Old show jumping film - what a difference!

I loved that they just walked along a road in London and into the riding shop to be kitted out. Is there anywhere like that in London anymore?!
 
What a great video really made me laugh at how things have changed. No schools, just a dirt track to jump on and the front lawn to lunge! Did you notice that in the lorry the horse travelled facing back. Horsebox companies make such a thing about this being a "new" idea when it has obviously been tried and tested before! It is also really interesting how the stamp of a jumping horse has changed. They look almost draught like back then not the lighter types we see today.
 
Great to see, traditional saddlery, all made in England.The saddlers shop was interesting, they were making saddles exactly how I was taught and not a sewing machine or staple gun or glue in sight!
We had to hand make our threads and even flock the seats (no foam or rubber in those days)
My main joy was seeing some of the horses being ridden in saddles without numnahs, saddle cloths or pads and no bling or fancy nosebands, just plain old English!
Oz
 
Lovely to see. Even when I was young (and Im not that old) we rarely used saddle cloths (only to be lazy and keep the underside of the saddle clean). We're v spoilt these days with our fancy arenas and high tech space age equipment and gadgets. I remember using baler twine for grass reins and making haynets out of baler twine. My horse had 3 rugs - a jute rug, a blanket for underneath when it was really cold, and a canvas New Zealand. Amazing how things have changed
 
That is such a brilliant clip from ye olden days. That has made my night. Love how doug bunn never wears a hat, until he gets into lorry to drive off somewhere. We were all well mental in those bad old days.but so great to see. Thank you.
 
I would kill for a lorry like that.

In the 60's they referred to sidesaddle as relatively rare.

Vet cracked me up just giving up checking his teeth.

Casually buying riding wear on Oxford street.

Fab watch, thank you! :)
 
How funny, try out a 'new' horse - no hat but get in your lorry and wear a hat!! Fantastic. Interesting to see the changes at Hickstead. I don't ever remember a stand running alongside the dyke.
 
dollyanna said:
I loved that they just walked along a road in London and into the riding shop to be kitted out. Is there anywhere like that in London anymore?!
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Don't know about London, but in York there were tack shops scattered all over the city back then. My first riding hat (I wouldn't grace it with the word helmet!) came from Moss Bros, and they had a seriously expensive saddlery department in the basement.
 
Feeling Merry said:
Kitted out for £30?
New saddle for £55!

If only!!
I liked Beethoven.
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My first saddle cost me £50 a Turf & Travel Club Saddle - my pride and joy. I gave Pony Care lessons for 2 shillings per child for months to save up for it.

In the late 60's early 70's there was Simpsons of Piccadilly, Swayne Adeney & Brigg along Piccadilly and Moss Bross in Oxford Street. I used to hang out there in my lunch breaks when I worked in Saville Row.

A lesson for me was 11/6 and a hack 10/6 I was allowed to keep 11 shillings of my 1 guinea pay at Woolworths for working Saturdays, mum put the rest away in the post office.
 
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that was cool :)

£30 was a lot of money then, a lot of disposable income to have to spend on a hobby. I started riding in about '75. Lead rein lessons were £1.50 per 30 mins and riding clothes were relatively expensive then compared to now. Tack shops did a good trade in secondhand clothing -we used to have a yearly trip to Sandon to part ex my riding gear for more secondhand stuff when I was growing up.

no arenas at home back then :) we would hack for 8 miles on the roads to hire the nearest indoor for an hours jumping and hack home again-two of us at age 13 on our own lol. We'd also hack to hunt meets and shows-and enter every available class to make it worthwhile.
 
That's great. I learn to ride 34 years ago. I only had one pair of jods and I pair of rubber boots that made my feet freeze in the winter and took about half hour to actually get on!

There were no numnah's either- just a folded over blanket under the saddle. Nd hats didn't have straps so when you fell off your hat would too!

Back in the day!
 
Tnavas said:
My first saddle cost me £50 a Turf & Travel Club Saddle - my pride and joy. I gave Pony Care lessons for 2 shillings per child for months to save up for it.

In the late 60's early 70's there was Simpsons of Piccadilly, Swayne Adeney & Brigg along Piccadilly and Moss Bross in Oxford Street. I used to hang out there in my lunch breaks when I worked in Saville Row.

A lesson for me was 11/6 and a hack 10/6 I was allowed to keep 11 shillings of my 1 guinea pay at Woolworths for working Saturdays, mum put the rest away in the post office.
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My grandfather joined the police in the early 60's/late 50's and was offered the chance to learn to ride, think he got it for 6 shillings a lesson as he was police-in-training. Don't think he was any good at it though.

I find it interesting how so much has changed, yet much is still quite the same. Can't quite imagine riding into a tack shop.
 
dollyanna said:
I loved that they just walked along a road in London and into the riding shop to be kitted out. Is there anywhere like that in London anymore?!
Click to expand...

Possibly Kent Leather at Lillywhite's in Piccadilly Circus, if they still exist. Maybe Swain Adeney & Brigg on Piccadilly (I think) and not forgetting Harrods.
 
wow what a wonderful film! It does rather remind you of Harry Enfield doing a spoof of the posh announcer accents though doesn't it!

Astonished at the hatlessness - we didn't hear all the time about people having awful falls though did we?

Agree I like the more solid stamp of horse they seemed to favour back then.
 
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