Nonjumper
Well-Known Member
I've still got the one I had for the show ponyThem god awful felt type browbands with the little rosettes in the corners
Horse-related things in living memory of older forumites that would surprise the younger ones.
- Thread starter SilverLinings
- Start date
Beausmate
Well-Known Member
Was that the palomino? I had the bay horse with the moveable neck (had other too), the trailer and the Range Rover. When I grew up, I had a bay horse, a blue Rice trailer and a red Range Rover
Burnerbee
Well-Known Member
When I were young (settles into armchair, pulls out rose tinted glasses)…
But seriously…
There were it seemed 10 (max) elite show jumpers, 6 eventers, 4 dressage riders and a dozen NH jockeys - now it seems like their infinite numbers of all the above constantly changing! Though this could be my age and me not keeping up - like the charts - who’s no.1? Does anyone even care about no.1 now
But seriously…
There were it seemed 10 (max) elite show jumpers, 6 eventers, 4 dressage riders and a dozen NH jockeys - now it seems like their infinite numbers of all the above constantly changing! Though this could be my age and me not keeping up - like the charts - who’s no.1? Does anyone even care about no.1 now
deicinmerlyn
Well-Known Member
Late 60’s early 70’s bringing up the riding school ponies from one of the fields 1/2 a mile away. Riding one, leading two, no hat, bareback, just a head collar.
No cars on the road to worry about.
Jute rugs and New Zealand’s
Gripping with your knees (holding a penny and not dropping it)
Brings back lots of happy childhood memories
No cars on the road to worry about.
Jute rugs and New Zealand’s
Gripping with your knees (holding a penny and not dropping it)
Brings back lots of happy childhood memories
saalsk
Well-Known Member
This made me laugh, and then cry (happy tears really). Bringing in riding school ponies, riding one, leading at least 2, normally 3, all in headcollars, most with baler twine lead ropes. Mucking out dozens of stables and stalls (yep, block tie rows of stalls), cleaning tack, poo picking, to get a 30 minute ride on a pony. Getting a Horse+Pony magazine with a free plastic mane comb. The days before Animalintex, using bran and brown bread as a poultice. Back combing the fluffy sheepskin pad on the underside of a grackle noseband....
Re-waterproofing the NZ turnout with gloop with a paintbrush.
Making new haynets just from baler twine
Having black ridged treads on the stirrups.
Having white high side bobbly angled treads on the stirrups
Leather headcollar
Leather headcollar with teeny tiny brass name plate.
Borrowing your friends lunge rein so you could try to do long reining
Realising all the long reining made you a shoe-in for the school cross country sports day team.
Round the world, scissors, half scissors, and vaulting on and off was normal procedure, not a specialist talent.
Going into the local saddlers, just to *sniff*
Learning that measuring the tail to be just below the hocks, was not the same as where the tail ends up when pony is moving. Probably about the most maths I ever learned, and most I have ever used.
Re-waterproofing the NZ turnout with gloop with a paintbrush.
Making new haynets just from baler twine
Having black ridged treads on the stirrups.
Having white high side bobbly angled treads on the stirrups
Leather headcollar
Leather headcollar with teeny tiny brass name plate.
Borrowing your friends lunge rein so you could try to do long reining
Realising all the long reining made you a shoe-in for the school cross country sports day team.
Round the world, scissors, half scissors, and vaulting on and off was normal procedure, not a specialist talent.
Going into the local saddlers, just to *sniff*
Learning that measuring the tail to be just below the hocks, was not the same as where the tail ends up when pony is moving. Probably about the most maths I ever learned, and most I have ever used.
Kunoichi73
Beware... My Plants...
Yes, Dallas the palomino. I had the Sindy bay with the movable head, the grey and the other one which was black with brown areas. The foal was bay too, I think. I also had (still have) a range of Breyers.Was that the palomino? I had the bay horse with the moveable neck (had other too), the trailer and the Range Rover. When I grew up, I had a bay horse, a blue Rice trailer and a red Range Rover
All my models use to get 24 hour turnout on my bedroom floor on rotation!
