Teajack
Well-Known Member
I sold my bicycle to buy rubber boots from an advert in Riding. They cost £6 - an hour's ride at the time was £1.
Signs you were a horsey kid in the 1960's/1970's
- Thread starter MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
- Start date
I sold my bicycle to buy rubber boots from an advert in Riding. They cost £6 - an hour's ride at the time was £1.
Tihamandturkey
Well-Known Member
Wow 😮 I have an old Pennwood GP saddle which I treasure & everybody who sits in it loves 😅
Tihamandturkey
Well-Known Member
Me too - a big blue one 😅
Also I had a great tree in my back garden with a bent trunk which was just the right height for a pony - carpet for saddle - rope for bridle & reins - my lovely old neighbour used to ask me where I was riding to when he saw me 🙂
Petalpoos
Well-Known Member
What a great thread! So many memories I share (I am 60). What about 'Pony' magazine and the £5 foals you could get from the New forest sales!?
Not that I could even have afforded one of those, but I could dream! I used to go and sit on the gypsy horses in the field behind my house, when they were lying down. Big old coloured cobs, that were quite unusual then, and tethered with a big leather collar and a chain.
Not that I could even have afforded one of those, but I could dream! I used to go and sit on the gypsy horses in the field behind my house, when they were lying down. Big old coloured cobs, that were quite unusual then, and tethered with a big leather collar and a chain.
Baywonder
Well-Known Member
Oh I love this thread! I remember Penwood Forge Mill too! My first hat (second hand) was velvet with elastic, and my jods were the old cord ones with the sticking out thighs! We had a dome topped wall in the garden - and this was my imaginary horse for years. Also, I remember going to the Royal International Horse Show, having a 'Rover Day Pass' - which allowed you to wander around the stable area amongst the horses and riders. Armed with my autograph book, I got signatures from David Broome, Malcolm Pyrah and Nick Skelton (and others that I can't remember off the top of my head) I asked Harvey Smith but he was in an arsey mood and he said 'no' in not a very polite way!
I spent a day at the local stables helping out once, and at the end of the day the yard owner said I could help out every weekend, and in return I could have a free riding lesson once a month. I was about to jump up and down ecstatically screaming 'yes please!' - but my dad said 'no way - that's slave labour!'. I was not a happy bunny and I never forgave my dad for that!
I also remember Jennie Loriston-Clark doing dressage on saddles with hardly any knee roll - not like today's saddles!
I daresay I will be back later to add more to this thread! <goes to look for childhood autograph book>
I spent a day at the local stables helping out once, and at the end of the day the yard owner said I could help out every weekend, and in return I could have a free riding lesson once a month. I was about to jump up and down ecstatically screaming 'yes please!' - but my dad said 'no way - that's slave labour!'. I was not a happy bunny and I never forgave my dad for that!
I also remember Jennie Loriston-Clark doing dressage on saddles with hardly any knee roll - not like today's saddles!
I daresay I will be back later to add more to this thread! <goes to look for childhood autograph book>
Trouper
Well-Known Member
Yes Tristar - definitely hereditary. Grandfather was a trooper in the Lancers in the late 19th Century (well I am 72 now!) and it surely skipped a generation with the parents. Fortunately they acknowledged the history and spent the very spare pennies to ensure we could learn to ride. I am eternally grateful.
The Fuzzy Furry
Getting old disgracefully
Yup, I remember when the C+ came out at our pony club in 1981, I jointly examined it that summer!
My daughter went on to do hers in 1996 or 97
Ref exracehorse comment above re the jodhs going up legs, my mum sewed elastic on the bottom of the legs of them so they hooked over boots, this was the 60s.
The Fuzzy Furry
Getting old disgracefully
Does anyone remember Puff the pony from the programme Magpie?
He was quite elderly when I met him, he saw out his last few years at the yard where I started my BHS exams.
He was quite elderly when I met him, he saw out his last few years at the yard where I started my BHS exams.
swilliam
Well-Known Member
I remember many of these things - 65 now. Iused to have a riding lesson once a week from being 6. wearing winged jods and having leaves put under my knees that were supposed to stay there for the whole lesson, or I'd get shouted at.
