to have, so I just buy what i need and that seems to be good! I can't have the latest riding clothes, i can't have the latest boots....so i stick to what i find confortable....!!

My mum would be just a happy hacker if she had the horse to do so!! I'm not a happy hacker as i want to compete...but it doesn't mean my horse is laden with every boot and gadget under the sun!! He would be bare-foot if his feet wern't so bad!!! I like things as natural as possible!! I know i used to have a pelham in but that was because i believed i wouldn't have any brakes but i have tried a snaffle and he goes nicely in that....but now have him in a waterford and he seems to be going beautifully!! He does have a flash but that was suggested to me as he kept opening his mouth!!
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A big difference is that people have more disposable income and leisure time now. In my younger pony days there was hunting and local shows..and weekend hackers. Only the lucky ones owned a trailer or lorry. - and then a big jump to more professional riders who competed BSJA or dressage (although I was lucky and possibly unusual enough to have lessons with a dressage rider).

there were more riding schools and many were happy to go and ride just once a week.

I think that lower level riders are competing more now, great for them, possibly not so good for feeding in to higher level competition..one of my au pairs thought it was hilarious, for example, that adults can do jumping classes at 2'9 here- In Slovakia that would barely be a training height and 'showjumping' starts a lot higher.

As for hats and gadgets..hats are a step forward but I am horribly old fashioned on the tack front, all my saddles are basic GP or showing (well OK I am trying a Wintec Close contact) tack is basic and I still think of training any horse in terms of fittening a hunter..it is what I know
 
I think the latter too.

Years ago, the only advice you got with your horse/pony was from others on the yard and IMO lots of horrid habits/opinions got perpetuated. In fact I gave up riding at 17 mainly because I became so disillusioned with the the things people told me were "right" but just didn't make sense to my head or my conscience!

Nowadays with the likes of this forum, we all have much more direct contact with people who actually know what they're talking about, and so can have the confidence to break away from the "yardies". I know for me that has given me so much more confidence and thus I have begun to get out more competition wise etc.

I do understand that there will always be people who just enjoy timewith their horse and hacking etc, but years ago I think lots had little option other than to do that. Not so much happy hackers, but it was hack or not bother!

In regards to the kit etc, I do think that it is more of an overall lifestyle choice now.

I used to spend my money (pre George) in Selfridges and my "special treats" to myself would be very expensive handbags.

Now my wardrobe is SERIOUSLY out of date, unless you count my purchases that are chucked in my trolley at Asda, and my newest Gucci bag is 7 years old
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My treats now are Ariat boots, and I spend my money at Derby House!!!
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a lot of people who ride use gadgets as an easy way out of hard work, and also for fashion. i would much rather have my horse going well under saddle with the least amount of gadget help as possible, then i would feel like i have really made a difference to the way he goes - and not some gadget strapping him down. i wear boots for lungeing and jumping, to protect his legs. however they are one of the cheapest brands on the market! i suppose with the way the world is going (everyone wants everything straight away, and cant wait for anything - think credit cards??!!) people want an quick solution to any riding problem. i have a problem with that - im not very patient! but im learning. oh and sometimes i do think that people can take the fun out of riding - and take it wayyyyyy to seriously. that bugs me because although i agree sometimes you have to be serious around horses, people need to lighten up! like when you have a bad showjumping round dont get all stressy, think oh well tomorrows another day and at least you both still have youre health! (thats what my mum says to me anyway)

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A big difference is that people have more disposable income and leisure time now. In my younger pony days there was hunting and local shows..and weekend hackers. Only the lucky ones owned a trailer or lorry. - and then a big jump to more professional riders who competed BSJA or dressage (although I was lucky and possibly unusual enough to have lessons with a dressage rider).

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I agree
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There is also alot more to buy now then there ever was.... my Mum was telling me the other day that when she had her pont, you could only get a 'white' saddle becasue they didn't dye the leather back then - she used to spend hours rubbing oil into hers to turn it brown! Also you couldn't buy mixes and supplements.... it was barley, oats, plain chaff and a bit of linseed that you had to boil yourself!

