Out of fashion tack.

Someone mentioned knee boots? No one at our yard ever hacks out without them on, I don't think they'll ever go out of date as they prevent horrendous injuries.

Moving one though....... don't you think it's got far too complicated, too much available & very little of it necessary? So much seems just gimicky?
 
cptrayes said:
I've got a vision of you winding it round your waist and doing it up, K. :D
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cptrayes said:
The overgirth thing really puzzles me because the safety aspect never seems to have gone away, we just ask stopped using them for no reason I can fathom. Did girths used to break more often twenty years ago?
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If *only* I needed an over girth... Unfortunately my bum is far to big to need assistance keeping my breeches up ;)

I was always taught that a breastplate and over girth were necessary safety precautions to take when going XC. I never even go XC training without mine. And I don't even do BE let alone 4*! Can't believe people will tape boots on but not use an over girth...
 
I use string girths and I have woollen blankets too, admitedly getting a bit mouse and moth eaten!
There was something very satisfying about rugging up with a blanket - folded back - under a jute rug, and with a sursingle, but as soon as the crossover sursingles came in, round the horse sursingles died out very quickly.

I once had a rug - still have it somewhere - that fasten up with a wide belly band that was also a good idea if the horse was clipped it kept its tummy warm, they were available by mail order.

Out - dropped noseband, standing martingale, market harbough, kimblewick bit, but I bet these are being used all over the country somewhere.
 
My boy is in an eggbutt as he will drop btv in a loose ring.

I loved those clacky or boots! I've also used bandages xc, have leather tendon boots in the tack room and tan tack there somehwhere, now I feel really old!

Yup drops are making a return to be very fashionable as Carl and Charlotte recommend them ;)

What about grooming kit trays... I like trays, everyone seems to have a bag or a huge box these days. I have a box for storing the stuff, but like the tray for practicality when grooming. And the bags are a pain! I feel odd though walking around with my wee tray :p

Metal water troughs, not quite tack, but what a pain they were! Had to scrub the thing all the time so it didn't go orange! Would much rather have one of them new fangled plastic ones :p

On that note, I also can't remember the last time I saw cones in an arena. They used to be standard in 90% of them! I've driven past/ saw/ been in close the 100 arenas over the past month and haven't seen any cones at all :p
 
I'm horrified to find out that eggbut snaffles are out. Not that I will be taking any notice...
Cruppers are a sad loss IMO. Low-withered types end up with their saddle on their neck downhill.

The thing I haven't seen actually in use in my lifetime which used to be standard are twisted bits. I'm not talking about wire torture devices, but just the mild twist version a basic snaffle which used to be very common. I guess not many horses do enough work now to become properly hard-mouthed, and folk are more likely to try to cure leaning with gags.

Some things are better forgotten. I saw a rusty old central american bit at Reading last Wednesday. It was a long shank tom-thumb type with an ultra-high port, and a ring pivoted on the cheek-ring to go in the mouth and under the jaw. I reckon that a sharp pull on that would cut off the airway, apply 4 tonnes of pressure to the bars and quite possibly break the poor thing's jaw. Effective :(
 
Barrels as jumps, you don't seem to see them as much anymore. I have some plastic ones, but i can only use them as fillers as i sat on it and it gave way under my immense weight!!
Q
 
Kimblewicks - quite rare now, but back in the seventies you rode your horse in a loose ring snaffle, a ported kimblewick with slots for the reins or a pelham (with roundings unless you were posh). And most were made of nickel, as were stirrup irons.

Standing martingales - one person on our yard still uses one (she's elderly so I bet she's had it for years!), and another attaches the rings of a running martingale to the noseband.

Water brushes - I was doing Sham's mane with one after a thinning session and a couple of people wondered what I was doing. But looking back, I think maybe they were a bit pointless!

Someone earlier mentioned webbing halters - loved loved loved them! White for shows, and coloured for every day (mine was blue with a re stripe down the middle). And plain rope ones were available too.
 
alainax said:
What about grooming kit trays... I like trays, everyone seems to have a bag or a huge box these days. I have a box for storing the stuff, but like the tray for practicality when grooming. And the bags are a pain! I feel odd though walking around with my wee tray :p

On that note, I also can't remember the last time I saw cones in an arena. They used to be standard in 90% of them! I've driven past/ saw/ been in close the 100 arenas over the past month and haven't seen any cones at all :p
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I've got a grooming kit tray - brilliant thing, and cones in the school.
I'm starting to feel quite prehistoric now..........
 
I still use an overgirth!! I am not sure why they went out of fashion.

They were an absolute must-have when I was at pony club and starting out eventing.
 
My local tack shop they still sell the Westropp Petal overreaches - I was really tempted to get some for the pony!

I don't have any 'old fashioned' tack or things any more. Well, I use a drop with a fulmer AND keepers, does that count? :D

The Wintec Isabell has an overgirth of sorts.
 