When I was 12, I started riding for a traveller who had settled down and had grazing right on 500 acres of common ground called The Lines in Medaway Kent. Anyone else remember the horses there? We used to catch up and ride with headcollars to save carrying tack. My favourite pony once ran away with me across the top of the hill, following a couple of loose ones I'd been trying to herd back to the field. Some Ameriican tourists were very impressed apparently! As others have said, no Health and safety concerns there. Engine oil in the hooves so we could hack in the snow. We all survived
When I was 12, I started riding for a traveller who had settled down and had grazing right on 500 acres of common ground called The Lines in Medaway Kent. Anyone else remember the horses there? We used to catch up and ride with headcollars to save carrying tack. My favourite pony once ran away with me across the top of the hill, following a couple of loose ones I'd been trying to herd back to the field. Some Ameriican tourists were very impressed apparently! As others have said, no Health and safety concerns there. Engine oil in the hooves so we could hack in the snow. We all survived
Summit
Well-Known Member
Summit
Well-Known Member
My parents borrowed £400 to buy me my first pony (this was 1978). I was forever grateful for their sacrifices as we didn’t have much money.
tristar
Well-Known Member
skipped a generation here too!
wiglet
Well-Known Member
I didn't have a pony of my own, I had to make do with weekly riding lessons. I had all the gear though, even a bridle - it cost £5. I loved that bridle and cleaned it every week. It never got used though!!
When I wasn't at the riding school, me and my friends would be building a course of show jumps in our garden. We then used to 'jump' over them on space hopper! Was fantastic fun - we had show days where we competed for homemade rosettes.
I remember Julip model ponies and Dream ponies too. I had Pony magazine delivered. Does anyone remember the Blue Peter pony? I think he/she was called Rags?
When I wasn't at the riding school, me and my friends would be building a course of show jumps in our garden. We then used to 'jump' over them on space hopper! Was fantastic fun - we had show days where we competed for homemade rosettes.
I remember Julip model ponies and Dream ponies too. I had Pony magazine delivered. Does anyone remember the Blue Peter pony? I think he/she was called Rags?
Leandy
Well-Known Member
Love this, yes, yes, yes to everything! And sweat rugs were all the string vest type with big holes in (a new modern invention). I once won the main prize in the raffle at the Pony Club awards and disco which was an orangey yellow sweat rug crocheted by the DC's mother!!! She did one every year for the raffle. It was the right length in the back for my 13hand pony but came down to his knees and was somewhat baggy around the chest. I loved it because it was so sophisticated like racehorses had and he wore it whenever he went to a show. I also used to put yellow exercise bandages bandages on for a show with cotton wool underneath poking out all round. No velcro or synthetic boots, only elastic exercise bandages or leather brushing boots with straps and buckles.
exracehorse
Well-Known Member
I think your right. Blue Peter used to have every creature under the sun in the studio. And I’m showing my age because every year B Peter showed you how to hibernate your tortoise. They were 50p for a small one from the pet shop.
monte1
Well-Known Member
Loving this thread, i am 50.5 and was a penniless, pony mad, council estate girl in the 70's, a school friend had two ponies of her own and took me riding with her from aged 8ish , i rode her Shetland pony who bucked like stink, ( he must have only been about 3-4 back then and probably not even backed properly ) we were left at the yard all day long unsupervised and had the best time, I rode anything and everything that someone would let me on, fell off loads, got back on never worried about concussion or anything else, never complained or told my totally non horsey parents in case they wouldn't let me go back to ride again !!!
First pony of our own was an unbroken 2 year old palomino colt, which I think cost my dad about £20, it was a joint Christmas pressie i was age about 11 and my younger sister was 10 - we backed him once he was 3 or so by ourselves from reading books and watching others- still think of him fondly.
we had various other giveaways, charity loans and bargain ponies that no one else wanted between us over the years, hacked miles to to go to a tiny show, crossing dual carriageways and cantering along grass verges jumping drainage ditches, all our tack was very cheap and basic and hand me down clothes and riding hats- bought a saddle at reading horse auctions, by measuring over withers with a wire coat hanger then taking it along and popping into saddle gullets till got one which looked like it might fit !!!
I remember well, hats with chin elastic, canvas turnouts, jute rugs, straight feeds , oats and barley, bought in sacks from local farmer
standing in a dug out hole in the muck heap in winter to warm frozen feet up and cantering bareback or tackless around the field!
happy days- Jill books were my staple read, TV watching Black beauty, White horses, think I had a Sindy doll and her horse with jumps
I am still in contact with several friends who I met back then and we often reminisce , i wonder if we hadn't had horses to go to what might have become of us kids, as it opened up a whole other world to us from where we were brought up
it was only when i got much older did i realise just what huge sacrifices my parents made so we could ride let alone have a pony, albeit on a shoestring budget, we were so lucky and I am incredibly grateful even now.
my own daughter, now grown up, had her own pony from a very young age and was definitely horse mad, we did the whole pony club scene ( that i never had the opportunity to do and we both had a blast) she kept it up right through till she was 16 or so, but, gave up - she never had the hunger for it like some of us pony starved desperate kids did back then, perhaps because everything was less of a struggle- who knows !
