Question for those who were horse owners in the 1970's

[Meowy Catkin]

When did cross surcingles come in? Were rugs in the 70's (I'm guessing jute stable rugs, New Zealand canvas turnouts and wool day rugs) done up with leather straps at the chest, leg straps/fillet string and single surcingles? Was the spider system around then?

Thanks.

 

[Spotherisk]

No idea but I still have a Chaskit complete with spider and I love it!

 

[Rowreach]

80s? I’m pretty sure everything had jute surcingles before then. We were still using rollers in the 90s when we layered blankets and top rugs, but I was working on a very old fashioned yard at that point.

 

[Meredith]

From the late ‘60’s I had a jute stable rug with a roller. For turnout a green canvas New Zealand, grey blanket lining and a fixed surcingle.
I don’t recall getting a turnout with cross surcingles until the ‘80’s.

 

[EllenJay]

In the 70's most horses & ponies didn't have rugs - it was only the "posh" people who rugged.

 

[cobgoblin]

The chaskit spider didn't cross over though, just threaded through each other between the hind legs.

 

[criso]

In the eighties I remember jute stable rugs and wool day rugs with a separate roller. Green canvas New Zealand, I can't remember what sort of surcingle it had but it had leg straps.

 

[Meredith]

From the late ‘60’s I had a jute stable rug with a roller. For turnout a green canvas New Zealand, grey blanket lining and a fixed surcingle.
I don’t recall getting a turnout with cross surcingles until the ‘80’s.

In the 70's most horses & ponies didn't have rugs - it was only the "posh" people who rugged.

Yay. I’ve never been called posh before.?

 

[Rowreach]

I’m getting all nostalgic and thinking about Daniel Crane paintings now. Probably infringe copyright if I post one but worth looking on his website if you like lovely horsey paintings ?

 

[LEC]

In the eighties I remember jute stable rugs and wool day rugs with a separate roller. Green canvas New Zealand, I can't remember what sort of surcingle it had but it had leg straps.

String sweat rug for hot horses/weather

 

[Rowreach]

String sweat rug for hot horses/weather

I wish those were still around.

 

[luckyoldme]

I worked in a 'posh' yard!
The horses stood in all winter with no turnout.
They had canvass rugs with rollers. They all had under blankets which we pulled up at the front like the beginnings of a paper aeroplane then folded back on top of the rug and under the roller.

 

[Meredith]

I worked in a 'posh' yard!
The horses stood in all winter with no turnout.
They had canvass rugs with rollers. They all had under blankets which we pulled up at the front like the beginnings of a paper aeroplane then folded back on top of the rug and under the roller.

I’d forgotten that.
Also the huge piece of sponge or folded blanket to stop pressure under the roller.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I still have cotton string sweat rugs about 35 years old and still working well - maybe a little faded. The first new zealand rugs I remember had a surcingle attached on one side. It was set back from the girth groove. These rugs were heavy, leather leg straps, felt lined and always slipped sideways.

 

[Fools Motto]

We had one jute rug - came with the pony, that had cross surcingles in 1989. Thought it was the bees knees!! lol

 

[Rowreach]

I still have cotton string sweat rugs about 35 years old and still working well - maybe a little faded. The first new zealand rugs I remember had a surcingle attached on one side. It was set back from the girth groove. These rugs were heavy, leather leg straps, felt lined and always slipped sideways.

The leg straps were that smelly pigskin that went squishy in the rain.

 

[Rowreach]

This ad was from before decimalisation

 

[luckyoldme]

I’d forgotten that.
Also the huge piece of sponge or folded blanket to stop pressure under the roller.

And I'd forgotten about the pads!

 

[Meredith]

The leg straps were that smelly pigskin that went squishy in the rain.

My memory says chrome leather?

 

[Upthecreek]

Ah the good old days........ one New Zealand rug that went on October to March and a jute stable rug. Both so stiff you could hardly get them on the horse. Life was so much simpler then; no dentists, no physios, no supplements, no saddle check every few months ?

 

[catkin]

The leg straps were that smelly pigskin that went squishy in the rain.

and the front strap was the same - it looped through two slots in the canvas.

The first cross-over surcingles I remember were on Lavenham stable rugs - navy blue with red binding and straps. They were thought by Old School types to be some new-fangled fad in the early 1980s. They may have been around earlier but remember that sort of date at I had a young TB who had one (we was thought very swish )

 

[Rowreach]

and the front strap was the same - it looped through two slots in the canvas.

The first cross-over surcingles I remember were on Lavenham stable rugs - navy blue with red binding and straps. They were thought by Old School types to be some new-fangled fad in the early 1980s. They may have been around earlier but remember that sort of date at I had a young TB who had one (we was thought very swish )

Yup, see the ad above, that would have been 60s or very early 70s.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

Oh the joys of smelly heavy NZs ?
I did love a jute rug though - wool lined & very effective especially when thatched with straw ?
The excitement of buying an original green Rambo tho ?

 

[Rowreach]

Oh the joys of smelly heavy NZs ?
I did love a jute rug though - wool lined & very effective especially when thatched with straw ?
The excitement of buying an original green Rambo tho ?

 

[JennBags]

Ah the good old days........ one New Zealand rug that went on October to March and a jute stable rug. Both so stiff you could hardly get them on the horse. Life was so much simpler then; no dentists, no physios, no supplements, no saddle check every few months ?

And by 15 horses were considered veterans without many years riding life left!

 

[Tihamandturkey]

.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

View attachment 65287

Great pic ?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thanks so much for all the replies and pictures.

 

[Gloi]

From the late ‘60’s I had a jute stable rug with a roller. For turnout a green canvas New Zealand, grey blanket lining and a fixed surcingle.
I don’t recall getting a turnout with cross surcingles until the ‘80’s.

Pretty much this though I was on my 4th pony in the 80s before I owned a rug (just for shows mind you ? ) no rugs in stable or field. I do remember thatching a sweaty pony with a bran sack and straw though they were usually turned out to roll in the mud to dry off.

 

[catkin]

Yup, see the ad above, that would have been 60s or very early 70s.

that's what mine looked like except that the straps were cross-overs, and they clipped on on both sides.

I love the selling point that the rug was 'inedible'