Personally, I'm a major shopaholic esp when it comes to my boy - I love having the latest stuff - I don't use gadgets as I don't like them, but we have all the fashionable stuff i.e. rolled bridle, boots etc
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The genuine "happy hacker" certainly still exists near me (more prevalent during the summer months). They often wear jodhs, sometimes suitable footwear, usually a hat (but not in the height of summer), basic tack, although sometimes they use a very strong bit incorrectly...!!!
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Note: please don't lynch me, I know not all happy hackers are like this, there are some competent, safety conscious happy hackers near me too!
 
If i give Hemir anything other than chaff and 'luzerne' a grass based mush...looks like sugar beet but it has no sugar in it!!!! he goes silly, had him on mix last year and he bacame uncontrolable...so its just the basics, might go up to more when we start competing but not right now!!
 
The amount of gadgets people have sometimes amazes me, went on a fun ride recently and there was a lady on a fairly substantial hunter with a dutch gag on the bottom ring, mexican gracklle, cavisson, stnading martingale and a breastplate, oh and with spurs on as well, it just makes me think where would you go from there?? Poor thing couldn't move it's head at all!
 
i also think that it has a lot to do with the breeds of horses now, there are so many tb's and precious breeds about that can get hurt so easily, ie they need the boots etc to stop them from injuring themselves. yedterday i thought my tb would be fine without any boots on for some small jumping, found he had cut his inner leg and it had all swollen up!but i agree completely that some people 'gadget up' just to look the part.
 
I think its a combination of access to information and a huge increase in money being poured into it as a sport and hobby.

there is also the 'trend' aspect - a lot of people who could afford a horse 20 yrs ago (cob in field, no rug, basic tack, no hard feed) could not do so now as the way we look after our horses has changed, we want feeds, balancers, rugs, speciality saddles etc
the 'cob in a field' ridden at weekends is a thing of the past (for the most part - i know they do still exist but they are rarer)

when i started jumping 20 yrs ago our ponies wore one of two bits, eggbut snaffle or pelham (2 reins!) and a plain cavasson
dressage riders used drops!

our first aid kit contained antiseptic, sudocreme, and vet powder. now we have all sorts of expensive lotions and potions (although amusingly when people ask on here about mudfever/cuts etc its often udder cream/sudocrem and old favoutites that are recommended)

fitness wise mum used to lunge for a week before the holidays and then we just cracked on.
none of this 8 week fitness plan! only 'eventers' used them!
to get then hunting fit we went cubbing, straight out of a field.
we hunted them furry in winter as we were at school in the term time and mum wouldnt even consider clipping a horse not in full work! (also that way they could still live out!)

even numnas very a bit of a speciality, i had a wicked red one that i loved!!!

i dont think it has become 'up it's self' so much as evolving. but i think that is true of all sports and life in general.

my mum is forever complaining 'do you REALLY need that'? when ever we go into a tack shop!
 
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a lot of people who ride use gadgets as an easy way out of hard work, and also for fashion. i would much rather have my horse going well under saddle with the least amount of gadget help as possible, then i would feel like i have really made a difference to the way he goes - and not some gadget strapping him down.

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Good point.
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Angus Smales said something similar in this recent article: http://eventriders.com/members/features07/howto/howto_2.htm (Sorry, can't do fancy weblinks!)

I guess it also all depends on the particular horse, the circumstances etc.
 
Breeds didnt exsist in the same way- people were not so obsessed with what breed there horse was! most were just pony/cob/horse! -i do remember mountain and moorland types being recognised but there were not all these warmblood types!
 
There's certainly a lot more money in equestrian, and it is now a lot more 'professional', but isn't this the case with a lot of sports now??? Take football for instance, and the crazy amounts of money that are being thrown into some of those players...
 
i am a happy hacker well ish and i do tend to put expensive things on my horse! infact my tack is worth more than my horse. but i save up to buy things, as working as a groom and waitress is never going to make me rich. i bought my elevator bridle with money from my 20th birthday. i dont tend to use many gadgets but i do use a bungee occasionally but thats it.
 
I have a cob in field, ridden at weekends & summer evenings, basic tack. Does have a medium weight rug in winter or I would be spending all weekend cleaning & not have time to ride.
 
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