Things from the past

Crackerz said:
Ha! Yes! Just like Premier Equine rugs now.... But at least Jutes stayed waterproof ;)
Click to expand...

I think you're confusing materials?

Jute rugs were wide weave beige stable rugs and could never have been made waterproof. Outdoor rugs were waxed canvas, and could leak like a seive.
 
The smell of a jute rug incrusted with dried pee in March when it had been worn all winter now I don’t miss that .
 
Goldenstar said:
The smell of a jute rug incrusted with dried pee in March when it had been worn all winter now I don’t miss that .
Click to expand...

Having to use padded surcingles to keep them on, and adding bed blankets underneath to increase warmth. What a faff that was!

And all of it stinky and not machine washable !!
 
I had elephant ear jods years ago - I thought they were wonderful, they took an age to wash and dry as I certainly don't remember a washing machine, probably not invented washing machines at the time or only very posh people had them :D
 
String girths! still have one in the old barn somewhere, they must have pinch the poor ponies.
Also when I was about 10 a girl I knew, family had loads of money, alway rode in a yellow roll neck jumper with matching yellow knitted gloves. I always wanted to look like that!
 
Bubblewrap said:
String girths! still have one in the old barn somewhere, they must have pinch the poor ponies.
Also when I was about 10 a girl I knew, family had loads of money, alway rode in a yellow roll neck jumper with matching yellow knitted gloves. I always wanted to look like that!
Click to expand...

Stűbben still sell string girths. They are great at sweat dispersal and evening out pressure.

I used to ride in a yellow polo neck and gloves :D. It was the accepted uniform at one time where I was.
 
Stubben brought back string girths a few years ago, they suit some horses. (Cross posted ycbm :) )

I remember Banakoff, similar in that it contained menthol but you smeared it in the false nostril. And Ellimans Embrocation? They produced a book decades ago with all the old ailments and remedies, mine got lost somewhere along the way. Drenching horns, colic drenches? And yes, the NZ rugs with a single surcingle that never stayed straight.
And Jackatex mail order riding clothes? I had one of those rubberised macs from there
 
A 15yo me in 1973 on my amazing 17yo hand me down Irish mare, ready for hunting. Back then 17yo was considered ancient in horse terms.

lPoT797.jpg


Stylo rubber riding boots (yuk), rubber bit guards and knitted string gloves which stretched in the rain and peeled off leaving hands freezing. No numnah (what were they?). I was forbidden to ride without wearing a hat, but what use this ornamental affair would have been, I don't know. I had a crash hat for XC, but they were hideously uncomfortable things that were only tolerable to wear for a few minutes.
 
Goldenstar I think the molasses powder was molassine meal I loved it too. We used an antique singer on my old grey pony to singe off her cat hairs instead of clipping again they just curled up and brushed off. Proper home made Kaolin poultices much better than animalintex. The hunting yard near me still used a hand powered clippers which are exhausting. Their horses were in stalls with a rope and chog. Easy to muck out. I loved proper wool day rugs too.
 
ycbm said:
I think you're confusing materials?

Jute rugs were wide weave beige stable rugs and could never have been made waterproof. Outdoor rugs were waxed canvas, and could leak like a seive.
Click to expand...

Ah yes i have! But i dont remember my waxed rugs leaking at all, just rubbing shoulders... However, all my PE rugs might as well not exist in a heavy rain fall & you need to be Eddie Hall to lift them when they are soaked
 
waxed canvas rugs-went like cardboard when wet and took an age to dry. I still have some westrops but nothing needs to wear them!

Lavenham coats. somehow my mother thought they were weatherproof! I also had stylo boots and a cork hat lol.
 
Orange rubber reins, that went sticky when old. I also started with the elastic chin strap.

The thing I missed most is the old white foam back protector that you stuffed down your jodhs. They did op round your kidneys and that was it.


I would love one now, wish I had not thrown mine away. I would wear it for hacking as it was not at all restrictive like the body protectors of today. No straps round your shoulders. No restrictions. I was just at Bramham last week and the BHS or some safety organisation (Beta?) had one on display to show protection over the years. I almost went over and made an offer on it!


GS - Is this not Coal Tar Soap then? https://www.superdrug.com/Wrights/W...Sg&gclsrc=ds&dclid=CJHIkuzx0tsCFRJj0wodYSILrA
 
Loved the petal overreach boots, had them on my pony, he didn't even need overreach boots :D
Does anyone remember those white rubber/foam type numnahs with black edging?
 
How about Dermobian - the best ever *magic* ointment for horses, but it was another product that was banned due to it's contents.

I believe you can still get it abroad (Russia?) called Ilium Dermapred.

I once swapped an old Albion saddle for two big tubs of Dermobian and it took me years to use it all up, but it was a fantastic deal imo!!
 
Gloi said:
Using this deadly implement as a teenager at the riding school
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfDE6CGo7Sc
Click to expand...

We had one of these at the riding school I worked at. "Come on kids, play with this!" Can't imagine getting away with it today! That was the worst job when they'd get you to fill 4 feed sacks of 'chop'.

Someone mentioned rubber bit rings. I remember those. We used to call them biscuits and were the thing of nightmares when you were learning to tack up!
 
Mucker boots, those bloody ugly blue lace-up things with the beige sole. Just when you thought they couldn't get any more hideous they brought out velcro ones!
 
Cecile said:
I have a chaff cutter in my barn if you are still looking, its a monster :D
I saw one in a chaff cutter in garden recently they had painted it and used it as a garden ornament, they also had an old water hand pump as an ornament, far too useful/practical to use as an ornament I thought :)
Click to expand...

Where are you? Pm if you’d rather.
 
I don't have photos but we used to keep bottles of blue 'colic drench'. Never had cause to use them and doubt they would have done any good.
 
I don't miss boiling up linseed, nor do I miss the faff of blankets under jute rugs - but boy was it satisfying to go round the yard doing last checks and see every horse rugged up in matching jute and blankets. And I definitely don't miss sewing the tapes on exercise bandages.

Anyone else remember mucking out using two pronged pitchforks? Or chrome leather headcollars in the field for those hard to catch horses?

Yes, I am old enough to have ridden in hats with chin cups, string gloves and Stylo rubber boots (but they were better than the Dunlop rubber boots, to be fair).
 
Stylo were the best kind of rubber boot lol. The lining always use to wear away in mine.

I remember all the horses at the riding school I worked at use to have one jute rug with roller, one canvas crispy New Zealand and they all got a new 'poly warm' rug. All rugs the same navy blue with red binding. We thought they were state of the art!

They also had an electric hay chopper / dust extractor. You feed in a slice and it was suppose to come out all broken up and dust free. In reality you had to watch your hands, the hay was just shredded and the remaining dust went everywhere lol. Health and safety would have had a fit lol.

Still use a metal scraper. My yard has one that is pretty ancient.
 
Ah, thank you Sheep and SpringArising for your lovely comments about the gorgeous Baroness (Nessie) :). We owned her twice, firstly as a young horse for my older sister who competed her successfully, then after a gap of a few years we were able to buy her back for me. We then kept her to the end of her days.

Her coat does look good in the pic, doesn't it? She was fed on grass, hay, Spillers Horse and Pony cubes and bran.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top