SilverLinings
Well-Known Member
A friend who was born in 1928 says that all children rode with double reins except some farmers children and the children of carters/milkmen/etc who would use their father's pony for hacking occasionally and ride in their driving bridle.
My (sadly now deceased) great aunt used to tell me about hacking her pony to the forge in the middle of Reading and meeting very few cars, which is almost unbelievable nowadays.
I thought vets stopped doing it some time ago, I haven't seen a horse with fired tendons since the 90s bar one I saw in around 2004, but he was fired in the 80s. I'm sure all sorts of unsavoury and outdated practices still go on amongst some unscrupulous owners sadly.Tendons still got fired until fairly recently. Not very often but I'd say within at the most 5 years easily. Bar or Pin fired
I'd not be at all surprised if it does still happen.
SilverLinings
Well-Known Member
96yr old friend has tales about the well known racehorses she and her sister were given to look after and ride during WW2. Apparently a few years into the war decent food for non-working horses was hard to find, and spending money on keeping a racehorse was seen as frankly ridiculous with a war on and many racehorses were shot andsold for meat. Friends of her father's gave their racehorses over to the little girls for the duration of the war (both horses went back into training after), and she said they had great fun hacking out and racing each other! They had to live out (except in the worst weather) with only the odd supplementary feed and she said they managed well on it.
Time for Tea
Well-Known Member
Oooh yes, you have reminded me about going pony trekking with no hat, and no proper boots, just gym shoes! Good job I never fell off. I have made up for that since…..
But no cars, no, what bliss. Yes, remember that, and the cars that were on the road were slow and careful around the horses. This was mid 60’s.
I was also taught to grip with my knees, and hold a penny between my knees and the saddle. The thigh should be snug to the saddle, to the knee, we were taught, and the leg from knee down loose and away from the pony unless needed to give aid. It took me a long time to unlearn that knee grip and resultant position.
Was this an ex military thing I wonder? Our RS owner was ex household cavalry.
Sealine
Well-Known Member
I had my first riding lesson c1974 and this thread is bringing back so many memories. I'd forgotten about the plaited baling twine lead ropes and the haynets. The elastic in my hat had a big knot tied in it to make it tighter.
As a teenager in the early 80's I used to work for free rides for a riding school/dealer/breeder and we would travel 6 horses/ponies to shows on a Bedford lorry with no partitions, no haynets, no travel rugs and no travel bandages. We did use tail bandages. I don't recall taking water with us either but maybe we just took an empty bucket. The lorry had one partition only which was where we put the stallion, thankfully he wouldn't be expected to travel on the lorry with a mare in season! We loaded them in the order we needed them off the lorry for their classes so the some of them would stand on the lorry for hours as the SJ classes were huge back then. Once they'd jumped we tied them on the side of the lorry and left them there unsupervised. I seem to recall it was always a small pony loaded last and we would virtually have to squash it in to close the ramp gates. Amazingly I can't remember anything ever getting injured.
As a teenager in the early 80's I used to work for free rides for a riding school/dealer/breeder and we would travel 6 horses/ponies to shows on a Bedford lorry with no partitions, no haynets, no travel rugs and no travel bandages. We did use tail bandages. I don't recall taking water with us either but maybe we just took an empty bucket. The lorry had one partition only which was where we put the stallion, thankfully he wouldn't be expected to travel on the lorry with a mare in season! We loaded them in the order we needed them off the lorry for their classes so the some of them would stand on the lorry for hours as the SJ classes were huge back then. Once they'd jumped we tied them on the side of the lorry and left them there unsupervised. I seem to recall it was always a small pony loaded last and we would virtually have to squash it in to close the ramp gates. Amazingly I can't remember anything ever getting injured.