I stopped using the Westropp boots as I hated the clacketty clack, but lately I was fed up with overreach boots being too long to be safe XC. I tried the fancy no turn ones, which turn, and heard that the Westropp boots have been redesigned. I have a new pair, and they fit just great, still make a noise, but at about 50% of previous.

I also stopped using an overgirth. It was faffy, and my tack is in good condition. I have an eggbutt - use it on a headstall for lungeing. Have an Anti Cast roller in the tack box - laid unused for 25 years! Are nylon halters out? My boy has one.
 
I have seen an overgirth in action a couple of times, when the girth/straps broke and the girth was flapping round the horse's legs.
 
Orangehorse said:
I have seen an overgirth in action a couple of times, when the girth/straps broke and the girth was flapping round the horse's legs.
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Exactly why an overgirth is still a must-have. All leather can snap under the right pressure, even good quality or good condition leather. It takes so little time/effort to put on an overgirth just in case.
 
alainax said:
What about grooming kit trays... I like trays, everyone seems to have a bag or a huge box these days. I have a box for storing the stuff, but like the tray for practicality when grooming. And the bags are a pain! I feel odd though walking around with my wee tray :p
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I have a grooming kit tray! I've got two grooming kit boxes which contain the stuff I don't use every day (detangling spray, clipper oil, plaiting bands, bearing grease for the car two hitch, extra bandages, mud fever cream, extra brushes etc), and then a grooming kit tray I use for every day. It also goes in the car when I go to competitions - it contains a rubber curry comb, my every day grooming brushes, mane comb, a small bag of plaiting bands, fly spray, my gloves and spurs, and fly spray :D
 
Greylegs said:
Got me there AA ... Yorkshire boots??? Excuse my ignorance ( ... And I am older than you, so should know really ... )
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In my mind I see felt boots with leather straps........ is that them? That is for horses.
For me, I had leather jodhpur boots no elastic, they opened to insert foot, then tied up with straps.
Obviously the soles were leather but we did have to replace the heels, a cobbler and a saddler in every large village.
 
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catkin said:
Blimey, you'd all think my tackroom was a museum!!

drop noseband - tick
rug roller (not anti-cast, striped webbing with leather pads) - tick
clacky overreach boots - tick
leather brushing boots - tick
atherton girth - tick
lampwick girth - tick
minimalist dressage saddle with universal girth billets - tick
woollen day rug - tick (though now cut down into an exercise sheet)
webbing and rope market halter - tick
pull-on long boots with garter straps and unshaped tops - tick

oh, and we've got a belfast sink under the water tap in the yard too.
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I'm jeolous ref the lampwick girth. My saddler suggested I should use one with my saddle but after much googling I came to the conclusion you can only get them in Aus & NZ now.
 
Loads of drop nosebands about round here!!

I'm also a massive fan of the standing martingale so that will always have a place in my tack box, unlike the running one which I hate with a passion.

Other than that I think modern fabrics/designs are in general far superior to old kit. The only caveat to that is I'd take a good woll rug over a sythetic fleece any day of the week!
 
Yorkshire Boots:

yorkshireboot1342548994600.jpeg
 
little_critter said:
I'm jeolous ref the lampwick girth. My saddler suggested I should use one with my saddle but after much googling I came to the conclusion you can only get them in Aus & NZ now.
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that's a real shame - mine's old now but a great little girth for a sensitive horse (absolute b***er to keep clean though - don't ever get a white one). Wonder if you can still get the lampwick and get a saddler to make up a girth? If anyone knows where you can get it please do tell.
 
I used to love my red rubber reins :)
I wonder if the youngsters of today have skills such as how to apply bandages properly as everything is boots these days and I know that none if the young ones would have a clue how to put an under blanket on with a surcingle.
I also loved my puffa jacket and mucker boots.
I remember at the yard I was at we used to put exercise bandages on all the youngsters and all the old hunters with dodgy tendons. Come to think of it remember they used to fire the tendons! Do they even do that anymore?
 
Think my tack room has museum quality to it .
Standing martingales for naughty horses
Eggbutts in daily use .
I think the use of mono flap XC saddles killed the over girth off as it's very difficult to get an overgirth to sit over a shorty girth.
Irish martingales you don't see them much now .
 
this thread is hilarious.

Hubby's just reminded me that 20 odd years ago diamante browbands were a complete no-no in aff dressage. He got me one from god knows where and we had a bet on whether I could get away with it or not. Trainer had the complete vapours, even though it was partially hidden on a pony who wore her ample forelock loose a la Matador (that's how long ago it was!). I won the bet ;).
How times have changed.
 
I'm only 21 but I used to compete dressage with the white tape round my plaits! Looked v smart on my chestnut boy with four white socks and stripe. My mum is quite old fashioned that way tho and she was always in charge of my plaits so that will be why ;)

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think this is the only pic I have where you can see them, from an ODE :)
 
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