First pony of our own was an unbroken 2 year old palomino colt, which I think cost my dad about £20, it was a joint Christmas pressie i was age about 11 and my younger sister was 10 - we backed him once he was 3 or so by ourselves from reading books and watching others- still think of him fondly.
we had various other giveaways, charity loans and bargain ponies that no one else wanted between us over the years, hacked miles to to go to a tiny show, crossing dual carriageways and cantering along grass verges jumping drainage ditches, all our tack was very cheap and basic and hand me down clothes and riding hats- bought a saddle at reading horse auctions, by measuring over withers with a wire coat hanger then taking it along and popping into saddle gullets till got one which looked like it might fit !!!
I remember well, hats with chin elastic, canvas turnouts, jute rugs, straight feeds , oats and barley, bought in sacks from local farmer
standing in a dug out hole in the muck heap in winter to warm frozen feet up and cantering bareback or tackless around the field!
happy days- Jill books were my staple read, TV watching Black beauty, White horses, think I had a Sindy doll and her horse with jumps
I am still in contact with several friends who I met back then and we often reminisce , i wonder if we hadn't had horses to go to what might have become of us kids, as it opened up a whole other world to us from where we were brought up
it was only when i got much older did i realise just what huge sacrifices my parents made so we could ride let alone have a pony, albeit on a shoestring budget, we were so lucky and I am incredibly grateful even now.
my own daughter, now grown up, had her own pony from a very young age and was definitely horse mad, we did the whole pony club scene ( that i never had the opportunity to do and we both had a blast) she kept it up right through till she was 16 or so, but, gave up - she never had the hunger for it like some of us pony starved desperate kids did back then, perhaps because everything was less of a struggle- who knows !
Ruftysdad
Well-Known Member
My first pony was an ex rag and bone pony. She was brilliant at Gymkhana and we used to go out competing every week in a huge horse box. All the kids used to sit inside the box on the canopy. Would be considered dangerous now. I was 13 when I started competing and never had a parent with me. I ma 74 now, have an oldie and still love horses as much as ever
J&S
Well-Known Member
I am 72 and a granny, my father and his father before him were both "horse and dog" men, my own daughter rode from about 12 years old and has since ridden horses all over the world in her travels. She loves to come out with me when she comes to stay. I am sad though that my grand children are real "townies" and , although I have produced ponies for them to ride, they haven't really got the bug. Maybe this is where it skips a generation!
Will there be opportunities available for their children though? Not like we had back in the 50's/60's/70's as you are all recalling.
Will there be opportunities available for their children though? Not like we had back in the 50's/60's/70's as you are all recalling.
onemoretime
Well-Known Member
ah love it, I so remember all of this being born in the early 50's. those were golden days, we had real horse men and women around in those days and they taught us well.
ROMANY 1959
Well-Known Member
Running round the lawn with jumps from garden canes riding the mop
Rumtytum
Have Marmite, will travel
I rode your mop’s half brother the broom around my garden jumps 😀.
D66
Well-Known Member
Hacking out for hours on the roads on my own aged 12.
No rugs at all for ponies, one new-Zealand for a horse.
Nickel bits and stirrups that we polished til they were hot to get a shine.
No supplements.
No equine dentist
No horse physio
No pink horse stuff
No rugs at all for ponies, one new-Zealand for a horse.
Nickel bits and stirrups that we polished til they were hot to get a shine.
No supplements.
No equine dentist
No horse physio
No pink horse stuff
MyBoyChe
Well-Known Member
Omg Baywonder, youve just reminded me of something. My grandparents farm house had a red brick wall at the front with an end column with a concrete ball on top. I used to tie baling string around the column, use a bit more baling string over the wall to make stirrups and pretend I was riding around Badminton!
honetpot
Well-Known Member
I came from a working class family with no horse background, so from the age of 12 would scounge rides on a variety of unsuitable ponies, so I got dumped a lot.
I think biggest memory in trying to be cool in Levi denims with flare cut ins, hair sticking out of the hat. My prized new hat, cork hat,tight enough so it would not fall off.
How did we or the ponies survive, we rode everywhere without a care.
I think biggest memory in trying to be cool in Levi denims with flare cut ins, hair sticking out of the hat. My prized new hat, cork hat,tight enough so it would not fall off.