SEL
Well-Known Member
We had a couple of ex polo ponies come onto the yard I was at 5/6 years ago who had been pin fired. A friend's now retired TB (late teens) has been bar fired - the vet who did him is still around although he sold his practice over a decade ago. I think he was the last of a particular breed of vet!!
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
The last fired horse i saw i'm sure would have been about 5 years ago tops. I used to do a little bit for a racehorse owner, they had them at home for holidays/injury etc and had a few home after firing. I had to pile wound powder on and walk them in hand.. hated it. I no longer go there so don't know if it still happens. Its really hideous newly done/healing.
thommackintosh
Well-Known Member
80s/90s.
Stealing and hiding my cousin's my little ponies (because boys shouldn't be playing with them).
Used engine oil being mixed with hoof oil to make hooves extra black.
Mucker boots being the business and string girth the norm.
Stealing and hiding my cousin's my little ponies (because boys shouldn't be playing with them).
Used engine oil being mixed with hoof oil to make hooves extra black.
Mucker boots being the business and string girth the norm.
Ceifer
Well-Known Member
I thought the brass ones were worseThem god awful felt type browbands with the little rosettes in the corners
Beausmate
Well-Known Member
This! You just don't seem to get that anymore. It's also super hard to find decent bridlework - it's all that weird, painted-looking foreign stuff.
Beausmate
Well-Known Member
I had those too! I painted the grey black. I had a grey Barbie horse too. Didn't Sindy have a Labrador? You could do the whole country set thing. I made a harness for her helmet though!Yes, Dallas the palomino. I had the Sindy bay with the movable head, the grey and the other one which was black with brown areas. The foal was bay too, I think. I also had (still have) a range of Breyers.
All my models use to get 24 hour turnout on my bedroom floor on rotation!
neddy man
Well-Known Member
But I was in the era of Robinsons and Shires catalogues. Oh, I miss them.
You can order a Shires catalogue for free on their website. www.shiresequestrian.com
You can order a Shires catalogue for free on their website. www.shiresequestrian.com
Chippers1
Well-Known Member
I bought a NagRag saddlecloth recently! I loved them growing up but could never afford them, so subsequently as an adult all my ponies have had one
Highmileagecob
Well-Known Member
No one had a made to measure saddle. If it cleared the withers, then it fitted.
Toes up, heels down, grip with your knees and trot!
Round the world, scissors, running alongside a cantering pony and vaulting into the saddle.
Trying to pick an object off the floor whilst mounted because we had seen a circus rider do it.
No traffic.
My first pony cost £70 and was found in the Farmers' Guardian adverts.
Toes up, heels down, grip with your knees and trot!
Round the world, scissors, running alongside a cantering pony and vaulting into the saddle.
Trying to pick an object off the floor whilst mounted because we had seen a circus rider do it.
No traffic.
My first pony cost £70 and was found in the Farmers' Guardian adverts.
rabatsa
Confuddled
My first pony was expensive at £30 but granny was buying safety.
In my early teens I bought a saddle for £5 and could only have it as long as I took the pony too.
In my early teens I bought a saddle for £5 and could only have it as long as I took the pony too.
scats
Well-Known Member
When a bale of straw went up to £2.20
from £2.00 and we all had a meltdown
from £2.00 and we all had a meltdown
paisley
Well-Known Member
The standard riding kit when I was five, unaccompanied by either parent
Ceifer
Well-Known Member
God yes I remember this. I think I ordered one body brush from there with my pocket money and waiting for what seemed an eternity to get it.And everything you ordered from a catalogue or advert would take 28 days for delivery. And the order was placed by posting the order form with a cheques or postal order, so that added another week to the order time - talk about delayed gratification
It’s mad now that you can do Amazon prime and get some things the same day.
Lucky Snowball
Well-Known Member
I had action girl horse and action man’s. pippa’s pony. My Dad got me two white horses from a whiskey display (?) in the pub. He cut the bases off and they joined my stable. Tonto horse had a broken leg from a jumble sale which Dad also mended.