How did we or the ponies survive, we rode everywhere without a care.
Errin Paddywack
Well-Known Member
My goodness, this thread brings back some memories. I am 71 and was horse mad from as far back as I can remember. My gran's father worked with horses, she told us he once took the Stratford Mail Coach (8 horse team) through when the regular driver was ill. He died long before I was born but we were brought up on stories about him.
No money for ponies in our family so had to make do with the local riding school and went to work there when I left school. Did 4 years hard labour then changed to office work to earn enough for horses of my own. Bought my first in 1969 and got him the most expensive NZ rug available at the time. The Emston NZ, no surcingle, just leg straps. Cost over £20 when most NZs were the old green canvas ones at about £8. Anyone remember them?
Lost my last pony in 2017 so now horseless. I go into the local saddlers and it is like a different world to what I was used to. I feel quite alien there
I still have my pony books, in particular those by Josephine Pullein Thompson and re read them regularly. Very well written and some useful advice too.
This thread has made my day
No money for ponies in our family so had to make do with the local riding school and went to work there when I left school. Did 4 years hard labour then changed to office work to earn enough for horses of my own. Bought my first in 1969 and got him the most expensive NZ rug available at the time. The Emston NZ, no surcingle, just leg straps. Cost over £20 when most NZs were the old green canvas ones at about £8. Anyone remember them?
Lost my last pony in 2017 so now horseless. I go into the local saddlers and it is like a different world to what I was used to. I feel quite alien there
I still have my pony books, in particular those by Josephine Pullein Thompson and re read them regularly. Very well written and some useful advice too.
This thread has made my day
honetpot
Well-Known Member
I used to make
I used to make hobby horses out of an old sock and a large knitting needle, stuffed, then a wool mane. Had a stable of four.
Baywonder
Well-Known Member
I used to borrow our neighbours dog and go over the jumps with her. I used to make them higher and longer and we both loved it! If the dog wasn't available, I always reverted to the mop or broom!
Baywonder
Well-Known Member
I used to tie rope to the column and also make stirrups out of it too!
eggs
Well-Known Member
Gosh I'm 57 and remember just about everything mentioned. I was finally allowed to start riding lessons when I was 7 and had huge bat wing jods and jod boots that had a long leather strap that wrapped around your ankle.
I started grooming for a lady who had show hunters when I was 12 and each horse had a bottle of blue colic drench outside their stable. As far as we were concerned it would cure colic but fortunately I never had to try it out.
Our ponies must have been pretty fit as we would think nothing of going out on 6 hour hacks which involved cantering on everything that wasn't a road.
I used to make my own velvet dragon's teeth browbands because I didn't like the plastic one that our pony came with.
All the books mentioned plus The Silver Brumby series and My Friend Flicka
I started grooming for a lady who had show hunters when I was 12 and each horse had a bottle of blue colic drench outside their stable. As far as we were concerned it would cure colic but fortunately I never had to try it out.
Our ponies must have been pretty fit as we would think nothing of going out on 6 hour hacks which involved cantering on everything that wasn't a road.
I used to make my own velvet dragon's teeth browbands because I didn't like the plastic one that our pony came with.
All the books mentioned plus The Silver Brumby series and My Friend Flicka
spacefaer
Well-Known Member
I had a velvet browband for special occasions made in the Pony Club colours. String girth - brown one on my chestnut pony for every day, and a white one for competitions. We used to take the numnahs off for competitions too - as they were only for keeping the saddles clean. When coloured jodphurs came in, my mother wouldn't let me have any as she said they were "common" (??) and I remember getting one of the first nylon quilted rugs - a Polywarm - it was wonderful - so light!
There were definitely equine dentists - I remember a Mr Glass coming out to my father's mare, and he wore a white coat, like a surgical gown.
No back protectors - I didn't get a crash hat until the 80s and most people didn't have a silk for them
Nickel stirrup irons and bits - they broke alarmingly often
My father had a pair of plaited leather reins that I coveted as I only had plain reins, which were tricky in the wet. I got my first parir of orange rubber reins in the early 80s and thought they were amazing
There were definitely equine dentists - I remember a Mr Glass coming out to my father's mare, and he wore a white coat, like a surgical gown.
No back protectors - I didn't get a crash hat until the 80s and most people didn't have a silk for them
Nickel stirrup irons and bits - they broke alarmingly often
My father had a pair of plaited leather reins that I coveted as I only had plain reins, which were tricky in the wet. I got my first parir of orange rubber reins in the early 80s and thought they were amazing