We used to paint the horses then choose names for them. Still have them in the loft also still use brass browband and leather headcollard
We used to paint the horses then choose names for them. Still have them in the loft
also still use brass browband and leather headcollard 
olop
Well-Known Member
I miss the cost of things! I bought my first horse in the early 2000’s he was £800 same horse now would probably cost me £15k plus!
Livery was only £15 a week, a set of shoes were £30 and his feed was only £8 a bag. And this was only 20 odd years ago. He literally cost me less than £100 a month back then. I still have him now bless his heart and he costs me around about £500 a month now
Livery was only £15 a week, a set of shoes were £30 and his feed was only £8 a bag. And this was only 20 odd years ago. He literally cost me less than £100 a month back then. I still have him now bless his heart and he costs me around about £500 a month now
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
When I went to a riding school it was 17/6d for an hour and the bus fare was 1/- each way. My dad gave me a pound. When it went up and I couldn't afford it out of my pound I moved to a cheaper riding school which is where I got my first pony who was a livery there.
Pony came with one of those horrid uncomfortable old flat half panel saddles which fit neither me nor him but we had to put up with it for a year or two until I got a different one. I had no head collar just a rope halter . I rode bareback a lot and we often hacked out with two of us bareback on the pony and a rucksack with lunch.
In the school holiday in summer I hacked out from dawn to dusk, I'm amazed now where I got to with my trusty o/s map.
Pony came with one of those horrid uncomfortable old flat half panel saddles which fit neither me nor him but we had to put up with it for a year or two until I got a different one. I had no head collar just a rope halter . I rode bareback a lot and we often hacked out with two of us bareback on the pony and a rucksack with lunch.
In the school holiday in summer I hacked out from dawn to dusk, I'm amazed now where I got to with my trusty o/s map.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
The riding school had an old manual hay chopper all the helpers needed to take a turn on.lethal machine.like this but it had a handle on it
Cortez
Tough but Fair
The first job I had in stables (1974) I had to plait at the doors and the stalls. I love how it looks, and it keeps the straw in the stable, not dragged all over the yard.Thank you, I had always wondered as it looks lovely in pictures. I know it used to be common in private stables for the stalls to be plaited, but I suppose if you had live in grooms (and many books advised no more than two horses to a groom- we are clearly all gluttons for punishment nowadays) then they had the time to do that.
Snowfilly
Well-Known Member
Eggs, stout and beer being fed to various hard doers. In fact, I know someone who still feeds stout after a hard day.
Drench with coke for spasmodic colic.
Copper sulphate crystals for treating abscesses and white line disease, mixed up with water and syringed into the hole - a bright blue fizzy mix. Later on, I had to wear goggles to use it in chemistry which I thought was a bit unfair as I’d been shoving it in hooves bare handed for years.
I’ve seen pin fired legs.
Proper gymkhana games, and the smell of jute sacks in the sack race.
Big turnouts in showing classes, and the back row of despondency; I can’t remember the last time I saw 30 in a class!
Robinsons, CAM and Derby House catalogues were the best shops in the world.
Drench with coke for spasmodic colic.
Copper sulphate crystals for treating abscesses and white line disease, mixed up with water and syringed into the hole - a bright blue fizzy mix. Later on, I had to wear goggles to use it in chemistry which I thought was a bit unfair as I’d been shoving it in hooves bare handed for years.
I’ve seen pin fired legs.
Proper gymkhana games, and the smell of jute sacks in the sack race.
Big turnouts in showing classes, and the back row of despondency; I can’t remember the last time I saw 30 in a class!
Robinsons, CAM and Derby House catalogues were the best shops in the world.
dorsetladette
Well-Known Member
Those plastic stripy browbands that only the beach donkeys wear now.
I remember falling asleep on my pony waiting for the judge to judge everyone in the class (showing). I also remember the pony I was riding also falling asleep in the ring!
I remember falling asleep on my pony waiting for the judge to judge everyone in the class (showing). I also remember the pony I was riding also falling asleep in the ring!